Electric Fiero
David Malloy
Fiero Project Goals
• Battery Electric Car for commuting and in-town errands
– Range: Daily commute is 12 miles (round trip) and flat
– Speed: Need to keep up with traffic; top speed of 65 mph
– Payload: 2 passengers with need for minimal trunk and storage space
• Safety, Construction Quality, and Appearance Important
– Designed and constructed with reliability and safety in mind
– Should not require maintenance but should be easy to maintain
• Did not want to push the technology envelope. Wanted:
– a high probability of success
– to copy examples of successful conversions
– a ready source of parts and support
• Willing to build a prototype and to compromise (on certain things)
if necessary
• Wanted to have fun, not to achieve perfection
Fiero Project Timeline
Fiero Decisions
• Donor: 1988 Fiero
– Many successful conversions (e.g., evalbum.com)
– Readily available and cheap parts
– “Back to the future” styling
• 144V Kit and Design from EV America (www.ev-america.com)
– Excellent email support, DVD, Reference schematic
– One stop shopping for: motor, controller, controller radiator plate,
adapter plate, charger, DC/DC converter, fuse, vacuum pump,
contactors, Anderson connectors, Inertia Switch, welding cable,etc.
– Machine shop service for adapter plate (Clutchless design)
• Major Features
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Advanced DC 9” motor / Curtis Controller
12 * 30XHS Trojan Lead Acid Batteries (with “UT” terminals)
Zivan NG3 220V charger; Zivan NG1 DC/DC Convertor
Suspension upgrades would be required for added weight
Fiero Battery Boxes
• “Erector Set” construction: cheap; easy to build and change.
Not optimized for space or weight
Motor Adapter
• Direct Drive
– Single gear (e.g., Tesla)
• Clutched
– When starting, put into gear and release clutch FIRST, then accelerate
– When moving, shifts like a normal manual transmission
– Provides additional failsafe under controller “stuck on” failure
• Clutchless
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When starting, put into gear, then accelerate (like an automatic)
When moving, requires finesse to change gears without a clutch
Removes flywheel and pressure plate
Fiero uses the clutchless design
• See Pictures below
– from Svein Medhus’ Ford Express conversion.
(http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/4429)
Clutchless Adapter
Clutchless Adapter (2)
Clutchless Adapter (3)
Clutchless Adapter (4)
Fiero Layout
Fiero Layout Notes
• High Voltage / High Current
– 2/0 Welding cable, crimped lugs, Noalox, Anderson
connectors
– Layout designed to keep “+” and “-” physically separate
– Conduit and “boxes” in tunnel (fuse, contactor, KSI, shunt)
• High Voltage / Low Current
– Conduit in tunnel
• Contactor Control
– in cabin against rear firewall
• Instrumentation
– Jacketed cable used in cabin to bring high voltage to dash
• Weight Distribution
– Most batteries are on the “outside” of the axles – not ideal
Fiero Front
Fiero Secondary Contactor Box
Fiero Rear
Fiero Rear (2)
Alternate Layouts
• from evalbum.com
• “The good, the bad, and the ugly”
• Concerns
– battery hold-down construction
– maintainability and access for battery watering
– exposed high voltage
– physical proximity of pack “-” and pack “+”
– distance of controller to motor
– wiring neatness
Alternate Layout (1)
Alternate Layout (2)
Alternate Layout (3)
Alternate Layout (4)
Alternate Layout (5)
Fiero Wiring Diagram
Fiero Wiring Notes
• Traction Pack Wiring (High Voltage / High Current)
– Dual contactor design, Fuse, SB350 Anderson connectors
• High Voltage / Low Current
– Zivan NG3 – 220V/20A Onboard Charger
– DC/DC convertor, KSI Relay, electric heater
• Contactor Control
– Simple relay logic
– Primary: ignition key in “run”, charger lockout, inertia switch
– Secondary: adds high pedal lockout, potbox microswitch
• Instrumentation
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Curtis “state of charge”
(relative) Ammeter
Charger and DC/DC converter status brought to in-dash LEDs
Motor overtemp
PakTrakr (monitors pack voltage and individual batteries)
Fiero Contactor Control; etc
Fiero Instrumentation
State of Charge
DC/DC Converter Status
Pack Charge Status
Ammeter
OverTemp
PakTrakr
• Charging
Other Notes
– Charges in ~4 hours (2 to 90%, 2 hours float)
– 12V Supply to drive Status LEDs and Exhaust fans
– Charging is done outside to vent hydrogen
• Vacuum Pump
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Enabled when key is in “run”
Conventional installation with Vacuum reservior
Noisy (needs muffler)
Could use more reserve
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Ceramic heater in place of original heater core
Wiring in conduit to relay on real firewall
Operated by original controls and fan
Only wired up ½ of the element: doesn’t work well
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“Reddy Kilowatt” badging
Beep on Backup
LED lighting
IPOD mini sound system
• Electric Heater
• Extras
Results
• Success !
