My first drive to work in an EV was uneventful -- in a good way. The only thing that takes a little getting used was shifting later than you would in a gas powered car. I had no problems keeping up with traffic on a 55 mph highway.
The drive was a bit cold because I avoided using the heater to conserve power, but it turns out I had plenty of charge left when I got to work. I could definitely feel the 1300 pounds of battery mass that has been added to the car. The ride was a bit rough when going over bumps, and the lack of power steering meant using some muscle at low speeds. In talking with Kyle I've never asked if he modified the suspension at all...something to ask him in the future.
I've been inquiring at work to get permission to plug the car in at a seldom used stall in the back of the garage, but they haven't been able to get back to me yet. So I just plugged it in anyway. Crossing my fingers.
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I was thinking about heating on a bug conversion, since I am considering converting my 68 baja. Why couldn't you build something very similar to the original heating design?
ReplyDeleteIf you created a Porsche type shroud and put a fan on the end of the new motor, you could channel it into the original heater channels and have some heat from the motor.
It has to warm up doesn't it? I know my R/C car motor gets really hot after a run.
The whole idea behind an EV is that they are very efficient and don't generate much heat. You are better off using a separate heater and putting it on the floor.
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