Getting started - Batteries not included

[4markowen]

Still a ways off getting any type of project started, but I have my eye on a Toyota MGR, and a Prius Gen 3 inverter, given the activity around them.

Plan is to convert my Audi A2 (1.6 FSI Sport)

Anyway, question is. I can see myself getting the motor and inverter, getting the Gen 3 board, but I was wondering if it's possible to get started with them without a battery? Or what cheap older batteries would be a good idea?

Generally, I'm curious as to what the path is to getting up to speed and what bits I need. Any videos I could be pointed towards? Helpful articles? Any help gratefully appreciated.

I'd ideally like to use the BMW hybrid batteries initially, and then if it becomes my main driver and my commute goes roughly back to what is was, go mad, get around 60kWh worth of LG Chem cells from ZeroEV, as I'll be looking at 110-160mi there and the same back.

[TheSilverBuick]

Huh, I was looking at posting essentially the same question. I've been reading through threads the last couple days. I want to use a Toyota MGR, a Prius Gen 3 or 2 inverter and put it in an medium sized ATV. I'll be following along and try not to hi-jack your thread with my own.

[Isaac96]

If you want a HV power source, for testing things at low power before you get batteries, you can use a rectifier to convert 240VAC to DC. If you can get 3phase 240 then I believe it rectifies to a very smooth 380, single-phase goes to 330 (at least when I tried it). Of course you can't pull too much power - no moving the vehicle - but it should be plenty to get a motor spinning slowly just to verify that everything works. And often it's possible to use 4 or 5 12v car batteries (with a fuse) to get things running at low power.

Those BMW hybrid batteries do look very nice. If you want less power you could split the pack and parallel it, halving the voltage. That would be easier to work with in terms of voltage, but the inverter might not like the lower voltages as much - there is a threshold below which they don't turn on, I'm not sure where it is though.
9Kwh is very little capacity though - 2 or 3 packs should be the minimum to get usable range. I've got 32kwh of LG Chem batteries and I can say that they are pretty amazing. Haven't road tested yet but they are pretty easy to work with.

[GaryClarke]

Still a ways off getting any type of project started, but I have my eye on a Toyota MGR, and a Prius Gen 3 inverter, given the activity around them.

Plan is to convert my Audi A2 (1.6 FSI Sport)

Anyway, question is. I can see myself getting the motor and inverter, getting the Gen 3 board, but I was wondering if it's possible to get started with them without a battery? Or what cheap older batteries would be a good idea?

Generally, I'm curious as to what the path is to getting up to speed and what bits I need. Any videos I could be pointed towards? Helpful articles? Any help gratefully appreciated.

I'd ideally like to use the BMW hybrid batteries initially, and then if it becomes my main driver and my commute goes roughly back to what is was, go mad, get around 60kWh worth of LG Chem cells from ZeroEV, as I'll be looking at 110-160mi there and the same back.

I've also got an A2 1.6 FSI ready for conversion, by which I mean the engine is fooked. It's a lovely spec cherry red with open sky roof.

My favoured options are for a Gen 3 inverter and Prius Gen 3 transaxle. I'm looking for reasons why this transaxle doesn't seem to be the prefered choice over the MGR. It was designed with integral cooling and internal gearing to allow EV mode so no welding required. MG2 is 80KW on its own, so plenty for an A2. with potential to power MG1 for a combined 120KW+ in larger vehicles.

As for HV power, I'm keen to find out how Matt Dresser is getting on with his Polski 126 using the battery pack from a Mercedes Hybrid. https://www.matthewdresser.com/ev/conve ... troduction.

I'm happy to collaborate on a project to produce two EV A2 and the knowledge to apply the principles to other FWD future classics.

[ZooKeeper]

post deleted

[4markowen]

Thanks for the HV/battery info.

My thinking and some scribbled numbers and torque curve graphs make me think the MGR might work in it's first iteration, as a city car with the BMW batteries certainly. I also only just do a chilled 56mph on cruise on mostly M-way driving. Although yeah, MGR is occasional rather than constant in its normal life.

Given their cost I think I might skip to getting the BMW batteries and the bits over a few month. Wanted to get the motor and inverter and get to grips with it at a low power/low cost way. So maybe cheap prius pack (makes for a complete Toyota set

It's second potential iteration is as a 200 mi plus setup, again with some scribbles and looking at some other A2 EV conversion (this one especially) where I again did some rough numbers on the battery box. I figure you could fit 16 LG Chem cells in the rear battery boxes without affecting the rear space and another 8 under the hood (2.6 * 24 = 62.4 ?!? )

That second life might need the prius transaxle / chunkier motor.

The MGR and ditching the gearbox just seem to chime properly with the lightweight A2 (despite lumbering it with batteries), also the 1.6 I think is handier as usually a 'Sport' and the engine block is at the top end of the kerb weights (Iron engine block versus the 1.4 alu block) to load with more batteries.

Next destination is a Merc SL class with the GS450h replacing the transmission and the batteries replacing the V8 or maybe a Range Rover. Like with LPG, I think a nice conversion kit with the bits we talk about on here would work 'really' well with Range Rovers or other large engined luxury motors.