Home Car Articles News News Listings Other News

A DIY electric vehicle ushers in a new era of EV builds

03 May 2014|6,031 views

An interesting Do It Yourself (DIY) electric vehicle (EV) in the U.S.A - the Factory Five Racing 818 Electric - ushers in a new era of EV builds.

The motor uses two separate Curtis controllers to regulate the flow of electricity from a 16kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery constructed of two 8kWh sub-packs

The motor is an AC35x2 from Hi Performance Electric Vehicle Systems (HPEVS) and, as the name suggests, is actually two AC induction motors in a single casing.

This air-cooled unit gets its peak 165bhp at just under 5,000rpm and its 256Nm of torque is available right from the start. The car uses a five-speed manual transmission from a 2002 Subaru WRX to accelerate up to its estimated 241km/h top speed.

When covered in painted body panels, it's estimated that the 818 Electric will weigh in at 885kg - about 68kg more than the petrol version.

Other important electric performance parameters include a range of between 97km and 113km. The vehicle can be recharged in four hours from empty using the 5kW on-board unit.

While electric conversions have been happening for some time, from-the-ground-up builds are just starting to become a more feasible reality and will only become more compelling as batteries and components continue to become better and more affordable.

Building your own electric vehicle (EV) offers the advantage of tailoring the drivetrain to fit your desires and budget. In the case of the electrified 818, it may well bring about a new era of EV builds.

The motor is an AC35x2 from Hi Performance Electric Vehicle Systems (HPEVS) and, as the name suggests, is actually two AC induction motors in a single casing.

This air-cooled unit gets its peak 165bhp at just under 5,000rpm and its 256Nm of torque is available right from the start. The car uses a five-speed manual transmission from a 2002 Subaru WRX to accelerate up to its estimated 241km/h top speed.

When covered in painted body panels, it's estimated that the 818 Electric will weigh in at 885kg - about 68kg more than the petrol version.

Other important electric performance parameters include a range of between 97km and 113km. The vehicle can be recharged in four hours from empty using the 5kW on-board unit.

While electric conversions have been happening for some time, from-the-ground-up builds are just starting to become a more feasible reality and will only become more compelling as batteries and components continue to become better and more affordable.