electric ev imp project

[lewisparrot]

electric.jpg

I am thinking of converting a Hillman imp to electric ev on the same basis as the vw in the picture. Has this been done before and if so I could do with as much info as possible please. I am also looking for a sound project car to start with, possibly one which doesn't require welding. I hate cutting and welding. Many thanks Lewis

[bazzateer]

I have no details but I am sure I read about an electric Imp once? Very expensive and damaging to the environment though these electric cars!

[cov_climax]

Well this is electric and uses some imp parts....http://www.flux-capacitor.co.uk/

[mikeyhearne]

there is a thread an here somewhere about one in America being converted back to internal combustion .
I think there were some electric husky's around somewhere as well.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Well this is electric and uses some imp parts....http://www.flux-capacitor.co.uk/

..and 300kg of batteries are required! That's more than half a Clan ...or about half the weight your blue Imp Brian!

So a Clan EV would weigh about 880 Kg and an Imp EV nearer 1 ton?

[The Nun]

Someone in the distance past has built an electric IMP, using I think milk float components, the battery weight was the main issue I recall, but good that you paid no road tax, but that would have all been lost on the VAT for all the batteries.
0 to 3mph in 2 seconds maybe??

[Lotus-e-Clan]

A dedicated leader with a steady hand on the tiller, always a reassuring presence, AND he has a good sense of humour too!

It''ll be a tough act to follow. Wishing you all the best for the future Graham!

[The Nun]

A dedicated leader with a steady hand on the tiller, always a reassuring presence, AND he has a good sense of humour too!

It''ll be a tough act to follow. Wishing you all the best for the future Graham!

He's electric and a bright spark too

[bazzateer]

A dedicated leader with a steady hand on the tiller, always a reassuring presence, AND he has a good sense of humour too!

It''ll be a tough act to follow. Wishing you all the best for the future Graham!

Ooops! Lotus-e-Clan had too much to drink?

[impmann]

I know someone who imported an electric Imp that had sat in the desert outside Las Vegas - its being converted back to normal power. The conversion was "interesting" but ultimately not very well executed...

I would link a picture on FB but its bigger than 801 pixels wide and its not mine to muck about with...

[Lotus-e-Clan]

A dedicated leader with a steady hand on the tiller, always a reassuring presence, AND he has a good sense of humour too!

It''ll be a tough act to follow. Wishing you all the best for the future Graham!

Ooops! Lotus-e-Clan had too much to drink?

Bummer!

I had two tabs open containing different forum threads ('EV Imp' and 'Our Leader') ...

...thinking about, could be the beginnings of a good game ...post replies in the wrong thread and everyone has to guess where they belong!

Hopefully Graham will be along soon to cut and paste the comment into 'Our Leader ...'

[imp.sport]

elec.jpg

Taken at Duncombe Park National 1993. Back then it was the only free duty Tax disc Imp attending.
Thanks and praise to Frankas work on her site and this page for jogging my memory on this.
http://www.imps4ever.info/impclub/NatDay/overview.html

[The Nun]

Looks smart, the roof looks like its flocked.

[lewisparrot]

The new lithium iron batteries are very light, very powerful and very expensive so much so some brand new ev cars when sold you only buy the car the batteries are leased I think about £80 per month This project wont be low cost but first job is to find a decent imp to start with then if costs run too high I might have to sell my bike engine imp . the other solution would be salvage ie buy a wrecked ev car possibly. Im not sure if I should mount the motor direct to the imp gearbox leaving the clutch operational with gears or go direct to a diff possibly ford etc. thanks for info so far the flux capacitor looks spot on

[Lotus-e-Clan]

The decision to use the Imp tranny or not would depend on factors like:

Max rpm of the EPU
The EPu's level of instant torque.
The final kerb weight of the Imp EV.

(do you have any figures?)

Too much sudden torque means the Imp tranny will 'burst it's banks' much sooner than later.

Eric the Pimp-driver is an expert on Transaxle re-engineering to cope with high torque loads - he's broken a few with his turbo Clan.

I was under the impression that an EPU could produce even higher levels of instant torque than Erics turbo so even Erics modded tranny might not cope?

[lewisparrot]

Im not sure of rpm but the motor and voltage im thinking of using produces 140 hp max which I believe full power / torque is right from the start. would it work on an automatic box ? just a thought.

