EV Conversion of 70 Series (1 Viewer)

[MyCruiserisaHogBeast]

I hear you, I think it's the future for sure, but it's going to take a while to really take off.

I kind of tell anyone who wants to swap a diesel the same thing, it will probably never "pay-off" You do it because you want a diesel/Electric setup. There are a few cases in which it would make sense, but overall it's more of a want thing.

For me it isn't financial, it's practicality, followed by ethical responsibility. I'm traumatized by a 9mpg supercharged Jeep I drove all around the country for work (the Jeep was sick, the fuel costs, number of fill ups and gluttony of it all really effected me after it was all over). After that, I went diesel and never looked back. My BJ74 has a conservative range of 400 miles between fill ups. I also run biodiesel, which is nice.

Even with today's tech, an EV swap makes daily driving a s***ty old Land Cruiser a perfectly viable option. These systems are incredibly reliable. The torture tests we've put the GTe-173 System through (based around the Hyper9) are downright shocking. After you get rid of the ICE motor, you have to worry about brakes and keep gear oil and lubrication in the drivetrain, that's about it. If I had silly money to throw at a Cruiser, I'd grab up an old FJ55 or FJ60 (or even a 70 series), do the upcoming vehicle system and just daily drive the thing without hesitation knowing what I know.

 

[jfrench]

I want to do it with the Rivian skateboard. I put down a deposit quite a while ago. Would love to convert my deposit to just the skateboard and throw a Troopy body or dual cab ute on it. Need to contact them to see if they'll sell a skateboard only. I HIGHLY doubt they will.

Question answered:

 

[Reinhardtius]

Reviving this thread.. @MyCruiserisaHogBeast, how are things going down at ElectricGT?

I see business and R&D looks stellar from the instagram activity. Let us know how things are shaping up!

 

[OGBeno]

According to the NYTimes, they are killing it.

 

[bjowett]

Maybe take a look at what some folks are doing with the Lexus GS450H transmission and inverter. I have only looked at it briefly... came across it while researching the gs450h electric atf pump, which may be supplying forced lube to the RC60F that is going into my Tacoma. People have/are reverse engineering it for full electric vehicle use. They have two motors, 180hp for the main, and the second, which is normally for starting and regeneration, can bump that up to 250.

 

[Blomdala]

I was just looking at the costs for this. Openinverter guys just got basic controls over the Toyota inverter to use a GS450H transmission. They say its rated to about 250hp. VERY affordable for a trans and an inverter, their controller ECU is about 450. They are updating the controls to be able to control the MG1 and MG2 at the appropriate time rather than leaving the drive mode in only one of them. I'm really interested in just picking up the powertrain before they get expensive. IF you get an Ls600h trans, it would act the same, but you get AWD.

 

[steve729]

So you plug your electric plastic turd in and charge it up, right ? So then you can drive around and feel all warm and fuzzy cause you,re doing something green,right? Bull****!!! Where the hell do you think all that green electricity comes from???? Most of it comes from coal, natural gas and oil. The further the end user is from the initial use of the fuel, {whatever it is} the less efficient it becomes. Wake up folks. In the real world you ain't gonn'a get something for nothing.

 

[Loober]

Most landcruiser enthusiast that are on here wouldn't do it for the environmental effects, rather that it would allow them to enjoy their cruisers more then with a ICE. As much as I enjoy my 25 year old tech diesel engine, the feel and sound, I sure don't enjoy everything that comes with keeping it running. I could care less about the insignificant effects my one landcruiser has over the 5000 miles I drive it a year on the environment, and would care even less about the effects of the electrical materials that I used to convert it to EV if it means I have more smiles driving it.



.......just my .02, now that I said that no one can criticize my point of view.

 

[CRSWA]

Where the hell do you think all that green electricity comes from???? Most of it comes from coal, natural gas and oil.

A few points on electric vehicles:

• Gas and Diesel automobile engines pollute a LOT. much more even than a coal plant for the same amount of energy. And coal only accounts for about 30% of our energy generation.
• Refining and transporting gas and diesel to your local gas station is way less efficient than sending electricity directly to your home over transmission lines that already exist.
• Electric motors are much more efficient at turning stored energy into motion than gas engines are. In electric motors, only about 20% of the energy is given away as heat, whereas it's more like 80% for gas engines.
• There are a lot of other reasons to like electric motors, such as instant torque, less maintenance, and the convenience of being able to refuel at home.

