pi

I found a use for an old Raspberry Pi I had. I paired it with a small LCD display and wrote a Python script to poll the BMS for battery data.

I added WiFi to it and now I can SSH into it from my phone to monitor my charge without having to go outside.

My goal is to have the Pi write the data to a file and email it to me when it detects WiFi.

heat

It is getting hot this summer. The AC is working like a champ. I've run out of charge a handful of times over the past 6 years. Each time it was due to my charger turning Off due to high temperature. The model I have appears to need to be reset to recover from this condition. However, if I don't pay attention I do not notice that I'm heading out with less than full charge.

I picked up a Manzanita Micro PFC20 charger with forced air cooling. It's the green box at the bottom of this picture. The previous charger only had fins for cooling.

Sure enough, this charger overheats as well. At least it continues to charge, only at a lower rate. The BMS is wired to give it the Off signal when charge is complete.

My water cooled motor controller is overheating as well. I may need a bigger radiator.

My battery has been at 120 degF by the time I get home from work lately.

disc flexin' once again

I'm now on my 5th flex disc in just under 6 years. The Meyle brand lasted almost 1 year. That's an improvement from the last candidate. Again I'm switching brands, finding one that is slightly more expensive this time.
I'm beginning to believe the issue is the high starting torque of the DC motor. I don't use 1st gear because it is very jumpy. I start out in 2nd gear and usually nail it.
I can tell the unit goes under a lot of force. The grade 5 bolts in the pic below were new 1 year ago. Notice how a shoulder has been worn on the ones at the bottom. I lost the 8th bolt on a turn, that's how I knew it was time to swap a new one in.

mirror failure

My driver's side mirror fell off underway. I was able to turn around and retrieve it. The part that it holds onto the door with had worn away and no longer provided a purchase.
I fabricated a replacement for this part in aluminum and made a gasket from inner-tube.

patching a hole where the rain gets in

The carpet on the driver's side is always wet when it rains. I pulled it back to see why.

It's a bit perforated. I found a sheet of metal in my scrap and cut a patch for it.

5 year aniversary

This post marks my 5 year anniversary! 25,000 miles total. No battery issues! I estimate I have saved $3250 worth of gas at $2.60 per gallon, have paid $832 in electricity at $0.10 per kWh, and have 458 cycles on my battery.

Refresh EV grin

Step 38: refresh EV grin. Closing out my 5th year of driving I decided to upgrade my motor controller to a Zilla. At 1000A this will double my HP (but not affect my top speed).

The Zilla is a high-side switch so I had to run a new power cable from the controller in the trunk up to the motor. While I was under there I inspected my brushes. They look brand new.

I spray painted the power cable orange like the others. The Zilla is liquid cooled. I'm using a PVC pipe for a reservoir, a 12V pump, and a radiator for a power steering cooler located under the trunk.

I also added a little wall to mount the reservoir and to protect my rig from groceries.