Hi Eric This is a fantastic project, thanks for sharing. I'd be interested in the following also: What 0-60 times did you finally get? What range do you get before you need to recharge? Thanks for your reply and best regards Urs
Who has a "garage" that can arrange & Host a Thermal day for 308's + some? Really want to bring out the 308 and give it an overdue run and some testing . Nice to have the power there for charging too. We are close (1.5 hrs) sure we can make arrangements for some GTE driving a minimum. May even have a little press that wants to tag along.. hmmm Hutch
An interesting modification: reprogramming three controllers from3x master config to 1x master + 2 x slaves. Custom software for Curtis Controllers written by HPEVS. Installing w a Windows platform and then re-programming motors, generative braking settings, etc. Expect there will be increased efficiency, smoother "symphony" of the motors, some power..... Should be done tomorrow. Looking forward to driving/tuning w the results. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Glad to see you folks are still tweaking and experimenting with the car (and hopefully having fun with it). Can you explain how the change from 3 master to 1 affects the way things work? I'm just curious about the theory of operation.
We have been working at EV West with HPEVS/Curtis to iron out the update. So now the updated software (specially modified for the triple motor set up) is successfully "flashed" across the three controllers (use of PC linked directly to controller... pray Windows doesn't crash the GTE). Note the pic below of the three controller gauges. Only one now shows "AC-51" on start up and the other two show RPM where they default after start up. The update changes a couple main issues: The primary upgrade is changing the equivalent of "throttle by wire" to "throttle by mapping".... The main drive line motor/controller (Bottom Center motor and center controller) are now "master". The other two controller mirror the primary commands and programming. This "fine tuning" required a hard wire improvement between canbus ports on the three controllers. The throttle adjustment eliminates the difference in the throttle control voltage. The TC runs on 5v and there was a delta +/- 1.5v. The secondary upgrade is that all 3 controllers can be modified as needed for a multitude of settings though the Master Controller pigtail.... as opposed to completing the task three separate identical times... a time consuming process. We updated several parameters with the Curtis controller this am. Settings to recognize two other controllers, accommodate separate controller and motor temp monitoring and a bunch of other settings (details)... With the system working well as reconfigured, we took the car out on the road today to adjust the most notable and useable performance related settings. 1. Neutral Regeneration: Regen 1 console button (manual on/off) is set at 50% power on Motor 1 only. Pushing the button slows the car like brakes and generates nearly 200 amps of no braking "brake power"... Less use of brakes = more range. Great for slowing traffic, lights, hills, etc. Will report back on further use but initial driving revealed what a major function this will play. Daily range boost expected in to be performed range testing. 2. Brake Regeneration: Remember the Brake Transducer we put in a long time ago on the front master brake cylinder? It is now working with the brake pedal and set to increase as the pressure increases to maximum braking so as not to affect total braking control. Variable and increasing brake regeneration power now runs off of the brake pressure from the brake transducer and is set at a sweet spot. We are running at a 50% setting on one of 3 motors which will kick back well over 200+ amps. It feels like power brakes on top of the excellent Girodisc system. The car stops on a dime. 3. Clutch/Shifting Spin Down: During the drive, we had to find & set the shaft spin shifting point (done before but fine tuned). To mimic the spin down of a gas motor, we played with 0-100 setting to land at a 19% motor braking setting to slow the tach speed for a natural shift. The G50 glides through gears. Again, can easily be changes with the controller to adjust for driving conditions. Time for some real driving and range testing. With todays programming wrap up, will have to report back but expect to see a major improvement in general drivability! Also making another little feature on an un-used button that ought to prove interesting. More on that later. Happy motoring Monday Mr. President.... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Eric, great work! I can't wait to see the GTE in action. Should I swing by the shop with the GT4 or the MGE for some road tests?
Yep, I converted an MGB into electric. Not a monster machine like Eric's 308, but a nice cruiser to let me tool around, about a 100 mile range. Funny thing, I was going to convert my Dino before I rebuilt the blown motor. But then it actually ran despite my shade-tree skills, so I decided to do the MG first. Now I am not sure what I am going to do with the GT4. I have grown to like the sound and smell
Nice one... Seeing as we full throttle tested the '75 GT4 when we started the 308 project, bring the MGE over. The least you can do is hammer the GTE and provide a 3rd party opinion . + I want to check out your completed project. I want to see it also since we are now underway on the attached 1980 124 Fiat Spider resto-ev-conversion project. Some good similarity in design. Have a single and double motor option with either 8 or 12 Tesla 18650 packs. This will be a fun, fast, reliable daily driver. It is Pininfarina designed.... This one is the single motor "cruiser version.. A dual motor inspiration photo is the grey one.... This is an easy to replicate project vs the 308. They were a little underpowered, less than reliable, and fun as heck to drive. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The MGB is one of my all-time favorites - the first car I noticed as a youngster as being better looking than the rest on the way to school. Nice to hear you converted one to electric! The Dino GT4 certainly are addictive cars...
