First Battery Set Up

I finished putting together, at least in a temporary setup, last night. I plugged in the charger this morning to give the batteries their first charge and after about an hour, the Volt Blochers have started shunting, just like they are supposed to. Take a look:

First Set of Batteries

I got the first set of batteries yesterday. I bought 24 Thundersky 60Ah LiFePO4 from Elitepower Solutions. They were shipped very quickly and it was exciting when the UPS guy showed up because the batteries are such a significant investment in this whole process. I also bought a cell balancing circuit board from Volt Blocher. I finished soldering those up last night so the next step will be to hook up the entire pack with the Volt Blochers and get the batteries their first charge.

While waiting for my gearbox to be built, one of the things that I didn't like about the '02 was the dim headlights. Cars really have gotten much better since 1974; driving the Beemer at night was pretty scary with all the deer we have around here. So, I found a set of Xenon HID lamps on eBay that fit the '02 and boy what a difference. I'll get some before and after pictures and post them.

Out with the old....

As all conversions start, the first thing you have to do (besides decide, design, plan, order... you get the picture) is remove all the stuff associated with the gas engine. This is a grimy, greasy job but it really makes you feel like you've accomplished something. Above are some pictures of the process. At this point, I have removed the engine, transmission, drive shaft, muffler, radiator, and gas tank.

Design Considerations

Ok, an electic car but what do I want....

One thing to think about here in Montana is snow. And from this picture of our driveway (note, this is 3 April and we just got 2 inches of new snow), four wheel drive might be nice...

The Electric BMW 2002

Hello everyone... I have embarked on a project to convert our 1974 BMW 2002 to an electric car. I figured this blog would be an easy way for those who might be interested in the project to follow along and maybe encourage others to do something similar.

I've been interested in electric cars for a long time. With electricity being something that can be produced locally, it makes sense to me that something that is as important to our way of life (the car) be powered by something that I could theoretically produce, instead of gas, which I HAVE to buy from someone else. As we learned last summer, when oil raced to nearly $150/barrel, we still had to buy it, forcing us to cut back in other areas. I believe this was the final tipping point that pushed us into our current recession. But enough of politics... for now.

Why the BMW 2002. Quick answer: we already had it. Longer answer: the BMW 2002 is an enthusiasts car. There are clubs, races, web sites dedicated to the '02 but so far I have yet to find one that has been converted to electric. Obviously, it isn't the ideal car to convert because it is relatively heavy and not very aerodynamic, but hey, see the short answer.

So, without further ado, away we go.