Re: Batteries - EV Conversion

On 2/26/2025 4:38 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

Back Story:  About 3-1/2 to 4 years ago my dad had a brain tumor removed, and it came to my attention that he was not managing their affairs very well.  He and my mom were receiving social security, and he was doing various handyman type work.  He had some other assets, but he was hoarding them instead of using them.  I stepped in and took over for a little while, but out of respect I kept him in the loop.  When he would tell me something, I'd put in my time and work to make it happen and find out how it would work out and he would try to horse trade with me I quit.
 Example:  He said he would like to sell a fifth wheel trailer he owned. I looked it, up checked the market, found how much others selling the exact same trailer were asking, and how long theirs had been on the market I knew for a fact what they wouldn't sell for, and what I would have to settle for in order to sell it.  He tried to negotiate with me. He literally burned my time without regard.  I'd have been ahead if I had just made stuff in the shop and given him money.  That was the proverbial straw.  I'm not faulting him.  He literally had a hole in his head.  Not his fault.  He just wouldn't let me do what I needed to do without throwing my time in the fire.
 One thing I did do was line up a renter for a commercial property he owned.  I was working out the deal at the same time as my peeve, and then turned the renter over to him because I wasn't going to have my time wasted again.
 My dad passed away a year ago, and I wound up taking over everything again.  I'm actually a bit overwhelmed, but that's beside the point.  At least because of the time my dad was recovering from his brain surgery I had all his account names, passwords, and I have his cell phone.  I was able to just step in and make short term decisions quickly.
 Among other things I took over working with the renter until they moved out at the end of last year.  They were from out of the region, using the property as their local base of operations for a solar generating station they were working on.  While they were here (for three years) they accumulated some stuff.  Trying to get out before the end of the year they had a truck sitting in the yard with a blown engine they wanted to just get rid of.  I told them if they couldn't rid of it they could leave it behind, but they would have to provide the title or I would charge them what it cost me to have it hauled away.  I figured worst case scenario with the title I could load the truck on one of my trailers and get a few hundred bucks from a salvage yard with the title.   Enough to make up for my time to do it.  A few weeks later the title arrived in the mail.
 I got to looking at the truck and its better, and worse than I thought. The motor is not rebuildable.  They already had it out of the truck laying on the ground half apart.  All of the front trim, radiator, grill parts are all out laying in the bed of the truck.  Probably made it easier to pull the motor.  They had told me "The motor is completely blown up, but the transmission is good."  I got to looking at it and the body is straight.  All the trim is there.  The interior is full of desert dust as any vehicle that sets around here gets, but its intact and in good shape. If it had a good motor (less than 3 grand for a reman (4.7L) long block, and a couple grand in additional parts to do it right), it could be made into a decent truck again.  The only real cosmetic negative is for some reason beyond my understanding one end of the front bumper is bent up and out.  Not impact or wreck damage.  Maybe getting pulled out the sand or something by somebody who doesn't know ho to do a pull.  The sheet metal behind it is all perfect for its age. 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 Extended Cab.  Its a Dodge.  I am sure there is stuff that doesn't work, but cosmetically it could be a nice truck.
 The thing is I don't need a truck for serious truck things right now.  I bought the new F250 FX4 back around the end of August last year for truck things.  With its 6.8L engine it develops more horsepower and torque than the 6.6L turbo diesel in the 07 Silverado I sold last year. There is one thing though.  The F250 only averages about 11.8 mpg.
 Finally getting to the point:
 I got it in my mind to do AN EV conversion on that Dodge.  Not for heavy hauling or road trips, but for going to the hardware store.  A few sheets of plywood.  A couple bags of ready mix.  That sort of thing.
 I kinda had a plan.  I was going to use LiFePo batteries instead of lithium Ion because they are safer.  Since its short range it wouldn't matter.  100 miles range would be fantastic.  50 miles range would be more than adequate.  This lets out the obviously killer deal in EV motors.  Ford released the Mach-E crate motor dirt cheap.  I mean cheap.   I think the original OEM price was around $3-4K, but you can buy them from a number of reputable sources including the big name racing stores for $1.5K or less.  Power and torque are very good.  It also requires a 400V battery.  That lets out cheap battery options.  It doesn't come with a controller, inverter, charger, etc.  I could make any gear train parts, but the rest adds up, and the companies that have proven gear to work with it aren't even selling any of it to the unannointed. Basically if you buy that motor hoping to do an EV conversion you will be bread boarding everything from scratch or you will have to turn your vehicle and motor over to one of the CABAL and pay them to do everything.  Pricing is very closed mouth, but those who have dared to defy the priesthood have said the minimum cost is around 20 grand and it goes up very quickly from there.  Basically it makes it all pointless. Might as well drop a remanufactured 4.7L gasser in it be out 6 grand including all new front/top of the engine stuff.
 The thing is I don't necessarily need the 285 true horsepower of the Ford Mach-E.  A Hyper-9 is only 144 volts nominal 90ish horsepower.  It would work just fine for a local only surface street pickup truck with a gear box instead of a transmission, and its only about 5 times the price of the Ford Mach-E crate motor.  Still needs controller/inverter/ charger/batteries, etc.
 I really want to do something with this truck.  Its to nice to throw away, but in the end I may just haul it to a salvage yard.

I had a guy touch base with me with a complete package for a 1/2 ton Dodge truck that he wasn't going to use.  $58,000.00  At the risk of offending your sensitive natures.  F__K THAT.  Okay, at that price it did include a new battery.
I actually found a "package" sans battery for $6500.  96HP (72Kw), 144 volt, controller, inverter, & charger.  A rough calculator estimates the 0-60mph (0-96kph) at around 18 seconds with a single 96HP motor with a 5000lb (2267kg) vehicle.  Pretty darn slow.
They make an adapter for that motor to tie two of them together, so 6500 + 6500 + 500 + battery and I'm close to the minimum of 20 grand.
I could put the truck back together with a remanufactured (not repaired) engine that is a match to the OEM with all new parts on top and in front of the motor for 6 grand.  I just don't have the time for that.
I still think I am looking at putting it on a trailer and hauling it to a salvage yard.
EV just doesn't make any sense financially at all.  I don't have the knowledge to boot strap a wrecked EV into it.  That is the ONLY way I've seen anybody do an EV conversion even half affordable.
To be fair that 90HP package would be fine for a small light car like a first gen Miata or an old Chevy Luv, but for anything substantial it would just incite road rage in other drivers.
That being said, I keep an eye out for a first gen Miata with a blown motor and good chassis at a deal.  I passed a couple years ago, but now I wish I'd snatched them up.  I like the old pop-up head lights with the bug eye conversion.  There was also an outfit in California with that made a fastback hard top for them.  Extreme aerodynamic improvement and it already wasn't bad with the top up.
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Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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