And so it begins..

My first conversion of a car with an ICE (internal combustion engine) into an EV (electric vehicle) is getting into gears. After looking for a possible target for some time, a 2008 Volvo S80 2.5T Summum with a high milage (170'000km) but in very good condition caught my eye. It has all I want in a car that should last for a couple of years, probably a decade. First test drive was yesterday and tomorrow it shall be mine.

Advantages:

• Very safe - it's a Volvo after all
• Quiet + Comfortable - perfect for a daily commute when you're 40 or above ;)
• Luxurious - ideal for a great "boyz with toyz" feeling
• Lots of space under the hood and in/under the trunk for batteries
• Good aerodynamics

Disadvantages:

• It's heavy.. 1630kg / 3600lbs. Hence it requires a more expensive motor, controller and more batteries and in the end more electricity.
• Lot's of electronic gadgets and support systems whitch have to be integrated with the new solution somehow (automatic engine start, BLIS, ABS, Traction Control, Cruise Control, SIPS, Airbags, motorized xenon lights, seat heating, seat ventilation, navigation system, etc.). This certainly requires custom tools to integrate them on the CAN bus and also a reliable and powerful 12V supply.

After I got some re-assurance from Jack Richards and some very helpful guys on diyelectricar , I think it's feasible to convert even such a stout car into an EV that performs sufficently. (140kph, 80kph uphill, 10sec from 0-100kmh, 150km range). The conversion of a V70 by RebirthAuto made my remaining doubts vanish.. because their's is really well performing.

So, for this winter, I'll drive her with the ICE to make final preparations and in spring 2013, I hope to start taking her apart - for a new beginning.

 

 

 

With some luck, this sedan hits the streets again before the Tesla S does ;)