Electric Mercedes

[Torchy]

I've had a desire to convert a car to electric propulsion for sometime but othe projects have always taken priority.
However circumstances have landed me with a car that is uneconomical to repair but which might be an ideal candidate.
The are in question is a Mercedes A160cdi where the electronic system renders it uneconomical to repair. It is a diesel engine with manual gearbox. I'm currently at the research phase to decide which route to take with this conversion. Possibilities at the moment are removing the engine and gearbox to provide battery storage and fitting an electric rear axle. An alternative idea is to just remove the engine and adapt an electric motor to the existing gearbox, fitting batteries wherever I can.
Requirements for the car are a range of at least 50 miles (the average journey for this car is around 20-25 miles. I am fortunate to have another car for longer trips. I have driveway parking and a solar array on the house roof and space on the garage roof for more if required.
I would welcome any suggestions or potential pitfalls before I commit to spending money. I have engineering experience and have built 3 'kit cars' and a scratch built race car in the past. It's hoped to complete this conversation during the summer months.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

 

[PaPaSteve]

https://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/

 

[marty]

electronic system renders it uneconomical to repair

What year and how many miles? Is problem a check engine / idiot light? If car is not old, rusty, or lots of miles? Fixing the problem might be way cheaper and easier the converting from diesel to electric.

Do you like fried foods?

HOME | greasecar

www.greasecar.com

 

[99t4]

What would be the reason for retaining the ICE gearbox? Why not jettison the engine, gearbox, driveshaft, exhaust, fuel tank, etc., freeing up the most space and reducing weight?

This ES thread may be of interest to you:

jonescg's eCRX pre-build thread!

(This is a build thread now! Visit jonescg's eCRX pre-build thread! for the juicy bits). Here we go, another pre-build thread... I am now the proud owner of a 1988 Honda CRX. It would have to be the most aerodynamic, light-weight chassis going, and is just asking for a conversion. It is...

endless-sphere.com

 

[amberwolf]

Some questions you'll need to answer for yourself along the way:

The are in question is a Mercedes A160cdi where the electronic system renders it uneconomical to repair. It is a diesel engine with manual gearbox.

How much do the parts that will be removed weigh?

How much will the new parts weigh?

What is the total weight capacity of the car?

Will the weights of the new parts be in the same places as the old ones, or shifted around? (affects handling)

Requirements for the car are a range of at least 50 miles (the average journey for this car is around 20-25 miles.

What's the wh/mile for a vehicle of this mass, on your specific terrain and weather conditions, for the speeds you need to go?

What's the volume and mass of a battery of that total wh?

Will it fit in the places in the car you're removing equivalent mass from?

Side note: Make sure you use a battery that is at least 25% more capacity than you need, so that as it ages it can still do what you need it to without pushing to or beyond it's limits. I'd also recommend using one that is at least that much more capable current-wise than you need, so that again as it ages you're still not pushing it to it's limits. Otherwise you may find that relatively soon aging of the pack keeps the car from doing what you need it to do, either range or performance-wise. (or that it does it but the battery begins heating more, aging faster, and then soon it doesn't do waht you want).

 

[Torchy]

What would be the reason for retaining the ICE gearbox? Why not jettison the engine, gearbox, driveshaft, exhaust, fuel tank, etc., freeing up the most space and reducing weight?

This ES thread may be of interest to you:

jonescg's eCRX pre-build thread!

(This is a build thread now! Visit jonescg's eCRX pre-build thread! for the juicy bits). Here we go, another pre-build thread... I am now the proud owner of a 1988 Honda CRX. It would have to be the most aerodynamic, light-weight chassis going, and is just asking for a conversion. It is...

endless-sphere.com

The reason for possibly retaining the gearbox would be torque multiplication and retaining a reasonable engine speed for a given road speed. In essence this will allow a lower power to achieve reasonable acceleration and top speed.

 

[Torchy]

Some questions you'll need to answer for yourself along the way:



How much do the parts that will be removed weigh?

How much will the new parts weigh?

What is the total weight capacity of the car?

Will the weights of the new parts be in the same places as the old ones, or shifted around? (affects handling)




What's the wh/mile for a vehicle of this mass, on your specific terrain and weather conditions, for the speeds you need to go?

