ELECTRIC CARS FOR EVERYONE» Electric Cars for Everyone – My Electric Starion EV

Electric Cars Sound Off

Carmel Duryea Morris — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:11:23 +0000

Apart from the famous Curtis PWM squeal (which actually resonates via the electric motor) most other electric cars are pretty quiet. Something we toyed with some time ago (but didn’t have the IP funds to push it through)… Prius to offer optional noise to alert pedestrians: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20014511-17.html?tag=mncol;posts Nissan Leaf brings the noise: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20007463-48.html The sound, a sine wave sweeping from [...]

Who Needs Batteries?

Carmel Duryea Morris — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:50:14 +0000

A human powered car hits the road running. Appears somewhat light-on but could be just the thing for meat-head drivers heading for the local Hog’s Breath Cafe – they can exercise all those calories off on their way home! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1304120/The-human-powered-car-reach-speeds-60mph.html#ixzz0wzn2Wrxh Plans are underway for mass production with added features such as, ahem, a cabin, traction batteries, air [...]

Jerky Old Curtis Controller? Check Your Pot Box First

Carmel Duryea Morris — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:53:15 +0000

I knew Curtis was becoming more of a jerk lately. Someone suggested a failing section in the row of driving MOSFETS as a common controller issue. The old MOSFETS certainly get a punishing and as I read somewhere it’s like an old train driver giving instructions to the coal loaders for more power and the [...]

Farewell to a Legend

Carmel Duryea Morris — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:02:05 +0000

It is a sad day when one has to let go of a beloved Starion. Regrettably, due to financial commitments and just ‘getting on with life,’ I have sold my ICE Starion GSRIII. This was a beautiful car to drive that I had once considered converting to electric. Being an automatic, I was advised against [...]

White Zombi Continues to Tear Shreds off the Competition

Carmel Duryea Morris — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:37:58 +0000

Faster than any Nissan driver in Shaun of the Dead, and Zilla 2K controlled…. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/08/white-zombie-10-4-seconds/

LiFeP04 chemistry needs the ingredient of TrUSt

Carmel Duryea Morris — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:21:53 +0000

An article on Bolivia’s potential wealth from massive lithium reserves was broadcast on ABC’s Feral Correspondent last night. Will the world’s drive to harvest this resource for electric vehicles be stifled by political parochialism and mistrust? More here: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2010/s2965757.htm

Electric Car Battery Life

Carmel Duryea Morris — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:44:38 +0000

The debate is on again. You know the one; the ‘black art’ of keeping batteries healthy. I recently received an electric car newsletter discussing this very topic and summarizing that a battery that is partially charged is best for longevity. Is this true? And if so, for all battery types? Conversely it states that regular [...]

IVy Pays Us a Visit

Carmel Duryea Morris — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:04:52 +0000

Today the IVy team from UNSW paid our R&D shop a visit to talk EVs, batteries, solar power and other goodies. Following their successful CeBIT display, we’re the next lucky bunch to get a chance to see this amazing vehicle.

The IVy arrives for us to inspect.

[/caption] While it’s possible for electric vehicles [...]

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Carmel Duryea Morris — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:15:02 +0000

Brrrr, cold Thundersky batteries perform surprisingly well in this climate. Mornings are around 8 degrees C at present, about 1 degree higher in my garage. Given the complaints many have about SLAs and cold weather causing battery sluggishness, there’s no noticeable decline in performance when I take my Thundersky pack for a drive on a [...]

Curtis and More

Carmel Duryea Morris — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:00:59 +0000

Yes My Curtis 1231C motor speed controller has been a good little battler and still goes strong despite some jerkiness under acceleration, but it would be nice to have a little More power! It’s a second hand unit I purchased from ConvertUrCar and it has delivered some good miles. Last week I drove to an [...]

ChargePoint Unplugged

Carmel Duryea Morris — Sun, 30 May 2010 21:46:08 +0000

ChargePoint, the electric car charging company, has established its first charging station in Sydney in downtown Glebe at Derby Place, where many electric cars owned by the elite alternative set are queuing to take charge. Similar stations have been in London for some years now, such as ElektroBay, servicing the G-Wiz vehicle et al, some [...]

Better Place (aka Batter Plaice) have a Whale of a Time in Tokyo

Carmel Duryea Morris — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:13:38 +0000

Some more swapover news, courtesy of allcarselectric.com… http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1044370_better-place-launches-battery-swap-test-in-four-tokyo-taxis And a slight digression, why aren’t these electric?? http://www.ecarshawaii.com/the-auto-moto.html My apologies for not writing more stuff lately, but I’ve been very sick for weeks now and am now on some body-wrecking drugs. If only I could plug myself into a wall socket at night I’d be bright and zippy in [...]