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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1262
Location: Yolo County CA
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 Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 7:28 am Post subject: |
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Some research group associated with VW did one with a split bus, they called it the "chameleon project". Unfortunately they had a problem with a lithium ion battery and the bus burnt up. So be careful.
I made a half-hearted attempt to get hold of what was left, but my contact said VW wanted it crushed because it had a bunch of their top secret technology on it. |
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birdmanp
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2006
Posts: 85
Location: Spartanburg, SC
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 8:19 am Post subject: |
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Electric may not be such a bad idea. There is a ton of room in a bus. I think people here have lost their creativeness. Think about the Dodge Caravan's Stow-and-Go floor storage system. Not such a bad idea for batteries. Keep in mind this wouldn't be anything but an around town bus, but it would be quiet and cheap. I've been considering it for a while, but don't want to do it to my 71. Find another bus to do it with (71 is too great of a year to cut up). Another thing, the roof has a ton of area. Just think about it.
_________________
'71 Bus (ex weekender someone stripped - in process of converting to "8" passenger)
Millwright/Rigging comes natural to me. I guess I am just used to fitting big things in small places.
Clarkson Industrial Contractors |
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gelos
Samba Member
Joined: September 08, 2006
Posts: 71
Location: Kansas City
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 9:18 am Post subject: |
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This was actually one of the original reasons I bought my bus. I wanted an electric car and I wanted a bus.
In the end I decided it would be too expensive but mostly I decided I wanted the bus for long trips so I'm working on a camper special instead.
Eventually I'll get a smaller car for an electric. Maybe a type 3.
If you go for it, good luck.
Here's some of the info I found.
http://www.EV-America.com
email these folks and tell them what you want. They've done bus conversions and will send you a lot of info.
Other helpful sites:
These folks have a kit for a vw rabbit and 914 porche:
http://www.electroauto.com/
http://www.seattleeva.org/wiki/Research
http://www.kta-ev.com/
blog of someone's conversion:
http://www.evconvert.com
Picture of a converted bus:
http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/159.html
_________________
1975 vw bus,
Camper Special engine with dual Dellorto carbs.
Mallory Unilite distributer |
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gelos
Samba Member
Joined: September 08, 2006
Posts: 71
Location: Kansas City
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 9:23 am Post subject: |
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I found one of my old emails from about a year ago from http://www.electroauto.com/
Hope it helps.
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There are two ways to convert this vehicle. First is using the DC Deluxe Universal Kit ($4825) with the large motor option ($225) and the large controller option ($570). You would also want the DC/DC converter ($580). You want at least a 120V system, and can go to 144V.
The only custom piece in this kit is the motor/transmission adaptor. (It must be a manual transmission.) You would need to design and fabricate the other custom pieces (component mounts, battery racks & boxes, wiring looms) yourself. The book "Convert It", included with the kit, would guide you through the process, and we would be happy to answer questions.
You would have about $1200 in batteries, and then the cost of materials and fabrication for the pieces mentioned above, as well as any needed suspension upgrades. You would have a top speed of about
65 mph and a range of about 60 miles, assuming using 6V flooded golf cart batteries. 8V or 12V batteries will have less range.
You can see the details of this kit at
http://www.electroauto.com/catalog/kits.shtml
Another choice would be an AC manual transmission system, using our Large Vehicle Manual Transmission Kit ($9,722). This system would use at least 288V and up to 336V. The DC/DC converter is included.
You could achieve highway speeds, up to about 70 mph, and have a range of about 75 miles. This assumes using 12V gel batteries. You could get more range with 8V flooded golf cart batteries.
You can see the details on these kits at http://www.electroauto.com/catalog/ackits.shtml.
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_________________
1975 vw bus,
Camper Special engine with dual Dellorto carbs.
Mallory Unilite distributer |
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gelos
Samba Member
Joined: September 08, 2006
Posts: 71
Location: Kansas City
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Sorry for the multiple long posts but I get really excited about this sort of thing and still want to do it one day.
I originally got the idea from one of the early issues of Make magazine.
This link isn't related to busses but it's cool:
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/04/maker_faire_x1_electric_c.html
_________________
1975 vw bus,
Camper Special engine with dual Dellorto carbs.
Mallory Unilite distributer |
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Rocknrod
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 2157
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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I got to thinking about this...
Wouldn't it be wise to use fork lift batteries with replaceable cells. That way if you cook a cell you aren't out a 50-100 bucks for a complete new battery. Just a thought...
_________________
1971 Westfalia with a high top.
http://71vwbus.blogspot.com/ - Pictures and words... Oh My! |
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Duncwarw
Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2003
Posts: 3094
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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Yes. In the absence of Lithium batts.
_________________
“To find yourself, think for yourself”
Socrates, 470 BC - 399 BC |
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birdmanp
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2006
Posts: 85
Location: Spartanburg, SC
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 7:33 am Post subject: |
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I talked with a local guy I found on the web who has done a few conversions and man he was an a-hole. He was so discouraging. He said "to do that with a bus it's gonna cost you 20 grand or more". No wonder people around here don't even think about converting. It just doesn't make since that you can find a "kit" on the net for 3 grand, buy batteries and cables..I figure you could pull off a very efficient setup for 5 grand EASY. Talking to him put a hole in my parachute, but I whipped out the duct tape and decided never to call him again.
_________________
'71 Bus (ex weekender someone stripped - in process of converting to "8" passenger)
Millwright/Rigging comes natural to me. I guess I am just used to fitting big things in small places.
Clarkson Industrial Contractors |
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mycoleptodiscus
Samba Member
Joined: March 17, 2005
Posts: 595
Location: St. Paul, MN
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject: Another hole in your parachute |
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Ummm, sorry, I'm gonna put another hole in your parachute  My friend has sunk at least 10g's into his mazda EV truck. He bought a "kit" as well. It's not as easy as it sounds. This "kit" required us to fabricate a 1" thick aluminum plate to serve as an adapter between the elec. motor and the transmission. You need to have welding skills to weld all the battery cages. You need to buy oodles of 000 battery cable to carry all of the amperage and fit 28 (or more in the case of a bus) battery terminals. Then you have to NOT kill yourself with the 150-200V you are handling. The list goes on. Given than my friend owns a shop and got all of his batteries at wholesale from Interstate, 20g's is not an unreasonable number.
_________________
1978 VW Westfalia
Blueprinted & Balanced 2.0l FI
Automatic Transmission
104,400 miles |
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