Electric Vehicle Promotion

Some have suggested that a electric conversion car should be in "good taste" and not have obtrusive markings that indicate that it is 100% Electric Drive.  This view is flawed in that part of the point of  building an EV conversion is to show as many people as possible that all electric cars are real, and that there is one driving next to them in traffic.  Having said that, the conversion should be done thoughtfully and the car made as reliable as is possible since it does no good to be seen at the side of the road waiting for a tow truck!

Janusz, at Daxam in Elk Grove Village, is a specialist in the manufacture and installation of vehicle decals and graphics.  With his help, colors were selected that closely matched the 1992 BMW Alpine White and the characteristic blue used by BMW.  Samples decals were initially produced using both a "BMW Blue" style and a lighter "Tiffany Blue" style to see how they would appear. 

Scanned Proof: Electric Logo 2 showing the proofs of the proposed car decals that announce the electric car.  The darker blue does not scan very well in the above picture and the actual decal is very close to the blue that is used by BMW.

 Subsequently it was decided not to waste the original decals, and instead have Daxam produce the "ELECTRIC" logo on a removable magnetic backing using a blue similar to the classic "BMW Blue" on a white that is similar to BMW's Alpine White.  A pair of these magnetic signs were applied to both front doors.  Ready to dance!

Picture DSC01793  of the final magnetic sign ready to be applied to the front door panels.

 

Picture DSC01792 showing the preliminary installation of the magnetic signs to the door of the 1992 BMW 325i.  The dimensions of the sign are 41" x 6.5" and the sign exactly fits within the lower panel of the door.  This magnetic sign will be removed when the car is repainted at the end of the conversion process and the final decals installed at that time.  In the mean time the magnetic signs will provide visibility during the initial road tests.

1992 BMW 325i Getrag Manual Transmission Fluid Replacement

To prepare the EV for its initial road test now requires some housekeeping.  Previous tests of the drive train took place with the wheels elevated off the floor without any significant load on the gearbox.  Following the directions found in the Bentley BMW 3 Series Service Manual (section 230), the fill plug on the right side of the transmission was removed (picture DSC01701) and a flexible tubing was inserted.  Using a Performance Tool Quart and Gallon Fluid Pump  (O'Reilly Auto, $9.99), transmission fluid (purchased form Patrick BMW in Schaumburg, Illinois) was pumped into the opening until the fluid level just began to overflow the fill hole.  This process was very efficient.

DSC01701 showing the fill plug on the right side (middle) of the Getrag transmission. 

DSC01702 showing the Performance Tool Quart and Gallon Fluid Pump as it was used to pump transmission fluid into fill hole on the right side of the Getrag transmission.

Warp 11 End Cap Bolts Upgrade

Tom, a fellow EVer in Pennsylvania who is now converting an 05/1996 BMW 328ti, reported that he observed that his Warp 11, after sitting outside in the driveway this past winter, showed beginning signs of rust on the shaft and the four cap head bolts that secure the Aluminum accessories end cap to the body of the Warp 11.  Although it was anticipated that any shaft that is not oiled or protected will gradually show signs of rust, it was not anticipated that the black oxide coated cap head screws would rapidly rust as well. 

Picture TK09142014-1 showing the shaft and nascent rust on the cap head bolt (center at 12:00).

Cosmetics being important, it was elected to preempt the rust and replace the four black oxide steel bolts that are readily accessed at the accessories end of the motor, with equivalent stainless steel cap head bolts.  The bolts were sourced at McMaster Carr (part number 92196A636, $1.04 each, 3/8-16 x 3 inch, partially threaded).  These bolts are Stainless Steel 18-8 (18% Nickel and 8% Chromium) and they are roughly equivalent to a Stainless Steel 303.  They should work very well, and they are not as expensive as the 316 Stainless Steel equivalents (10-14% Nickel and 16-18% Chromium, McMaster Carr part  92185A636) which are priced at $2.79 each!

The bolts were tightened with a 5/16 hex key wrench.

The four equivalently located bolts at the opposite end (transmission side) will not be changed until the adapter plate and transmission are disassembled at some future point.

Picture DSC01708  of the OEM black oxide 38-16 x 3 inch cap head bolts next to the replacement stainless steel cap head bolts.

DSC01711-B showing the Stainless Steel 18-8 cap head bolts installed in the end cap of the Warp 11.

BMW i3 Test Drive

Having waited impatiently for so long, finally the BMW i3 has arrived at Patrick BMW in Schaumburg, Illinois.  The car is amazing to experience and the cabin appointments for the $43k version that was test driven are lovely.  The i3 comes with a 22 kWh lithium ion battery pack and it is designed to provide 85% (18.8 kWh) of rated capacity for 70 miles of range.  The full recharge requires 4 hours at 240 volts.  For an additional $4k, the range can be extended to about 100 miles using a factory installed (front hood area) gasoline powered electric generator that only supplies the battery pack and has no connection to the drive train.

