The Samurai’s, at least in the 80’s, did not have computer controls for ABS brakes, etc. Plus, spinning wheels wasn’t a big issue for us as efficiency and local transportation. Take plenty of measurements and on paper or CAD, layout the possible areas where batteries can be located.įor the Samurai, we choose to use the 115V AC drive system due to limited space issues for motor/controller, additional batteries, and home designed circuit boards. Last will be to locate and remove the gas tank. With our DOT light board, we remove all wiring from this vehicle and string new wires to make sure everything works properly and it eliminates a lot of confusion later on. It is much easier to clean and undercoat when everything is stripped out. We always clean underneath and undercoat the belly. Next is to examine the chassis for any rust or structural weaknesses. We look for factors like distance from front of transmission to front of vehicle to determine motor/controller type. We will use the Samurai from this point on and the obstacles to watch out for will be explained and will be consistent with any vehicle conversion project. We dropped 700 pounds and with a similar amperage pack, we went from barely 40 mile range to a good 45 mile range so weight does make a difference. Three years later we removed the lead acid batteries and replaced them with lithium cells. My partner converted a 1980 S-10 to 144 Volts DC and used lead acid for the battery storage. Simply plug in at night and ready for the 30 mile commute the next day.įirst is to locate the right vehicle. The Samurai, for me, was a perfect choice as it gave me the freedom of an open top, doors or no doors, 4-wheel drive, light weight, small turning radius and an all-around great vehicle to drive back and forth from home to work. You will put in a good deal of time and skimping on things now will lead to a disappointing end result. There are benefits such as the lighter the vehicle the better the range but if you don’t like it upon completion, it won’t give you the satisfaction you were looking for. What I tell everyone is to pick a vehicle that you will enjoy driving for the next ten years or more. You can of course talk about the challenges you had to face during the project. 2: Explain us the steps of building the project, with photos in chronological order. The Samurai was much like the 41 Willies I had in high school and as Paul Harvey would say, “Now the Rest of the Story”. From that point on, we started looking for vehicles to start our conversion company. This roadster was the first ever EV on Charlotte Motor Speedway and yes with a top end of 140+ MPH we were keeping up with the bad boys. However, at the end of two weeks of driving time, they were fighting with each other to see who could back it out of the shop in the morning and drive it back into the shop at closing time. Whitby’s employees gave us so much grief that it was board line insubordination. We invented an ignition board, 5-gauage instrument panel, lighting DOT board that has all DOT lights on individual circuits, and our own battery management system.
Conversion companies were starting to take hold we were one that has survived the Tesla movement because we created four core EV components to simplify EV conversions. Ford Roaster 1932Īt that time Tesla was in its infancy and not a major player yet. In 3.5 months, we built a blank chassis and body to an all electric drive. Our first conversion was a Factory Five 33 Ford Roadster in conjunction with Whitby Motorcars in Greensboro, NC. This is when Mike joined Green Cycle Design Group. Our shared experiences were good and some not so good. In 2010 Mike Rollins and I connected after doing independent electric conversion projects and in comparing notes, we shared many of the same experiences. That is when I got hooked on electric drive systems, the instant torque, the quiet ride, and most importantly – no gas. Since moving to North Carolina in 2000 I connected with an Electric Vehicle group in the Raleigh area. It was a great all around farm vehicle that we could take to town or on the dirt roads. We used that to pull hayracks or chasing cows over 640 acres. Growing up on a farm in Iowa in the late 1970’s, we put a 283 Chevy motor in a 1941 Willies Jeep. The Samurai still has all wheel drive and the performance has increased, even at 115 Volts with an AC drive motor. This is the second one we have converted from ICE (internal combustion engine) to an all electric drive.
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