Dodge Neon Update Nov. 15, 2009

More on Tom's Car!
He has been able to get about 50 miles on a charge.
Also, the bugs have been worked out for shifting. Overall, the project is quite a success. It only needs a few small things still worked out.

Watch the video for the details straight from Tom!

-Ben

Eco-Challenge!! Plastic Mirrors

What's the best use for over 50 pieces of 2'x2' plastic mirror?
YOU TELL ME!
I am collecting suggestions through YouTube and various blogs. The best suggestion will be what I actually do with the mirrors for some sort of Eco-Project.

Extra points for: creativity, eco-friendliness, DIY, and cheap!

Leave your comments and suggestions below!

Electric car ride

Just a little video of rolling shots of the Electro-Metro with the ELECTRIC CAR song by THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS.

EV Controller now communicating

Yesterday, I installed a serial port on my homebuilt controller.

Not only is it much more affordable than a commercial controller, but it has some great features when hooked up to a computer for data logging. I'm just really excited to go for a ride with a laptop hooked up!

Battery warmer part 1

Poor performance from your EV in the cold weather?

You need a BATTERY WARMING TRAY to keep your batteries at a nice temperature in the winter.

Here's how to build one.

Homebuilt Controller testing

User JACKBAUER on ECOMODDER.COM has been busy over in Ireland working on a home-built open source controller that will run a 13" forklift motor for his BMW conversion.

This is the latest video of his.

Also, notice that he is using the car's original throttle sensor as the input source to the controller, just like Tom G did on his AC Dodge Neon. In EV conversions, it's always nice to reuse as much of the existing car parts as possible, especially if it means saving you having to purchase a new potentiometer!

For more on his project, visit his other YouTube videos or go to his comments in the Open Source Controller thread on Ecomodder.

Tesla Roadster in EV/Hybrid/Gasser Pile-up!

I found some photos of a car crash in Denmark.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 670x503.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1024x679.

A brand-new Tesla Roadster got REAR-ENDED HARD!
Also involved in the incident was a Toyota Prius, and a VW SUV.

Apparently what happened is that the Prius rear-ended the Tesla at a high-speed, forcing it right under the SUV. (The Tesla and SUV would have been stopped at the red light. You can see the traffic light to the left of the emergency worker in the one photo.)

That would explain how the SUV got on top of the Tesla, with apparently little damage to the SUV, yet you can see little bits of Tesla red under the SUV's rear bumper.

The Roadster driver walked away with minor bruises.
Notice how the cockpit space of the car is almost completely undamaged. (Except for the windshield!)

In the only other well-documented collision of an electric car that I know of, an SUV ran a red light, T-boning the EV hard. The EV simply slid sideways, the weight of the batteries keeping it flat and level on the ground, and the EV driver never lost control of the steering.

EV's are perfectly safe vehicles, but I think these photos do show how it might be a good idea for all vehicle bumpers to be the same height. I sat in a Tesla last summer. It is so low to the ground, it is rather difficult to get in and out of.

Thanks for the photos to user SKAGMAN in Flickr.