Let the Hacking Begin

[jjlink]

My thoughts for the trailer hitch was for a bicycle as well, however with the cars overall width of 62.4 inches the tires would stick out on either side (on my shortest bicycle).

 

[JoeS]

On our second trip to look at the "i", we took my wife's bicycle - she's an avid cyclist and, since this car is for her, carrying the bike inside was a non-negotiable prerequisite. It's a full-size bicycle and with the front wheel off it fit just fine with the back seats down. Didn't try two bikes.

 

[jray3]

I just got off the phone with Torklift Central, who has completed development and testing of their iMiEV trailer hitch receiver, both in 1.25" and 2". :idea: No cutting of the rear apron required, as with the LEAF. They are available for shipping now, not by the end of Jan as the website says. Weight is under 25 lb, cost is $250, shipping is free.
http://shop.tlcentral.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=&idproduct=1045
Here's the installation video.
http://shop.tlcentral.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=157

 

[jjlink]

Lots of good hacking supplies here:
http://www.sparkfun.com/categories

Including micro-controllers, voltage / current sensors, add-on Ethernet and Cellular interfaces, Etc. Just the sort of thing needed to make an app to really view / control charging remotely.

 

[jjlink]

I'm not suggesting that anyone void their warranty on the level 1 charger that came with the car however, it most likely can be upgraded to 240 volts and 16 amps (the 'i' will only use 15 amps) by evseupgrade.com. They have done this for many-many Nissan Leaf owners. Apparently Mitsubishi uses the same level 1 charger made by Panasonic that the Nissan Leaf uses.
http://evseupgrade.com

 

[jray3]

Yep, when I corresponded with evseupgrade.com a few weeks back he was itching to dissect an iMiEV unit to apply the same fix that he's been doing for Leafers. Since my SPX EVSE can also take 120V input, I'd be willing to send mine in as the first, but as my first i is for sale, I'll do no hacking yet!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mitsubishi-iMiEV-ES-Mitsubishi-MiEV-highway-capable-electric-car-less-than-one-month-old-/190628877292?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c625dd3ec

 

[jjlink]

Yes, I E-mailed Mark @evseupgrade back in December. However my car is still on that very slow row-boat from Japan.

 

[jray3]

I've posted some closeup shots of the i's mechanical parts on my weblog.
http://karmanneclectric.blogspot.com/2012/01/duh-i-ssection.html
Final hours of the i-auction too...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mitsubishi-MiEV-highway-capable-electric-car-less-than-one-month-old-/190628877292?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c625dd3ec#ht_500wt_1182

 

[jray3]

If you open the rear inside quarter panel on the car's right side (behind the J1772 port, the other side doesn't have visible snap connectors), you'll see a release cable with a loose end. Pull on that puppy and the ChAdeMO door will pop open on a car without that option. Strange place to terminate the cable, since the release lever is normally next to the driver's seat and the ChAdeMO door is also on the driver's side. Sadly, there's no hidden quickcharge hardware on my ES, just an empty hole. (But you know what, you can stash your ....adaptor in there.)

 

[JoeS]

jray3, thanks for that! The wire was there and the door needed a little nudge, but it's just as you described, with nothing but a mounting flange for the CHAdeMO. That compartment is open to the underside of the car (shine a light underneath and you'll see) and I'll try to seal it before dust starts collecting up there.

 

[jray3]

All that unused space behind the rear inner RH quarter panel has me thinking about adding a second J1772 input. Two main reasons to do this. One: security. When opportunity charging in the wilds, one's valuable EVSE is exposed to the elements and sticky fingers. The 120VAC 8A EVSE has a skinny enough cord to set it inside the car and shut the tailgate, allowing for a bit more security, but I'm loving life with my 16A 240/120VAC universal input SPX charger, and it has a big beefy cable that won't allow the tailgate to close. So, I'd like to be able to shut the tailgate and charge in peace, with only a 120VAC extension cord poking out, and no fragile flaps open.
Secondly, an innner input port makes an easier avenue for inputting range extension amps, whether they be from a supplemental battery pack or towed genset. Who'd want to drive down the highway with an open filler flap and 6" of handle and cord sticking out the passenger side! Of course, that still doesn't answer the question of whether the onboard charger can be tricked to run while the car is underway, and also whether it will accept DC input, like the Manzanita Micro chargers can... Adding an inverter to one's range extension pack adds cost and decreases efficiency significantly.
1500 miles and counting.

 

[jennrod12]

Dude, you are a serious hacker!

We are going to put a stripe on our Miev, when we get it.

Jenn

 

[JoeS]

jray3, you brought up a couple of topics:

1. Great idea about having the two cables for the portable J1772 EVSE poke out the unused CHAdeMO port- this is certainly cleaner than having them dangle out an almost-closed side window. A small black plastic marine hatch might just fit on the rear inner LH quarter panel...

