Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Proof of Concept

I have completed over 6 weeks of EV driving and loving it. I have officially started my EV Proof of Concept period with this setup, and the summer testing has been great so far. I have noticed some problems, not EV related, but problems with my Civic itself, such as problematic locks and windows, but nothing that impacts the EV fun at the moment.

Now this EV was originally designed to be my entry in the EV world, as my Proof of Concept and here are my requirements for my 1 year full test:

-8,000+ miles on a single lead acid pack
-All year capable
- Maintain 40-45 MPH
-20+ miles of range reliably
-Limited to no down time
-Fun to drive

The only thing I have left to do is install my heater for the fall/winter weather. I already have 1,000 miles on this battery pack and once I get around to installing my heater I should meet all my other requirements.

I should also mention that I have indeed noticed the extra money staying in my bank account, and I do like my parking space at school/work so it has definitely been worth it. So far my EV has been a great commuter and the real test will be how it lasts the coming school year.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

5 Weeks!

I have done 5 full weeks of commuting in my EV! By the end of this week I will have put 1,000 miles on this battery pack and so far I have not gone past 50% DoD so I should get a good life from this pack. Oh, and I have purchased a drop of gas in two months!

I have also received a small DC/DC converter for my AMP gauge that I will install tomorrow for this weeks drive. I will then be away on various trips for a few weeks but I want to get my EV setup so others in the house can drive it.

I have one more week of work before I start my vacations, then I will be off for the summer. I actually have quite a lot happening but I do want to have my heater setup installed but the end of August and maybe even the power steering/AC hooked up.