![[[ E-Red ]]](/images/e-red.gif)
2006.05.25: The power steering is giving us a minor headache. The Coupe comes with power steering, either we find a non-assited rack that can fit the geometry and I will find it a bit harder to park (well I can't park and the torquy engine should help anyway) or we find a replacement solution. An ehps could be it, but the thing will use a lot of amps... If anyone reads this and has suggestions we'll gladly listen!
2006.05.16: I'm selling the CD changer! It's on e-bay (See below). I need to sell stuff, anything I have that I don't need! In the last 7 days I have sent letters to newspapers, and radio and TV stations to ask them if they'd like to say a word about the project. Anxiously waiting for some answers!!
See the CD Changer on e-bay!
2006.05.14: The engine is sold! Thanks E-bay, that's a bit more money in the pot!
2006.05.01: More pictures. The conversion specialists are making progress.
A controller has been selected, the adapter plate designed and made, we will have battery storage to boot... Eer... Read on!
I'll try and get more details about the controller. This is the part that transforms my gas pedal actions into the sort of current necessary to drive the engine.
You may think that the controller will output a low voltage for low speed and the maximum voltage for high speed. Well it doesn't quite work like that. The engine will have enough power around a limited range of voltages.
So the controller will instead cut the power very rapidly on and off. The harder I will press the gas, the longer the periods the engine is on will be.
The adapter plate is the plate of metal that will connect the electric engine to the original gear box. It's usually made of aluminium.
We have decided to put the batteries in the back, so a special compartment needs to be created for them.
And because this will be more weight than the car was originally designed for, the rear suspension will need to be upgraded.
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| The adapter plate | The controller |
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| A card board mock-up engine on the adapter plate. |
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| Looking into the boot. | Now the boot has been cut open (seen from below) Can you see the registration plate? |
... and seen from above. |
2006.04.25: I have put the engine on e-bay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4634971727&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:UK:31
2006.04.08: Here are some pictures! Work has started in the last 2 or three weeks. Not much technology involved so far, it's just a question of removing the parts we won't need anymore, like eeer, the engine!!
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| before | after |
2006.02.13: Yipee! I brought the car successfully to the conversion specialist. I was a bit apprehensive about driving the coupé on the motorway, it's slightly more aggressive than my first gen Prius... I was also worried about the injector problem, but everything was fine. Yes, yes, oh, yes, this thing will have been enjoyable to drive. But thou shallt not pollute!
2006.01.31: Ok, I have acquired electronred.org! The new design curtesy of talented French Designer Aziliz Hervouet is in place too!
2006.01.29: The car still drowns out the battery and it needs to be driven to Sommerset... One week-end trip...
2006.01.18: I have the cost estimate. Including the batteries we're looking at £17-20,000.
Fund raising work shall start shortly...
2006.01.02: I have the technology for this web site in place. Granted it still looks ugly, but at least I can now edit the thing on-line. Yipee! I installed a new battery in the coupé yesterday, and it works again. The intermittent red light on the dash board indicates a fault with the electronic injection system. I don't think this is worth fixing at this stage.
2005.12.27: Record cold in England, I want to take the thing for a drive and the battery is knackered. I will buy a new one but as much as I enjoy driving it with its original 2 liter engine, I must promise myself to stop spending on it while it hasn't been converted.
2005.12.21: I have bought the car!
It's a 10 year old Fiat Coupé, it's shiny red and it looks gorgeous!