Moving Forward

Moving forward, I plan on using this this blog as a journal to keep written track of my progress, along with relevant pictures. I hope that this project will further the discussion on electric vehicle use in the near future, so please feel free to contact me at any time (my email is robhrabchak at gmail.com) or leave a comment.

Tesla Roadster

Starting at the beginning of the story, I was first introduced to the concept of an all-electric car by an NPR broadcast on a car conversion convention that was taking place in Missouri with the guys from EVTV.me. On this website, two self-proclaimed average men keep video logs of conversions that they are doing, with the intent of persuading others to undertake their own projects. After doing extensive research, I would say that I was a skeptic. Yes, there are shocking statistics that support the movement away from petroleum products (Americans represent 4% of the world’s population, yet we consume 25% of the world’s crude oil, most of which is imported) but could the characteristics of electric cars allow them to meet our nation’s automotive demands? Given the hesitance of the general public to embrace this new technology, I wasn’t convinced. But after being given the chance to drive both a Nissan Leaf and a Tesla Roadster, I was easily persuaded. These cars are both incredible innovations, and after being behind the wheel, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the technology of the future. They are simple to use, fast, quiet, and efficient, all with the added benefit of being cleaner than any other available cars.

I decided that I want to do my own electric conversion because this industry has incredible potential, and I want to get my foot in the door before everyone realizes it. Electric cars have been likened to the internet in the 1980’s; no one thought it would be useful to any true extent. And now it is a multibillion dollar industry. It is my hope that America can capitalize off of this potential before it’s too late, so one of my goals is simply to raise awareness.

Spyder 550

At first I wanted to use a Beck Spyder 550 replica as the conversion platform. This car has a fiberglass body and no frills. It lacks power steering, power brakes, heating, and air conditioning. Furthermore, it weighs only 900 pounds without an engine. After learning more about the car though, it seemed more like a weekend car than anything. I would like to prove that electric cars could be economical though, so the spyder was ruled out. However, Porsche’s Boxster is essentially a newer, more practical version of the spyder, so I decided that this would be a suitable alternative. It is still relatively light, yet it has power steering, power breaks, and a superb sound system. After weeks of looking for one with a blown engine, I found it on December 28, 2011. My parents and I drove up to Long Island to check out the car and bought it that afternoon. It was a black 1999 Porsche Boxster with a bad engine. The owner didn’t want to deal with fixing it, so he sold it as is. It seems most likely that the IMS bearing wore out, and we found some evidence to support this. Cosmetically the car is in great shape. It has 90,000 miles on it, but both the interior and exterior look flawless. Electronically the car is fine and there aren’t any problems with the brakes, steering etc.

My Boxster

I haven’t ordered any parts yet but the tentative plan is to use a Warp9 DC motor with a Soliton 1 controller. For batteries I was recommended Sky Energy 180 Ah LiFePo4 batteries.