A 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, converted to electric drive by the University of British Columbia Electric Car Club, has completed the first all-electric drive across mainland Canada. The 6,500 kilometer (4,039 mile) trip took two weeks, and was done without any accompanying support vehicles.
With an electricity cost of about $3 per 300 km, the entire trip only used about $65 worth of electricity. The vehicle's batteries are able to be recharged in about 4 hours.
The vehicle uses lithium iron phosphate batteries for power storage and also has regenerative braking capability. Traveling at 50 kmh (31 mph) the vehicle has a range of 550 kilometers (341 miles), and it will travel 300 kilometers (186 miles) at 100 kmh (62 mph).
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written by Debug the World, September 13, 2010
It's actions like this that increase the image of electric cars. Many people still think that they are mostly useful for short distance travelling. 
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written by Juan Jose Borroel, September 14, 2010
It's great to know that there is still hope for those beetles still around, since you can turn them into a full electric vehicle, all we need to know is: how much does the lithium iron phosphate batteries cost, and how may people can ride the car AT THE SAME TIME!!! Because for that kind of power I guess that the back seat was lost to offer a bigger space for the battery pack.
If my family of five can enjoy a weekend ride on a converted car like this one without worrying about the battery juice ending up in half the ride, then I can consider to modify my own beetle, but if the price for the whole conversion is too high, then I guess that I might have second thoughts about this, and instead, make a big downpayment on a brand new, better equiped, bigger and more gas-efficient car.
If my family of five can enjoy a weekend ride on a converted car like this one without worrying about the battery juice ending up in half the ride, then I can consider to modify my own beetle, but if the price for the whole conversion is too high, then I guess that I might have second thoughts about this, and instead, make a big downpayment on a brand new, better equiped, bigger and more gas-efficient car.
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written by litteuldav, September 14, 2010
Woow !
300 km @ 100 kmh is a pretty impressive figure for an "home-made" electric vehicle !
Do you know if it uses special kind of batteries, or do you have an idea of the price it would cost to reproduce it ?
300 km @ 100 kmh is a pretty impressive figure for an "home-made" electric vehicle !
Do you know if it uses special kind of batteries, or do you have an idea of the price it would cost to reproduce it ?
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written by Mallory, September 15, 2010
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written by Global Energy, September 15, 2010
$65 worth of electricity for 6,500 KM sounds great. Yet I wonder how much does it cost to make a homemade lithium charged car. Till then, we can all make sure to keep using renewable energy sources.
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written by DD, September 23, 2010
Gu built the electric car himself, funding the project through grants from the University of British Columbia. Sponsors donated about $25,000 in parts.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/s...z10NVdbxVG
Great proof of concept, but if mass produced, the manufacturing price would drop dramatically.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/s...z10NVdbxVG
Great proof of concept, but if mass produced, the manufacturing price would drop dramatically.
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