It's been shown over and over again that electric vehicles really do pollute less than a comparable fossil fuel vehicle.

 

[steve729]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against electric motors. It's just that in todays world we are all force fed a bunch of B.S. about electric vehicles by politicians and mis-informed folks who want to force the rest of us to comply. You can't just look at power plant emisions. It takes ENERGY to mine the coal, process it , transport it to the end user and after its burned there are waste products that must be dealt with. Same goes for natural gas and oil....just to a lesser extent. And by the way, where do all those spent batteries go?? I'm not anti-coal....or oil.... or electric,but if we want to enjoy the benefits of an industrialized society we must face the fact that it is driven by energy. I love electricity but it's not as cheap or environmentally freindly as the powers that be would have us beleive!! Thanks but I'll keep my diesel......at least untill the Socialist come around to confiscate it.

 

[TonyP]

Less politics.
More interesting conversions.

 

[Blomdala]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against electric motors. It's just that in todays world we are all force fed a bunch of B.S. about electric vehicles by politicians and mis-informed folks who want to force the rest of us to comply. You can't just look at power plant emisions. It takes ENERGY to mine the coal, process it , transport it to the end user and after its burned there are waste products that must be dealt with. Same goes for natural gas and oil....just to a lesser extent. And by the way, where do all those spent batteries go?? I'm not anti-coal....or oil.... or electric,but if we want to enjoy the benefits of an industrialized society we must face the fact that it is driven by energy. I love electricity but it's not as cheap or environmentally freindly as the powers that be would have us beleive!! Thanks but I'll keep my diesel......at least untill the Socialist come around to confiscate it.

Your first post makes me not believe your first sentence here. EV's are cool, and its impressive what can be done with an electric motor. I'm not shoving it down your throat that you can't have a petroleum based product. It would be a blast, and I would gladly convert my LC over to EV for a fun project and to explore that world. And as a plus, I would guess the electricity that goes into it is LIKELY cleaner than the 1HZ that's in it (Wanted to add that in to make sure you still think I'm a granola/sheep)


As for a cool conversion, I would totally drive this thing:

Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ79 Electric Conversion | Specs, Details — Overland Expo®

Miller Technology removes the standard diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) and gearbox and replaces it with a 120-horsepower electric motor powered by a 46-kiloWatt-hour battery pack. Guessing from the picture Miller Technology posted of the digital dashboard, it has a range of around 90 miles.

www.overlandexpo.com

 

[CRSWA]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against electric motors. It's just that in todays world we are all force fed a bunch of B.S. about electric vehicles by politicians and mis-informed folks who want to force the rest of us to comply. You can't just look at power plant emisions. It takes ENERGY to mine the coal, process it , transport it to the end user and after its burned there are waste products that must be dealt with. Same goes for natural gas and oil....just to a lesser extent. And by the way, where do all those spent batteries go?? I'm not anti-coal....or oil.... or electric,but if we want to enjoy the benefits of an industrialized society we must face the fact that it is driven by energy. I love electricity but it's not as cheap or environmentally freindly as the powers that be would have us beleive!! Thanks but I'll keep my diesel......at least untill the Socialist come around to confiscate it.

Best argument for renewable energy I've heard in a long time.

#greennewdeal

 

[RHINO]

I think the major hold up is the infrastructure to support cross country travel, Tesla is getting there, but once the infrastructure is set up for rapid charging and folks can recharge like they refill. I think EV's will take off.

However, I am really interested in gas/diesel over electric. But thats a different topic.

 

[Irish11]

The cross country travel support is there. Check out plug share (Plug Share) and zoom in on the major interstates. The challenge is when you get off the more beaten path unfortunately, at least in the US. I had a similar pause a few years ago and eventually made a jump into a BMW i3 (as a commuter) and have not looked back. I really wish there was an affordable option for a truck/SUV with a 300mi range (actual range instead of just EPA estimate for best weather conditions). Until then I can see a use for diesel/gas, but we are getting closer. I know its a long shot based on their love for hydrogen that Toyota will sell a conversion kit for a 70-series, but a guy can hope. Even a 200mi range 70-series would be great. That would get me to the camping/hiking spots that my i3 cannot.