What's the volume and mass of a battery of that total wh?

Will it fit in the places in the car you're removing equivalent mass from?

Side note: Make sure you use a battery that is at least 25% more capacity than you need, so that as it ages it can still do what you need it to without pushing to or beyond it's limits. I'd also recommend using one that is at least that much more capable current-wise than you need, so that again as it ages you're still not pushing it to it's limits. Otherwise you may find that relatively soon aging of the pack keeps the car from doing what you need it to do, either range or performance-wise. (or that it does it but the battery begins heating more, aging faster, and then soon it doesn't do waht you want).

I have the equipment to measure corner weights on the car and balance the weight distribution of the car.
All my calculations will be based on double the actual requirements of power and distance. Thank you for your response.

 

[Torchy]

https://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/

Thank you for the link.

 

[Torchy]

What year and how many miles? Is problem a check engine / idiot light? If car is not old, rusty, or lots of miles? Fixing the problem might be way cheaper and easier the converting from diesel to electric.

Do you like fried foods?

HOME | greasecar

www.greasecar.com

2011, 86,000miles with total electronic breakdown, parts cost in excess of £1500 + labour + anything else needed. The value of the car fixed is only £1500. I have already invested in several diagnostic sessions. In addition I have another car for normal use so this could be an interesting project.

 

[Hillhater]

2011, 86,000miles with total electronic breakdown, parts cost in excess of £1500 + labour + anything else needed. The value of the car fixed is only £1500. I have already invested in several diagnostic sessions. In addition I have another car for normal use so this could be an interesting project.

any electric conversion will cost you much more than £1500.
The “book” value of the car is irrelavent if it is a reliable vehicle, and an EV conversion is unlikely to increase its value.
also you may want to check if any certifications are required for electric converted vehicles.
BUT.. a front axle Tesla drive unit would be an interesting concept

 

[Torchy]

any electric conversion will cost you much more than £1500.
The “book” value of the car is irrelavent if it is a reliable vehicle, and an EV conversion is unlikely to increase its value.
also you may want to check if any certifications are required for electric converted vehicles.
BUT.. a front axle Tesla drive unit would be an interesting concept

The value/cost is fairly irrelevant but I don't want a Mercedes garden ornament and the project could be interesting.

 

[jonescg]

The reason for possibly retaining the gearbox would be torque multiplication and retaining a reasonable engine speed for a given road speed. In essence this will allow a lower power to achieve reasonable acceleration and top speed.

You don't need the gearbox with an electric motor. Or more accurately, an appropriately sized motor and final drive will have all the torque you need to get you to a maximum speed without the need for a gearbox. The Leaf motor and transaxle is good for about 90 kW, and the transaxle has an 8:1 reduction, so there's good torque throughout the range.

 

[marty]

If your goal is to save money on fuel? Used fryer grease from restaurants is free. Note that you will be spending the rest of your life collecting and filtering fryer oil. My brother had a Mercedes diesel grease car. When you drove behind him it smelled like chicken.

If your goal is to have a car that runs on electricity? Buying a electric car might be way cheaper and easier then converting from diesel to electric.

If you want to learn about electricity and get your hands dirty? Buying and repairing a broke electric car might be way cheaper and easier then converting from diesel to electric.

If there is something you really like about your 2011 Mercedes A160cdi. Comfortable seats? Paint color? Does the car have a name? Do you love it like a child? If yes? Well then.... carry on with your conversion project.

Mercedes garden ornament

No please don't leave it outside till the end of time. Cars like to be stored and loved indoors.

 

[Torchy]

Thanks for your reply. I don't particularly like like this car it's just a tool to get from A to B. For fun I drive my slk320 and for comfort I drive my C class kompressor.
The A class is not viable to repair but I do like a project and think an electric conversion would be fun and a great learning opportunity for my son's.

 

[Chalo]

No please don't leave it outside till the end of time. Cars like to be stored and loved indoors.

I think you must be talking about bikes.

Cars are designed and intended to decay, became annoying even before they become useless, and be replaced on a short timeline. Have you no direct experience with them? They're the thing that's supposed to eat up a quarter of your gross income and leave you with nothing to show for it after you've finished paying off the loan. If you want to be a capitalist serf, you're going to have to get with the program.