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  #1  
Old 03-03-2008, 05:52 PM
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Ever seen a Benz converted to electric?

I have been thinking about getting an electric car. I have been bidding on the few that come up on Ebay and looking at EV classified ads.

So I have been thinking maybe it would be better to do my own conversion. Typically you choose a light weight car like a Geo metro, but a 1990, 190e only weights about 2500 lbs. Are there any lighter late model Benz's? They have the advantage of being RWD which makes a conversion easier. It would also need to be a stick.

Any thoughts

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  #2  
Old 03-03-2008, 06:03 PM
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http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Nov07/21_Alternative_Drive_Systems_At_Daimler_AG_For_The_Mobility_Of_The_Future_1.html

Here's a cool link I found that shows some 190s as electric cars. Some MB vans too.
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  #3  
Old 03-03-2008, 06:28 PM
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You could fit a fairly large motor where the transmission mounts, and connect it directly to the flex disk. That leaves a huge hole in the front, perfect for nearly a half-ton of batteries.
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  #4  
Old 03-03-2008, 06:46 PM
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The W201 as a platform made some sense since it was the lightest sedan in the 30 years before its introduction.

A very popular e-conversion was the Porsche 914.
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  #5  
Old 03-03-2008, 06:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chad300tdt View Post
http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Nov07/21_Alternative_Drive_Systems_At_Daimler_AG_For_The_Mobility_Of_The_Future_1.html

Here's a cool link I found that shows some 190s as electric cars. Some MB vans too.
Thats cool!

Thanks
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  #6  
Old 03-03-2008, 07:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt L View Post
You could fit a fairly large motor where the transmission mounts, and connect it directly to the flex disk. That leaves a huge hole in the front, perfect for nearly a half-ton of batteries.
You typically leave the tranny and drive in second gear, with 3rd for the highway if your conversion has enough guts. It would be great if you could loos e the tranny, not sure if it could be done.
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  #7  
Old 03-04-2008, 12:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistel View Post
I have been thinking about getting an electric car. I have been bidding on the few that come up on Ebay and looking at EV classified ads.

So I have been thinking maybe it would be better to do my own conversion. Typically you choose a light weight car like a Geo metro, but a 1990, 190e only weights about 2500 lbs. Are there any lighter late model Benz's? They have the advantage of being RWD which makes a conversion easier. It would also need to be a stick.

Any thoughts
You're on the same page as I am. If you're in the same state, I'm planning on starting on a conversion as a high end scholastic project at the local CSU extension campus in Lancaster, CA.

I've been considering the different models, and for the best weight/modern criteria, the W202 chassis looks like the best bet. I just need to find one locally with some major engine/transmission issues so that I'm not "breaking" a perfectly good Benz (most would consider that sacrilege) .

My plan is to write a grant paper for this project and convert to an AC drive system with regenerative braking and efficiently managed subsystems (power steering, vacuum, power brakes, A/C). The charging system is really the "bread and butter" of my project design, although all of the subsystem work will be rather involved.

That being said, to do a simple conversion with DC motors for a 60-90 mile round trip commuter should be easily do-able. Check out http://www.electroauto.com/(affordable) and http://www.acpropulsion.com/(high-end/high-efficiency) for info.

Metric Mind
is another good site.

If I am unable to acquire a W202, I will proceed to (in order), W201, W123, W124, W115, W210, W107 or W113. I wouldn't mind a W129, but I prefer to hold off on classics unless they are real basketcases.

Yes, I know that the W202 has been done already.

Last edited by anghrist; 03-04-2008 at 01:03 AM.
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  #8  
Old 03-04-2008, 01:19 AM
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I own an electric car, a Corbin Sparrow. It weighs 1500 lbs, uses 13 yellow tops for 158 volts. Whatever you *think* your range will be, cut it in half. They claimed 30-50, 15-20 one way before charging was realistic. And it only held 1 person. Any sort of accessories will KILL it. Hills will KILL it. Rapid acceleration will KILL it. A?C, forget about it. No long trips, ideally if you commute you can recharge at work. If you get stuck, you are SOL. Call AAA and get flat bedded home.