 

[RHINO]

The cross country travel support is there. Check out plug share (Plug Share) and zoom in on the major interstates.

yes, but i'm talking about rapid charging,,, they say the average stop at a gas station is 10 mins. thats where your gonna sell people to adopt.

i dont have a commute, so i cant really make an argument about economics, and really cant make an argument for emmisions either.

 

[MyCruiserisaHogBeast]

Reviving this thread.. @MyCruiserisaHogBeast, how are things going down at ElectricGT?

I see business and R&D looks stellar from the instagram activity. Let us know how things are shaping up!

Hey there!

Electric GT is doing great! Unfortunately I've had to move on after Covid forced some hard decisions on shifting the business model away from retail, which I was in charge of, and pouring resources into continuing to stay ahead by developing some truly innovative products. I left the company to accept an amazing job offer to build fancy Jeeps (I will take Land Cruisers) in Colorado. I am still in touch with those guys are I'm following along with the rest of you now.

 

[MyCruiserisaHogBeast]

Man I just read a couple of responses above and I have to throw something out here...

There is has been a ton of research and there is ample info out there available to the public on the topic of EVs and pollution. Sadly even more misinformation is readily available because people have been told that life was great in the 1960s and that we should return to that place because it doesn't force anyone to be responsible for shifting their world view or take a look at their choices as individuals and what effect that will have on future generations.

I'm not going to spoon feed the tinfoil hat buzzword crowd here, you are free to do your own research, but in summary: the push for EVs is important because even in the worst scenarios, new EVs do net less emissions than an equivalent hydrocarbon powered car over time. Gas creates more immediate greenhouse gasses than diesel, diesel produces a little less greenhouse but a lot more local pollution, so there's trade there. Stupid OE manufacturers cheating on tests have ruined diesel as a transition fuel for all of us. It's time to get over it.

It's important that new cars shift away from hydrocarbons because it is flat out unsustainable by any modeling that has any sort of consensus backing it, as does electricity generation. But electricity generation, pound for pound, is more efficient than a combustion engine so as a whole it's less of an emergency and requires a real shift in how our power is regulated and distributed. Whataboutism still can't come up with enough whatabouts to accurately demonize battery production and power generation to make it worse that what has been happening around petroleum for the last 100 years. Rape, pillage, piracy, pollution over petroleum is happening today. Outrage over battery mines (a real problem, for sure!) doesn't even begin to touch what is happening right under our own noses to put gas in our tanks RIGHT NOW.

Socialists aren't coming for your diesel, that's such a stupid statement, but bureaucracy might be, which is why we all should participate in discussions about finding solutions instead of playing whiney socialists-are-taking-my-toys-boo-hoo game and get involved. New cars need be green, period. Us old car enthusiasts get swallowed up in that conversation. We don't make a real dent in any of this pollution talk, but we need to be educated and be good examples by not rolling coal and cutting off our cats. Look at what's happened in California. I'm a closet tree hugger for sure, I love California and it's a total s*** show, which is why I just decided to relocate.

I work in motorsports, and I'm so sick of hearing people bitch about being dragged into the future. If you're a real enthusiast get informed, participate in the discussion and look for solutions or else we will all get left behind and not be able to drive our diesels within city limits, and that will be our own fault.

 

[FJ73Texas]

My issue with the mass push for battery operated cars/trucks is that it increases our dependence for rare earth materials which a lot of is only in places like China. Not trying to be political but is that really a good thing?

Besides that I love the EV concept and what it can bring us.

 

[CRSWA]

I think another thing that gets lost in this discussion is that because IC engines have been in continuous development for more than 100 years now, they've reached the point of diminishing returns. They are about as efficient and powerful and well understood as they are going to get. There really are no new frontiers to explore in the realm of internal combustion.

On the other hand, electricity generation, storage, and application are really still at an early stage of development. There's a lot to be excited about on the horizon - especially when you consider that electric car performance already meets or exceeds that of comparable gasoline-engined cars.

I'm especially optimistic about the new generation of supercapacitors in development that may make it possible to address all of the current complaints about battery limitations: cost, charge times, cold weather performance, longevity, pollution, etc.

IC engines aren't going away. No one's going to legislate them out of existence. But over time, the free market will likely relegate them to specialty or hobbyist status.