Start of the Electric Drive Project

February 21, 2009 by Rick Thompson

So I have been debating on how to build an electric drive "hybrid" setup to the Metro. I think from the talking on that link that I have a good starting point for the project. I don't know exactly how it is going to work but I will more or less figure it out as I go.

The plan so far is:

Step 1: Figure out the location to put the motor and how to attach it so it can drive the car.

Step 2: Get the motor and mount it.

Step 3: Add the speed controller and batteries.

Step 4: Drive away....

Sounds really simple doesn't it. I am sure it will take months though. I have found a drawing of an Etek mounting bracket from Robot MarketPlace that looks pretty nice. I will order the bracket and probably the Etek PMAC motor from there. For the controller so far I am planning on using the Kelly Controllers KBL72301 It has a 300A Max, 150A continuous current rating and can handle 72V. For batteries it seems like the standard one to use is the Trojan AGM-31. The only issue I am not sure about is where to mount the batteries. I would like to keep the trunk free so if possible I will try to stuff the batteries somewhere else. That is a project for warmer weather though. This winter has been really cold and bad for working on projects.

Today I printed out a properly sized drawing of the bracket and took it out to figure where to mount it. It turns out with the battery removed I have plenty of room to mount the motor where it used to be.

I hung the paper about where the bracket will be mounted. The only things in the way where it is at are the MSD 6A and Fuse panel. Both of them can be easily moved to other places so that is not much of an issue. If the radiator needs moved over a few inches that will also not be a problem, I can move it about 6 inches to the left and still be well clear of the exhaust manifold.

Now that I know it should fit without a huge hassle I will go ahead and order the motor and bracket. I will also start looking around to find a way to attach the sprocket to the CV axle and get something made up.