Soliton1 Driving Force

December 6, 2010

Apart from my foot, Soliton’s now the driving force and the difference is noticeable. The hall effect throttle was supplied from evworks; I could have used the Soliton one but it was much larger and fitting would have been a b*… The hall effect gives a much smoother acceleration. The cooling setup was easy, just [...]

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Mercedes Benz Biome or Bombe?

December 2, 2010

A little cryptic in design, composition and functionality; is this the ultimate eco car for the future? Decryption below… http://motoring.ninemsn.com.au/cars/spotlight/8172782/the-biome-mercedes-car-of-the-future http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/concept_cars/mercedes_biome.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH9pgECcLVE

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Cheap Aussie Electric Cars for Everyone

November 29, 2010

Designed in Australia, built in China – that’ll show ‘em… http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/a-short-sharp-and-cheap-electric-shock-20101126-18a2s.html

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Soliton1 Motor Controller Finally Positioned

November 28, 2010

I’m lazy, I know it. Should have done this sooner but the Silly Season is fast approaching, not to forget Thanksgiving, and that fact that my new Dilbert environment is somewhat similar to my old one -keeping me busy :-D. From the photo below you will identify where my controller is now positioned. It’s not [...]

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Mitsubishi MiEV Takes Charge

November 12, 2010

That Massive Dynamic of EV makers, Mitsubishi, are aggressively promoting their MiEV electric vehicles, with sales in Australia expected to climb steadily, which in turn will eventually reduce the price of the vehicle considerably. After nine months or so of sales gestation in Australia, so far no bugs, no battery issues and no unhappy buyers [...]

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Soliton1 Motor Speed Controller – Big, Bold and Beautiful

October 30, 2010

Possibly too big… – but more on ‘size matters’ later. It’s big, and heavy, weighing around 10 kilos (or it feels like it anyway) but I am excited to see it arrive at my door from EV Propulsion in NY. It’s beautifully-built, features inbuilt water cooling and heaps of ancillary options for brakes, tacho etc. [...]

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More links

October 13, 2010

A recap on what’s been happening recently (sorry, not much time lately for posts, just typos (hah-hah))… Volvo electric vehicle: http://www.carsales.com.au/news/2010/small-passenger/volvo/c30/paris-show-volvo-electric-car-for-australia-21896 Mercedes electric vehicle: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31349_7-20018367-282.html Paris Car Show [video]: http://media.smh.com.au/drive/car-news/electric-cars-charge-paris-1961442.html Meanwhile the Thundersky batteries seem to be hauling my fat ass quite nicely; the expected entropy of the cadence efficiency not noticeable at all, for [...]

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Air Cars are a Gas

September 23, 2010

Something I’ve often wondered about, even prior to getting my own electric car on the road, is the viability of a compressed air vehicle rather like this one in France which, when watching the video, curiously prompts me to produce my bug swatter, http://www.mdi.lu/english/. Air compression tech in autos has been around for a while [...]

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Electric Car Conversion: Automatic or Manual Gear Box?

September 15, 2010

Someone raised this issue the other day and I know it’s been talked about a lot, with most opting for a manual gearbox; but it got me wondering if there is a benefit to having an auto box. For my Starion, frankly greed got the better of me in choosing a larger motor – Kostov [...]

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Electric Cars Sound Off

August 25, 2010

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, [...]

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Who Needs Batteries?

August 19, 2010

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 [...]

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Jerky Old Curtis Controller? Check Your Pot Box First

August 16, 2010

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 [...]

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