Electric Miata/MX5.

Hehe, we did try to take some film, we had 2 cams on the outside of the car and another inside. The car snaked along the road thrashing about whilst filming - yet when we looked at the video it looked like a peaceful sunday drive - you couldn't tell anything was happening. The guy who took the film is still editing it - perhaps he caught more action than it seemed from my quick glimse of the footage..

We'll try again Knoxie - must be able to do better. I've got a little action cam here, maybe we can point it at the rear wheels to catch the smoke when they light up?

Problem is with high performance vehicles, it's really hard to find space to abuse them properly - and video can be used as evidence against you :roll:

Racetracks are opening again, I'll get it to a proper track for some fun soon!

Steve
 
Miles said:
It's incredible...

First electric car I've been in, too....
Click to expand...


You've gotta tell us more than that teaser Miles! Let's have an account of things!
 
Hehe, feel free m8, there's nothing secret on the Mazda!

Not that there's much to say - apart from accellerating quickly and being rather quiet it's just a car :roll:

Miles did look a bit white faced and squirmy at one point - does that count as a reccomendation? :twisted:
 
Wow. Jozz, I hate cars, but that thing is very much exciting to me :) WOW.

I'm taking notes on your bussbar lipo assembly technique.

300kW.... :mrgreen:

If you ever feel like firing up Skype and doing a podcast with us, the offer is always open!
 
Nice!
 
Nice build and an Impressive amount of power. :mrgreen: Any idea what it's as-built weight is?

-JD
 
Thanks guys.

Final weight of the car is around 1050kg. Still going strong after a year of abuse..
 
Approx 4000 miles and 80 cycles so far..
 
Nice work Jozzer, is there anything you would do differently for those of us contemplating of doing a similar conversion. I know of a garage kept Miata with a blown engine. Where did you source the motor? Sounded like you had very little issues with the install. Did you have a custom motor mount made. More details!
 
kfong said:
Nice work Jozzer, is there anything you would do differently for those of us contemplating of doing a similar conversion. I know of a garage kept Miata with a blown engine. Where did you source the motor? Sounded like you had very little issues with the install. Did you have a custom motor mount made. More details!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Made everything in house, I'm lucky enough to have a fully equiped machine shop these days. The adapter plate was easy, but the mounting is much more complex. We didn't want to go with the usual method (strap around the motor bolted too the original engine mounts), instead we made a bracket to bolt the adapter plate securely to the chassis.

The motor came direct from Kostov in Europe.

If I were to do it again I would lose the gearbox and make it direct drive. It's useless using anything less than 4th gear (wheelspins at half throttle). I wouldn't like to have reverse wired up through contactors (since it would have to take 1000A when driving forward too), but the weight saving would be nice - not to mention space for another 8kW/h of Turnigy. The 11" motor would slide right up the gearbox tunnel..
I'd also use a newer model with upgraded brakes - this poor old chassis is getting a bit of a beating:) I've never got the motor close to overheating yet, but the brakes are often smoking! It looks very tatty for a £15000+ car too:)
 
Pics of the motor mounts would be cool and anything else you custom fabricated. Direct drive, wow sounds like that motor has tons of torque. Would overheating become a concern such as long climbs?
 
The longest climb we have round here it can manage easily within it's continuous power limit - in the summer motor got to 60C by the top.


I've not got any pics of the mounting, but next time I put the car on the ramp I'll take a couple..
 
Afraid not - I did get a cameraman down to take some film, we tried with camera in and on the car, but the video didn't do it any justice at all - just looked like a car driving (quietly) up the street.
If he ever edits the film and gets it back to me I'll get it online..

Wish I had a video of Mile's face whilst he was in the car;)

Any UK'ers are welcome to visit for a ride though.
 
Any vids yet? :lol:
I have been speccing out electric drive bits for the past few days and am looking at an $800 white '94 miata tonight, coincidentally.
 
crud, i don't fit in one at all. 6 ft tall with long legs seems a bit much for this car. Left arm bangs up against the door too. The interior of this car is certainly a torture chamber. Bummer :(
 
neptronix said:
crud, i don't fit in one at all. 6 ft tall with long legs seems a bit much for this car. Left arm bangs up against the door too. The interior of this car is certainly a torture chamber. Bummer :(
Click to expand...

Yep, not for big people at all! My wife had one for a couple of years (loved it) but even at 5' 10" (with long legs) I found it a bit cramped.
 
I'm 6ft tall and drive the newer model MR2, it's a little 1.8 litre engine rear wheel drive rear engined pocket rocket. Would make a great doner for e car.

images
 
I love my miata (it's also white). I'm 6', but all torso.

If I recall, the miata has a pretty bad Cd, right?
 
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