[imp.sport]

I always thought motors at the wheel or on the drive shaft direct was the way to go considering how much energy was lost in any gearbox.
Big drawback on how to work out an effective electronically controlled differential though. A similar problem to resolve in using a gearbox to fit sensors that could monitor and control torque.

Going for a lie down now

[oli]

Personally I think it might be a waste of a good Imp. If you want to have a go at building an electric car (and why not), why don't you just pick up something modern and 'worthless' to do it with?

[The Nun]

Personally I think it might be a waste of a good Imp. If you want to have a go at building an electric car (and why not), why don't you just pick up something modern and 'worthless' to do it with?

Smart car?

[imp.sport]

Personally I think it might be a waste of a good Imp. If you want to have a go at building an electric car (and why not), why don't you just pick up something modern and 'worthless' to do it with?

Well yes and no. Some imps are so bad I woukd say they are not worth saving. It really pains me to admit it but at least this mod is above the likes of fitting other petrol engines IMHO. I am someone who likes imps as they are but if it must be done its at least its more interesting.

[lewisparrot]

Fitting an electric motor instead of engine and adding extra batteries can't be described as a waste of a good imp but possibly an improvement. This project wouldn't require cutting and modifying as my bike engine project did but even if I wanted to put back the imp engine it wouldn't take long to return it to its standard form. I like smart cars but how many 140 horse power electric imps do you see on the road.

[The Nun]

I like smart cars but how many 140 horse power electric imps do you see on the road.

If you fitted a 140 hp electric motor in an IMP would you need to uprate the brakes etc up and beyond that say if you had a 140hp normal engine in it?
A normal engine does provide a degree of engine braking/retardation when you lift off so helps braking a little, so is this lost with an electric motor? Or do you have to induce a reverse current to achieve similar results.
I know the modern hybreds electric motors charge the batteries on overrun but no doubt that means complex eletronics? a standard electric motor off the shelf wouldnt have this would it?
Also I assume if you wanted servo assistance you would have to run a belt driven vacuum pump too?

[lewisparrot]

Good point on the brakes ... my Kawasaki imp produces about 130 bhp at the wheels and I have fitted xr2 disc brakes on the front and the only way to describe the braking performance is frightening a crystal ball would be very handy for advance warning of sudden need to stop. On the electric motor there is a system where you can use the motor on over run to charge the batteries and this also creates a resistance within the motor which aids braking. On the new electric cars they run electric pumps for power steering, heated water for heater, etc

[Oscarmax]

x

[Turboimp]

The new lithium iron batteries are very light, very powerful and very expensive so much so some brand new ev cars when sold you only buy the car the batteries are leased I think about £80 per month This project wont be low cost but first job is to find a decent imp to start with then if costs run too high I might have to sell my bike engine imp . the other solution would be salvage ie buy a wrecked ev car possibly. Im not sure if I should mount the motor direct to the imp gearbox leaving the clutch operational with gears or go direct to a diff possibly ford etc. thanks for info so far the flux capacitor looks spot on

Todays electric cars have a gear ratio of about 10:1 motor to road wheels ...

[lewisparrot]

I have decided to sell my mk1 Kawasaki powered imp to fund the above project it will be going on Ebay next week sometime but if any member is interested please get in touch. its taxed, and mot full details of the car is on my post. I am looking for around £8000 I might be dreaming but if I got £12000 I would still be out of pocket.

[lewisparrot]

rebbl_electric_car_conversion_europe.jpg

This is the type of set up I am thinking about doing for my next project. All that's needed is a good adaptor plate to mount the motor to the imp box wire up the speed controller and batteries and off you go.

[lewisparrot]

snowmonster_5616x3744a.jpg

This electric car is based on the lotus elise
0 - 62 mph..... 3.7 secs
top speed ......125mph
Range............245 miles
299 hp 295 lb ft

[Lars Hagermark]

Nice! But 245 miles... in that climate?

[lewisparrot]

DOWN HILL

[lewisparrot]

I was trying to sell my Kawasaki powered imp to fund a new project electric imp but at that time the cost was far to high for me to afford but as time goes by and more suppliers on the scene who knows now might be the time for another look.