1996 Land Cruiser EV Conversion - EVJ80 Project (1 Viewer)

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Total project cost so far including recoupe? Very impressive so far.
 
Stay tuned! Of course it can charge by solar, it will just take friggin forever. I've got some plans along these lines that are going to be awesome :cool:


I'm just a hobbyist into cars of all types and interested in EVs.


The same reason I don't have a G-Wagen. I'm on a budget. I also want to finish this project and actually drive it. If I had a dollar for every time someone said "you should use Tesla" to me I'd have enough to buy a Tesla. I got my wrecked LEAF for less than $4000 including the fuel to pick it up. I'd have to spend 4-5x that amount to get a wrecked Tesla. Also a Tesla is basically a driving battery. The engineering and packaging in those cars is insane. Trying to package that into a DIY build would be an exercise in futility. I've seen others try and fail or stall out or end up with 1/3rd the anticipated battery capacity etc etc.

My 100 will satisfy my long range cruisering and it will tow my EV 80 to the trailhead.

Lastly, as just trail rig and around town driver the range and performance will be fine. And let's not kid ourselves, the 1FZ ain't winning any races. Also the upgrade path is clear, I can install batteries in so many locations on the truck, gas tank, exhaust, spare tire, along frame rails, etc. Also I can just do an inverter swap and double my current horsepower. I did think about this for a few minutes before I started ;)
Right on. The work you’ve been doing looks great! I am interested in seeing how far it will go on one charge. With all that stuff gone, you’ve had to cut the weight in half, but not sure what ev parts weigh, that will add a lot back.
 
Really awe inspiring build. Like the idea of start with a fairly “simple” solution, the LEAF, and if you want to kick it up a notch you can. Lessons learned will be invaluable. EV swaps will become easier as the market progresses.
 
I am now starting on the final major challenge of my build that remains before it can drive under it's own power. The battery install! I've been waiting until the end because I wanted to wait and buy a 2017 LEAF with a 30kwh battery because it is newest and best. Newest so it has less degredation, and best because 30kwh is the largest that I can fit under the hood. I picked up this LEAF from Copart again and stripped it down.

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There are 48 modules in the pack, 2 cells per module. So 96 cells ~350-400 volts. I need to re-arrange these modules into two stacks that will fit on top of eachother under the hood. And put them in a waterproof protective box. And wire in the BMS and relays and everything 100% correctly with zero errors on the first try.

Let's get started!

I have about 36-37 inches under the hood lengthwise so the long stack of 24 will fit:

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So then I took the two flat stacks of 12 modules each, and rebuilt them into a long 24 module stack. I had parts left over from the first LEAF so I could use the OEM components:

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So now I have two stacks of 24 modules. I flipped the orange and copper bus bar assembly upside down so that the + and - line up on each end for shorter wiring.

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I marked all of the 49 balance taps and labeled them so that they can be transplanted onto the new stack in the correct order. Every single wire must be in its place otherwise bad things happen.

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Thats gonna be a lot of weight on the front axle! Like 70/30 weight distribution.

Why not cut open the cargo area and drop them down in there?
Shouldn't be more than it was stock. The 1FZ is 600lbs and trans 275 or thereabouts plus fluids etc. All of the LEAF hardware should be a couple hundred lbs lighter. We shall see. That's part of the reason I weighed it before I started. I was actually worried about not having enough weight on the front axle if I put the battery somewhere else.
 
Total project cost so far including recoupe? Very impressive so far.
Really hard to say as I am doing a 2nd project simultaneously that is similar but also totally different so a lot of the LEAF stuff is overlapping. I'm guessing just into the LC I'm probably closing in on $10k parts + materials.
 
Love the project. Admittedly, I’m not an EV drivetrain expert, but I still don’t understand the benefit of running a single motor through the transfer case. If torque is available at zero RPM, why not bolt the motor(s) into the axle third member and apply torque right to the ring gear? The motors are compact enough to run one on each axle. Double the power. Double the torque.

Also, check out Romeo Power. They do a fantastic job of building EV power packs to spec. And without the complication of a transmission, transfer case, fuel tank, exhaust or drive shafts, you basically have the entire center area between the frame rails for the battery pack(s).
 
Love the project. Admittedly, I’m not an EV drivetrain expert, but I still don’t understand the benefit of running a single motor through the transfer case. If torque is available at zero RPM, why not bolt the motor(s) into the axle third member and apply torque right to the ring gear? The motors are compact enough to run one on each axle. Double the power. Double the torque.

Also, check out Romeo Power. They do a fantastic job of building EV power packs to spec. And without the complication of a transmission, transfer case, fuel tank, exhaust or drive shafts, you basically have the entire center area between the frame rails for the battery pack(s).

I'm curious about the same thing. My Model Y single motor is obscenely quick from right off the line to 100+ MPH. I don't see how more gear reduction would be a benefit. It would seem like a lot of extra drag and unnecessary components fighting the batteries for space.
 
I have been waiting for this to happen. Maybe not with a Leaf motor, but some of the other "crate" options out there.
In any case, you have my attention.
And to those that dislike the concept of an EV, you might want to drive one for a while before announcing how much you hate it. My Polestar2 is freaking awesome.
 
Awesome project. Can't wait to see how the performance and range turn out. With everything stripped, there are so many places you could mount additional batteries that I imagine you'll really be able to increase the range later on.
 
Maybe...very interested to see the finished corner weights.

The stock trans and tcase are much farther to the rear of the truck than the electric motor is, and you're losing fuel tank and fuel.

