01-09-2011 Let the testing begin!

The updates to the car are finally completed and we are pleased to say we are back on the road.

It seemed like a small project to swap the high voltage enclosure (top right in the picture) with the controller (bottom right), drop the nose rack down 2", and redesign the bracket for the charger and controller but vacation schedules and vendor issues got the better of us.

We'll be testing out the changes over the next month or so, while we update the install guide and the technical drawings used in fabrication. 

The new design will allow a number of different charger/controller combinations to be used with the WarP 9" DC motor.

12-10-2010 Sneak peek on the redesign...

Those of you who get our newsletter know that we are in the midst of a small redesign. We are moving the High Voltage Enclosure (the gray plastic box that hides the contactor, shunt, fuse and relay) to the driver side of the Top Rack and moving the controller beside the charger. Our goal is to create enough usable space above the front battery rack so that most any controller along with a reasonably sized charger could fit, while maintaining or improving the room for Lithium batteries in the rack. As you can see in the picture, the redesign uses two rails - one just in front of the Top Rack and one just inside the front crossmember. Brackets go between these two rails allowing you to mount your choice of components anywhere along the rails.


Here is a shot of the Zivan charger beside a mock up of a Warp-Drive controller (from our friends at EV-Source). As you can see, there is room to spare for this configuration.

We hope to have the car on the road soon to test these changes in real-world conditions.

We'll keep you updated.

10-15-2010 3 events in 4 days

Still recovering from last week - 3 events in 4 days takes a toll...
1. The After Dark event at the Exploritorium was a blast. Talked to a lot of people who were not aware that gas cars could be converted to run on batteries, but the best part was having a chance to talk to Henry from acuteaero (acuteaero.com). Henry converted a beautiful '94 M series Miata with a Zilla, Optimas, WarP 9 (sound familiar?) His car is 144 volts and uses a Manzanita Micro charger and Rudman regulators, but other than that, very similar. We spent a lot of time comparing notes and war stories in between talking to the participants.
2. Green Drive Expo in Richmond was on on 10/9. We were tentative for this event due to some scheduling issues, but it worked out that we could attend after all.  Even though we were in a converted Ford factory in the shadow of the Standard Oil Refinery (the air smelled a little foul in the early morning..) It turned out to be a great event with lots of knowledgeable people stopping by.
3. The Columbus Day parade in SF was on 10/10 and my daughter and I joined the SFEVA group. The weather was great, the Blue Angels streaked overhead and the crowds were 3 deep (in spots) cheering us on. Lot's of fun.

10-04-2010 - After Dark at the ExplOritorium October 7th

Come out to the Exploritorium Science Museum in SF this Thursday night, October 7 for a bit of science and fun. We'll be showing our car as part of the October After Dark event which focuses on the sun and alternative energy. You must be 18 to attend, however since there is a cash bar. Hope to see you there!

http://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calendar/#/?i=2

09-02-2010 Visit us at the SVEAA Electric Car Rally and Show in Palo Alto, CA

If you can make it out to the San Francisco Bay Area on September 25th, the place to be is Palo Alto High (in Palo Alto, CA).
We will be attending the 38th annual Electric Car Rally and Show put on by the Silicon Valley chapter of the EAA.
It's a great show with production and custom built electric vehicles - bikes, scooters, cycles, cars, trucks - you name it.
We'll be there with our car to answer questions and maybe even take a few people for rides. 
The rally is from 10:00 to 4:00 Saturday September 25th.
Hope to see you there.

The official Rally page can be found here: http://eaasv.org/rally.html

08-13-2010 Federal Tax Credit for EV Conversions

Did you know there is a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for electric car conversions?

Conversion Kits (Section 1143): The new law also provided a tax credit for plug-in electric drive conversion kits. The credit is equal to 10 percent of the cost of converting a vehicle to a qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle and placed in service after Feb. 17, 2009. The maximum amount of the credit is $4,000. The credit does not apply to conversions made after Dec. 31, 2011.
At 10%,  it could save you $1,000 to $2,000 off the price of a converted EV Miata!

To learn more, go to http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=206871,00.html, or talk to your tax consultant.

07-30-2010 New Car Tour Video Posted

It took a while, but we finally got the Video Car Tour edited and ready to post. We're pretty pleased with how it came out and put it up on YouTube last night. As the name indicates, the video provides a tour of a 1992 Miata converted with our EV Miata conversion kit. It shows the component layout in a working car then follows with a quick slide show of the parts included in the EV Miata kit. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fj3tnWxW0A