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Daily driver; almost 2000 miles logged since January
0-30mph; performance just fine; keeps up with traffic.
Reliable; only maintenance is once a month watering
Quiet and no hydrocarbon smells
Cool Looking
Project cost ~12K
• Areas for Improvement
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Range only about 18-20 miles
Handling is “heavy”
30-60mph performance not so great
Want a lighter donor, lithium batteries, more attention to weight and
weight distribution
– “Funny noises”: contactor and vacuum pump
Component Scorecard
Component
Now
Major Dislikes
Batteries
Trojan 30XHS – SLA
Capacity, weight, weight distribution,
safety
Battery Boxes
Bolted
Weight, durability
Drive System
ADC 9” / Curtis 1231C
Whistle when starting; No regeneration
No Integrated contactor control
Adapter Design
Clutchless
Pack Charger
Zivan NG3 - Onboard 220V
No 110V, not sealed, no BMS
integration
DC/DC Converter
Zivan NG1
Not sealed
Heater
Ceramic
Not functional
Vacuum Pump
Gast/vacuum switch/reservior
Noisy, not integrated
Contactors
Albright
Noisy, not sealed
Instrumentation
PakTrakr, LEDs, ammeter
High voltage in cabin, no data logging
Safety
2 contactors + fuse
No Emergency Disconnect
Wish List for Next Time
• Want
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More Range
Better Performance and Handling
Better aesthetics (silent operation, nicer donor car)
Opportunity charging
Better instrumentation (data logging, CAN bus, better BMS)
Working heater
• More attention to Weight and Weight Distribution
– Lighter Donor
– Aluminum Battery Boxes
– Lithium Pack
• AC motor and regeneration
• More attention to durability and maintainability
– Sealed components
Classic 2 Seaters
CdA sq m
Make/Model
Year
Weight
Lotus Elan
62-73
1500
Fiat 850 Spider
65
1620
Triumph Spitfire
62-80
1800
MGB
62-70
2030
.66
Porsche 914
69-76
2085
.60
Triumph TR4
61-65
2130
Datsun 2000
67-70
2135
Fiat 124 Spider
69-85
2100-2355
Porsche 911 S
69-74
2249-2381
Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
69
2293
Mazda RX-7
78-85
2400
Triumph TR6
69-76
2491
Pontiac Fiero
84-88
2700
.57
Notes
Nice examples >20K$
Many, <10K$
.55
.63
Modern 2 Seaters
Make/Model
Year
Weight
Lotus Elise S
02-
1896
Mazda MX-5/Miata
90-98
2100
Honda del Sol
93-97
2296
Toyota MR2 (Mk1)
00-07
2300
Mazda MX-5/Miata
99-05
2350
Tesla
08-
2723
Acura NSX
90-05
2950
CdA sq m
Notes
Kits available for adapter plates and
battery boxes
More safety features
Sedans
Make/Model
Year
Weight
Fiat 500L
72
1190
Austin Mini Cooper
65
1411
Renault Dauphine
56-67
1433
Volkswagen Beetle
64
1629
Honda Insight
00-06
1850
Yaris
.49
2293
Toyota Corolla
66
2530
Ford Mustang
64-73
2570
Ford Focus
00
2621
Honda Civic
72
2628
Mitsubishi Lancer
73
2745
Saturn Ion
03
2752
Mazda 3
04
2780
VW Golf
CdA
Sq m
.44
Notes