You know what you're doing....carry on!
The t-case is in the same position it was stock. That was the piece that located everything else. The electric motor sits about where the transmission bellhousing was.

Love the project. Admittedly, I’m not an EV drivetrain expert, but I still don’t understand the benefit of running a single motor through the transfer case. If torque is available at zero RPM, why not bolt the motor(s) into the axle third member and apply torque right to the ring gear? The motors are compact enough to run one on each axle. Double the power. Double the torque.

Also, check out Romeo Power. They do a fantastic job of building EV power packs to spec. And without the complication of a transmission, transfer case, fuel tank, exhaust or drive shafts, you basically have the entire center area between the frame rails for the battery pack(s).
I'm curious about the same thing. My Model Y single motor is obscenely quick from right off the line to 100+ MPH. I don't see how more gear reduction would be a benefit. It would seem like a lot of extra drag and unnecessary components fighting the batteries for space.
First of all, it's not that simple to just mount a motor onto an axle like you are making it out. The motor is like 150lbs to start. Ok then I have two motors, twice the wiring, my VCU can't control both motors, I need to do twice as much fabrication, and re-engineer the axles. I'm surprised you didn't tell me to get 4 motors, one for each wheel. That's usually what people say :D

EVs use gearboxes just like gas cars. It's a common misconception that they don't. The LEAF for instance has a 9:1 reduction gearbox from the output to the wheels. Teslas use a few different ratios also around 9:1. Land Cruiser is 4.1:1 final drive. If I put a LEAF motor directly onto the axle it would only have 4.1:1 reduction which means I would have to drive at 150+MPH to get enough RPMs to get the full horsepower out of it. Horsepower is torque x RPM. If RPMs are too low, you don't make HP, you don't get anywhere fast.

Model Ys have been taken on 4x4 trails and they fail hard. Yes, on pavement from 0MPH they go like hell. But you have no modulation at those low RPMs to deal with offroad conditions and the higher forces on the tires. Electric motors are not magical and they require RPM to make power, same as any other motor or engine. You have no ability to crawl. At slow RPMs and high load they can "cog" or "stall" which means they don't have enough inertia to make the jump from one magnet to the next so they stutter, or just stop completely. This is bad! Imagine climbing a rock face or being 100ft in the air on a fin at Moab and have your motor cog or stall out and then just freewheel. There is no engine compression so then you just start rolling.

In short, I need a transfer case and reduction gears for exactly the same reasons a gas engine does. I want enough ratios to give me flexibility in RPMs and wheel speed for different terrains.
 
Interesting points.

Being in manufacturing and knowing exactly what tesla powertrain looks like it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to integrate the motor and gearbox into a dropout center differential such as Toyota or 9 inch Ford. It would surely entail a new housing and axleshafts.

Having some decades of experience in industrial automation where large AC servomotors are often used to move lots of mass and position to micron level control I see a mechanical advantage as not always the answer. Closed loop AC motor control is amazing stuff. I have used 20 to 80 HP direct drive machine tool spindles to position and hold under the extreme forces of broaching operations.

I think you're project is great. Just thinking that my approach with the resources and background that I have would be different. Keep up the good work!

I drive my Model Y down and up a very steep, often loose gravel driveway sometimes with wet leaves on it. It's impressed the heck out of me. In 2wd the Tesla does better than my Superduty locked in 4wd.

Only thing Tesla fails at is snow and ice. They haven't figured that out yet.
 
And to those that dislike the concept of an EV, you might want to drive one for a while before announcing how much you hate it.
Different time and place of course but this would be a great discussion.
Renew-ability notwithstanding, I would say that what OP is doing is not in the vein of your off-the-shelf EV concept.
I'm excited to see what he has in store for off-grid recharging in a reasonable time frame. THIS can liberate a converted vehicle and make it a truly advantageous endeavor imo.
 
Interesting points.

Being in manufacturing and knowing exactly what tesla powertrain looks like it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to integrate the motor and gearbox into a dropout center differential such as Toyota or 9 inch Ford. It would surely entail a new housing and axleshafts.

Having some decades of experience in industrial automation where large AC servomotors are often used to move lots of mass and position to micron level control I see a mechanical advantage as not always the answer. Closed loop AC motor control is amazing stuff. I have used 20 to 80 HP direct drive machine tool spindles to position and hold under the extreme forces of broaching operations.

I think you're project is great. Just thinking that my approach with the resources and background that I have would be different. Keep up the good work!

I drive my Model Y down and up a very steep, often loose gravel driveway sometimes with wet leaves on it. It's impressed the heck out of me. In 2wd the Tesla does better than my Superduty locked in 4wd.

Only thing Tesla fails at is snow and ice. They haven't figured that out yet.
That is like saying an industrial diesel engine has the same characteristics as a land cruiser diesel engine just because they're both diesel. I'm guessing your micron level control motors do not also spin things at extremely high speeds. I'm guessing they are highly specialized to do only one task. I could make a better vehicle than what I am making, obviously. But currently I am making it. Not talking about what I would do.
 
Different time and place of course but this would be a great discussion.
Renew-ability notwithstanding, I would say that what OP is doing is not in the vein of your off-the-shelf EV concept.
I'm excited to see what he has in store for off-grid recharging in a reasonable time frame. THIS can liberate a converted vehicle and make it a truly advantageous endeavor imo.
100% agreed. EVs these days make you more dependent on the grid and Teslas for instance can turn your car's charging off from HQ. At least with gasoline nobody can just turn it off over the internet! I just love the idea of total liberation like you say.
 

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