Wow, All I can say is wow. Hutch, you killed it. Today we got our EV conversion projects together and Eric was kind enough to let me drive the GTE and I let him try and keep up with the MGE. My impressions on how this car drives are hard to express. It is fast, sticky, smooth and ultra responsive. The drive system is solid. It has so much more power than my MG, but what to be expected with three of the the exact same (1) AC motor I have in the MG. The funny thing is that with all that power and low speed torque you can be lazy and just drive around in 4th gear like an automatic. But then when you want to get squirrely, you just start going through the gears and burning rubber. I am still grinning from this crazy experience. And all of this in a beautiful 308 not some Tesla sedan. Now I am back on the fence about converting the GT4.....what to do, what to do.... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Great to drive your MGE Paul and thanks for getting together! Too bad the Go-Pro missed the good stuff. Dang.... have to redo . Attached is a cool pic from Double Peak of the cars. MGB came out well and drives smooth. Great So Cal convertible daily driver! Glad you had a chance to get on the 308.... Henry needs to get down and do the same..... I looks like it belongs on the garage but its too easy to drive every day. Ear to ear G force grins...... Tires are not gonna last much longer.... BTW, sign up for Re-Fuel at Laguna Seca... May 22 I think. I am in for the Sunday EV running. Pretty sure it will be a few EV West cars, Tesla's, Teslas, a few 500e's, Leafs, and 1 308. Ought to be really fun. Anyone in the area welcome to visit us... Should there Saturday by Noon if not earlier camping on site. Project Items: Bottom Plates: Testing 4 1/8' aluminum bottom plates/covers on the bottom of the GTE project to cover open areas no longer needed for "air-flow cooling... front and rear. One under the front below sway bar area, one under the gas pedal (lost that one in the process...) and two to extend from the end of current bottom paneling all the way to rear sway bar with a cut-in for rear suspension. Very clean... Initial driving yielded less noise from the T-Top. Guessing less frame torquing? Also used modest amounts of sound damper and it makes zero noise. The steering wheel collar/flange was generating a grinding sound during slow speed maneuvering. Pulled the nut and head off the column and found age related build up. Sanded, cleaned, dry lubed, and that put us back into silent running. Also was getting headlight interruption. Cleaned the column electric switch work and provided electric maintenance and all is 100%. TBE with 38 years of life. Forgot to photo while it was apart but suspect there is plenty info on this subject already. Dialing in little punch list items.... down to calibration of the Speed Hut "Fuel" gauge (for show really but looks really good and is functional). Will confirm calibration of the Amp Draw meter as well. 2 man job and some heavy hill driving. Darn. Hate that . Great weekend all. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Running the EF to C&C Aliso Viejo this coming Saturday morning. Any SoCal FC'ers frequent or planning to be there? Good "freeway" range testing to begin. It is odd driving a car that gets better mileage city driving and worse on open freeway. So we start with the low end approach running a conseravtive 1 way 52 mile route. Will be there an hour early @6 am (charging across the street).
Good job gents! Caught you guys on the morning (edit: make that evening) news here in San Diego. What's up with the one legged donuts though? Here's how you lay down rubber with a 308... and that's with a fossil fuel motor ... surely you can do better . Notice how the car literally disappears in the cloud of smoke . Cheers! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5W3_zCNdsk
What a great day running to Cars & Coffee Aliso Viejo. Being parked next to the 59' Ferrari TR project was fantastic. What a car. Ran into a couple 308 folks too. Low range was better than expected for our current pack... @70 Mile range low end. We worked our way back and stopped at the Four Seasons Sal Creek and found they have a secret J1772 port and they accommodated us with a great reception. Lunch on the 180Blue Deck made the day... Summer in CA in February. Worked out way back down 101/1 through Dana Point and San Clemente visiting a few friends and supporters. Road trip range testing is a blast. OK so We photo shop hated the beach assault photo but what the heck! Thanks to Four Seasons, Best Western Dana Point, & Walgreens for providing access... Sorry to the Leaf owners that had to wait for the cord . But no one sided as we met so many great folks! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Did you bother to read the thread? The donor car was BURNED UP! It was going to be made into bottle caps or washing machines. At least it lives on as a running 308 now. Alden
http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/01/luxury/ferrari-hybrid-electric-car/ Sidebet anyone? Over/under on 2025 when Range Anxiety might be forgotten?
Totally agree. The donor car was in a massive fire and nobody would have put a dime into bringing it back to its former glory. That car was destined for the scrap heap and kudos to the new owner for not only investing (or squandering depending on who you ask) a ton of money into a personal interest project but by doing so with a doomed to be destroyed Ferrari and not a restorable donor. I have seen this project in person and it is massively impressive. There are some really smart and talented people working on it and the result is a super neat piece of engineering. This Ferrari was far from butchered it was very much saved from total destruction and extinction.
"Shocking to see"- nice! I've met Hutch, saw the car and I can assure you he totally gets off on trolling the Ferrari nazis who see this as blasphemy. The more you hate the more he enjoys it, so please continue as it's immensely entertaining. It's just a car, it's not yours, get over it.
Look, hopefully it would never happen, but if my 328 ever burned I would totally get these guys to do what they did to this 308. Sure it's a bucket of money, but so is a replacement. If the worst happened I could totally see this as an option.
Shawn Styles stopped by... too bad he was "on the job" while he drove the car..... not a real "car report" but more an interest segment they put together and ran last week. He is a car guy too! Was fun.... Thanks Shawn for coming up and next time you will have to be off the clock Hutch Local car lovers create the first electric Ferrari - CBS News 8 - San Diego, CA News Station - KFMB Channel 8 Cool to get a plug for the Fiat 124 Project on the line.... and of course we are not "selling her" But if another Car-B-Q project arrises it would certainly be on the radar. Happy Saturday......
