Deciding what donor & needing info?

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Burning Oil
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Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Burning Oil »

Glad I found this forum and hope this/these questions are in the correct area. (EDIT: after proofreading this maybe it needs to be moved to the Leaf area of the forum? Mods feel free to move it)

I like so many people out there would love to do an EV conversion but are not electrically savvy. Its easy to get overwhelmed with all the info and many hours of YouTubing/surfing for info.

For me, I am very mechanically inclined and can get on fine with a basic relay. Ive built many cars from the ground up and do all the mechanicals and paint....ect. Anyway there must be many like me out there that have the same questions. I'll just name a few that come to mind now and im sure it will bring on more questions later.

Cost is a factor, my first time Id like to start with a conversion that is relatively easy and modestly powerful. So Im thinking going with a Nissan Leaf. Open to a Tesla swap but cost I think will be triple or more? That would knock it off my list.

Should I start with a donor car Gen2 or if cost is close enough go for Gen3? Is an inverter board made for the Gen3 yet?

Can I think of the openinveter board as a "stand alone controller" as in it takes just the needed inputs to run the motor (similar to putting a Chevy LS stand alone ECM and harness in an old muscle car). So then charging battery and a/c... would also be stand alone systems also?

I think a 2014 Leaf had 80KW motor? what do gen3 motors have (quick Google search next :) ), does the openinverter or other boards allow the motor to produce more power than that?

I'll have more questions for sure but just wanted to get these out there. Also I leave tomorrow until Wednesday so won't reply until then.

Pic is of my project.
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johu
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by johu »

Hi and welcome :)
I think the post is fine in "getting started" for now.
The Gen2 Leaf motor produces about 140 kW with the openinverter board and 24 kWh Leaf batteries.
The board could theoretically repurpose the inverter & motor combo as battery charger but confined space makes it hard to add the necessary hardware. Also synchronous motors can be noisy when random currents circulate through their stator. That said, I have tried it and it does work.
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Burning Oil
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Burning Oil »

Thanks for reply. What RPM is motor at when it produces 140KW?
Isaac96
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Isaac96 »

4000-5000 and then anything above that will reach 140Kw.

Once set up, the openinverter board acts just like a regular ECU. The trick is getting it set up properly.
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Burning Oil wrote: Sun Oct 18, 2020 6:19 pm
Cost is a factor, my first time Id like to start with a conversion that is relatively easy and modestly powerful. So Im thinking going with a Nissan Leaf. Open to a Tesla swap but cost I think will be triple or more? That would knock it off my list.
Cost comes down to a few factors:
- What components (obviously)
- How quickly you want to progress
- How much effort you want to put in to hunting deals

If you want this project done ASAP on a tight budget, Leaf is probably the best way to go. If you are looking at a longer time frame, you can get some good deals.

By perusing ebay regularly, I've gotten a Tesla LDU and a Chevy Volt battery for really good prices, both from reputable sellers. All told, I think the EV components for my build (2 Volt batteries, Tesla LDU, Tesla charger, CHADEMO charge controller, SimpBMS) will end up costing less than $7500 in total. Obviously there are supporting modifications (12V wiring, axles, suspension, etc) that will bring the total cost up, but you need those for any build.

It comes down to careful planning, and saving so that you can pull the trigger on a good deal when it comes up. This can be the frustrating part, seeing a great deal when you don't have the cash on hand, and having to wait for the next deal to pop up.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
Burning Oil
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Burning Oil »

Sorry guys I did not know there were more replies.

Anyway, I am progressing with the conversion. I just bought a 2013 Leaf! Its almost to good of a car to tear into.

Anyway a couple more newb questions:
Can regen brakes be adjusted/set so its like one pedal driving? Can it be adjusted on the fly?
Is the charging unchanged? or do accommodations need to be made with this board to charge batteries?
What other considerations that a novice like me would need to know?

PS. My brother has the bug also and is looking for a Leaf now so we may be buying two boards!
Burning Oil
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Burning Oil »

Questions,

With the open inverter is the stock charger L1 & L2 and DC to DC retained?

Is the Leaf throttle retained?

Is there a guide on the forum that walks a project through step by step?

Can a gauge set up be used on a tablet or phone?

Thanks for your time.
Burning Oil
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Burning Oil »

OK! I took the plunge and bought the Leaf board.

How do you guys set up your dashboard/gauges. Would be nice to have a screen on Bluetooth device.
VortexEV
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by VortexEV »

This thread should hopefully help me as I feel I'm in a similar place been mechanical and very happy to play on anything mechanical, I am more than happy to work on electrics but electronics and can bus gets my nervous side going, yes I can follow instructions but thats about my limit at the moment. However I have a desire to try and get an EV project going but I don't want to fail
Burning Oil
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Re: Deciding what donor & needing info?

Post by Burning Oil »

VortexEV wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 4:08 pm This thread should hopefully help me as I feel I'm in a similar place been mechanical and very happy to play on anything mechanical, I am more than happy to work on electrics but electronics and can bus gets my nervous side going, yes I can follow instructions but thats about my limit at the moment. However I have a desire to try and get an EV project going but I don't want to fail
Im in the same boat. Ive built many cars from the ground up but never an EV. It going to be slow but fun process.
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