The recharge system is CRITICAL. You have to have temperature monitoring on the batteries to prevent thermal runaway. The life of the battery pack determines how much $$$ will be spent, 13 optimas go for a lot of $$$ not including tax and battery fees. You have to "condition" the pack before using the car fully.

They are cute toys, can work in very limited circumstances, but are not for the average user since finding mechanical help is impossible unless you live in an EV area.

My car looks like a big helmet, you are basically a 1 man parade. The looks you get are cool. Would not want to be hit by ANY moving objects.

If converting a real car, I would strip down every piece of weight possible.
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  #9  
Old 03-04-2008, 01:27 AM
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damn and my friend just sent a w201 to the scrapper...
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  #10  
Old 03-04-2008, 02:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmerich View Post
I own an electric car, a Corbin Sparrow. It weighs 1500 lbs, uses 13 yellow tops for 158 volts. Whatever you *think* your range will be, cut it in half. They claimed 30-50, 15-20 one way before charging was realistic. And it only held 1 person. Any sort of accessories will KILL it. Hills will KILL it. Rapid acceleration will KILL it. A?C, forget about it. No long trips, ideally if you commute you can recharge at work. If you get stuck, you are SOL. Call AAA and get flat bedded home.

The recharge system is CRITICAL. You have to have temperature monitoring on the batteries to prevent thermal runaway. The life of the battery pack determines how much $$$ will be spent, 13 optimas go for a lot of $$$ not including tax and battery fees. You have to "condition" the pack before using the car fully.

They are cute toys, can work in very limited circumstances, but are not for the average user since finding mechanical help is impossible unless you live in an EV area.

My car looks like a big helmet, you are basically a 1 man parade. The looks you get are cool. Would not want to be hit by ANY moving objects.

If converting a real car, I would strip down every piece of weight possible.
The Sparrow is a DC drive isn't it? I forget, but I seem to recall that lead-acid (in your case lead-gel) batteries are okay for storage, but terrible for multiple charge/discharge cycles.

In any case, I'm considering a 360 volt or more battery bank and AC drive. May have multiple battery banks.
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  #11  
Old 03-04-2008, 02:39 AM
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I did some research into this. One website I remember is www.evconvert.com.

You want a VERY light car. You do not want an extra 500#. That is why people go with the Metro. The exception to this rule is if you do a pickup then you have lots of room for a ton (literally) of batteries. You need to seriously consider range and battery life. Personally I would wait and see what happens with the new Firefly carbon foam batteries that are coming out next year. They are talking big things. The replacement cost of lead acid batteries really takes a bite out of the economics. Lead acid batteries have a lot to be desired. The Firefly battery solves all the problems. The only question is what will the price be.
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  #12  
Old 03-04-2008, 02:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anghrist View Post
I'm considering a 360 volt or more battery bank and AC drive. May have multiple battery banks.
360 volt? 30 batteries?? Are you going to use lithiums?
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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra
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  #13  
Old 03-04-2008, 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by mpolli View Post
360 volt? 30 batteries?? Are you going to use lithiums?
That's the plan. Either LiIon or LiPolymer. Even if battery cost for an entire pack is $10k, I could make that up as long as the battery pack lasts 5 years (quite possible). Present prices dictate that I spend at least $2100/year on diesel, more if I want to go somewhere other than work or school.
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  #14  
Old 03-04-2008, 01:13 PM
ForcedInduction
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You could also spend $6000 on a factory engine thats lasts two decades. $4,000 buys a lot of fuel.
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  #15  
Old 03-04-2008, 01:35 PM
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Even at $4/gallon, 1000 gallons of diesel fuel will take the Benz at least 30K miles, and the Jetta will go well over 40K miles. Will your battery pack last that long?

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