2. Dunno who'll stick their neck out first to feed HV dc directly into the charger (through the SPX?) :roll: I haven't looked over on the Leaf forum to see if anyone's tried it there. For myself, inefficient as it is, I'm temporarily putting together a small pack of Headways (a little under 2kWH) and a cheap inverter to carry with me for any range-stretching trips (somehow, can't see myself regressing to use my Honda EU2000i genset). Happily, we're really getting a lot of charging stations installed here in the Bay Area.

 

[jray3]

Thanks JoeS, I'd sure wanna find more data on the charger before feeding HVDC thru J1772. :twisted: I'd actually prefer to just have an Anderson connector leading straight to the pack for 330VDC import (or export), but would hafta know how that would affect the BMS. Another reason I picked the i is that my homebuilt EV's pack voltage peaks at 330V, and I've got a big UPS unit that accepts 330VDC. Wouldn't ya know that we had a 3-day power outage during my second week with the i? Sure would've been nice to tap that 16kWh onboard the i, because I wasn't taking it driving during an ice storm! My issue with a small inverter or small supplemental pack, or genset for that matter is that it's a lot of work for not much range. 1.5kW, which is about the most that could actually make it to the pack from a 120VAC source, might add a max of 5 miles of range per hour. So, one could drive a few mph faster on the highway, or avoid opportunity charging on an afternoon of errands, but not take a road trip. Especially if 'regressing' to a genset, I'd want to have about 15 kW on tap, allowing long distance highway cruising or a one-hour pit stop. I've got an old Onan Emerald genset just about ready to go as proof of concept on a trailer for my conversion. Only gonna tap it at 120V at first to go easy on the charger, but if the little calculations match reality, then it might be time to step up! I'm curious to see how much is lost to the trailer vs gained by the genny. Your little Honda inverter genset could fit nicely on a tiny platform coming out of a trailer hitch receiver. One of our SEVA members used to do that with a Sparrow! Here's my homebuilt EV weblog. http://www.karmanneclectric.blogspot.com

 

[jray3]

Joe-n-Co.,
here's a dupe of what I just posted on the range thread.
John, thanks for such detail. Can you point to any more detail on the balancing method or hardware? In looking at range extension options, I've zeroed in on the HVDC charger output, which appears to be a quick disconnect.
Pictured http://www.caranddriver.com/photos-10q1/335484/mitsubishi-i-miev-on-board-charger-photo-335603
That may be a place to add in a pigtail for 330V input/output (no more than 10A at first, to match charger output). If a supplemental 330VDC source were plugged in there, it could be disconnected often to allow the OEM pack balancing process, and this method may not actually require any permanent modifications to the car.
Now to ID that connector and find a supplier...

 

[jray3]

Yep, the Leaf'ers are way ahead on this. :shock: Phil of EVSEupgrade.com has built a range extension trailer powered by a 30kW Capstone microturbine on propane. He tapped into the HV pack before the DC/DC converter. Extensive thread:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=7104&start=50

 

[jray3]

So, to supplement charge while underway, I see two basic methods: one would be to input AC through the stock charger, which could allow a conventional genset or inverter, and the other would be to input DC to the battery, either through the CHAdeMO circuit, a new direct connection, or tapping the lines between inverter and battery upstream of the current measurement device so that the main battery SOC meter remains accurate. Immediate questions that come to mind with this method are; will a boost charge reduce the allowed amount of regen, and how saggy is the traction pack under load?

I've already confirmed that a cheap genset will trip out my SPX EVSE, probably too much leakage to ground.
Anybody found what signals the car not to drive while plugged in? You can certainly drive with the charging door open!

 

[jray3]

Got my 2" hitch receiver from Torklift Central. The thing is a beast- 42 lbs with all hardware included. I ordered it as raw steel and am going to do a lot of drilling to lighten it up, then they'll take it back for powdercoating. They also offer a 1 1/4" receiver, but it's mounted on the same heavy frame, so no significant weight savings. Both Torklift and a local respected welder refused to build one out of aluminum, they said that the aluminum is too soft and hardens as it flexes under load, and then it would break in dramatic fashion, rather than give some warning, as steel usually does (hmm, wonder how long it's been hanging from one side like that? :roll: ).

I also asked 'em about building a light duty steel hitch, but Class III is what they do, so it's up to me to remove weight at my own risk.

 

[jray3]

So I chatted up the parts counter guy at my dealer, and he looked up a few things for me. Turns out they will sell the entire CHAdeMO inlet and cable assembly, but it lists at over $1400. Twice the price as the original option for an unwarranted, uninstalled add-on. That'll have to remain on the wish list for a while longer.

 

[JoeS]

jray3, thanks for the postings. I had hoped they'd come up with an all-aluminum demountable hitch, as 42# is simply too much back there!

Good to know the CHAdeMO interface can at least be purchased.