It is interesting to compare the efficiency of the drive unit.  As a regular viewer of the Jack Rickard's weekly electric vehicle conversion webcasts ( http://evtv.me/ ) much technical information has been revealed.  It is generally known that a typical EV conversion requires about 100 watt hours per 1000 pounds car mass per mile.  The 1992 BMW 325i being converted in this blog, weighs in at about 4000 pounds.  It is intended to use 48 CALB 180 amp hours batteries, each at 3.2 volts, to provide a 27.648 kW pack.  (  48x180x3.2=27,648 watts ).  Since the car is about 4000 pounds, about 400 watt hours will be required for each mile driven, thus 27,648/400=69.12 miles of theoretical range.  In fact, one can only use about 85%  of the pack energy, thus a 58.75 mile range is expected.  The current daily commute is about 35 miles each way, so a partial recharge at work will allow the conversion to be a daily commuter.  The i3 on the other hand, has a better range due to its greater efficiency, lighter weight, and BMW's use of Lithium ion batteries instead of the Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries that will be used in this conversion. 

The Tesla, considered by most observers to be the industry standard for performance, if not for price, has a battery efficiency that is "estimated" by Rickard to be about 70 watt hours per 1000 pounds car mass per mile.  The BMW i3 battery pack compares favorably to the Tesla.  By calculation, BMW indicates that the i3 is rated at 27.0 kW-hrs per 100 miles.  Thus, the pack delivers 270 watt-hrs per 1 mile.  Since the car weighs in at 3615 pounds, thus 270/3.615=74.69 watt hours per 1000 pounds per mile.

BMW indicates that they estimate the i3 to have 124 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent, 137 city and 111 highway) when compared to an "average new vehicle", which is defined as 23 MPG and fuel costs of $11,500 over 5 years.  They assume electric costs to be $0.12 per kW-hr and 15,000 miles of driving per year.  From this data, they calculate fuel savings of $9,000 during the first 5 years, and with tax credits of up to $7,500 , the car becomes an interesting value proposition for those unable to build their own EV.   This car demonstrates what is possible with a 100%  electric drive and it may be possible to incorporate some of its elements into an EV conversion.  Pictures to follow.
. 

Picture DSC01783, this picture speaks for itself.

Picture DSC01751 of the front view of the BMW i3.

Picture DSC01788 showing the traditional BMW kidney shaped "grill" without the aerodynamic drag caused by a functioning actual grill.  No engine to cool, thus no air flow required.

Picture DSC01753 of the passenger side view of the BMW i3 showing the side profile to reduce wind resistance.

Picture DSC01757 showing oblique view of the BMW i3 drivers side.

Picture DSC01760 showing the passenger side coach style doors that are hinged at the outer edges.

Picture DSC01761 showing closer detail of the passenger side back seat door.

Picture DSC01756 of the rear view of the BMW i3.

Picture DSC01768 with the rear hatchback fully open.

Picture DSC01776 with the back seats folded down for full cargo space.

Picture DSC01764 of the driver side control area.

Picture DSC01769 showing the one button start/stop switch and the three position toggle for D/N/R.  The driver "instrument panel" is to the left, and the auxiliary display (navigation, etc.) is to the right.

Picture DSC01754 of the J1772 style charging plug.

Picture DSC01755 of the industry standard J1772 charging socket when the internal illumination is automatically activated.  This illuminated port feature would be a good addition to any conversion project.

Picture DSC01759  of the wall mounted BMW charging station.  Angelo, the very knowledgeable sales consultant that we spoke with at length at Patrick BMW, indicated that BMW and Bosch had partnered up to design and produce  these units. 

Several interesting observations should be noted.  The test drive, which was enthusiastically offered to us by Angelo, was a unique experience.  Although there is a brake pedal, it was really only used at the beginning of the drive when the start/stop was activated, while at stop lights (out of habit) and at the end of the drive when the car was parked.  With constant pressure to the acceleration pedal, the car moves smoothly ahead.  If pressure is taken off of the throttle, then the car immediately begins to gently brake and the car rapidly comes to a smooth stop.  Four of us took the test drive together and our total weight was about 630 pounds.  From a full stop, and shall we say, with a little encouragement, this car is really quick and all of us were pushed back into our seats.  This is exactly what drivers want to be able to feel, and once the public knows what electric cars are capable of, this car should be really popular.  Author's note: To complete the test drive experience, the drive needs to be repeated with only the weight of a single occupant!!

This car is absolutely quiet and it reminded me of the first time I tested the first generation SONY CD player ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_CDP-101 )  that was offered in 1983 for sale for $1000 at a high fidelity store in downtown Chicago.  With head phones on, when I first tested it, it appeared to be broken since there wasn't any background noise traditionally caused by a phonograph needle or a tape head.  Incorrectly assuming that the unit's volume setting was set too low, I made the mistake of substantially turning up the volume knob.   Let's just say that the subsequent hearing loss was not permanent as I ripped the headphones off as fast as I could once the music began!  The quiet of  this car should help take music to a new level of automobile enjoyment.   

Additional useful information about the BMW i3 can be found here: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i3

www.bmwuse.com/bmwi3

http://www.patrickbmw.com/i3