Going electric

Big lumps of metals and spanners. Including servicing and fluids.

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

Post Reply
Freddievan
Registered user
Posts: 90
Joined: 04 Jan 2016, 22:11
80-90 Mem No: 0
Location: Barnsley

Going electric

Post by Freddievan »

I guess it has to happen at some point when diesel and petrol engines will be phased out for the good of our planet. But is it even possible to convert our vans to electric?
T25 1991 1915cc petrol

User avatar
Syncronorth
Registered user
Posts: 73
Joined: 18 May 2018, 15:01
80-90 Mem No: 17245
Location: London

Re: Going electric

Post by Syncronorth »

Have a look on YouTube

https://youtu.be/qBSAnMWiHvs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and
https://youtu.be/uibJV-EQOH4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On thesamba

Vanagon 100% electric with Chevy Bolt drivetrain
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... ?p=9146376" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think the future will bring us different kits so we can all convert our vans during a long weekend if we want. The T25 should be quite an easy one to convert.
1983 camper 1.9 DG 1985 transporter syncro 1.9 DG and one 1985 8-seater syncro 2. 1 DJ

User avatar
bigbadbob76
Registered user
Posts: 1733
Joined: 07 Nov 2016, 14:41
80-90 Mem No: 15707
Location: Isle of Skye

Re: Going electric

Post by bigbadbob76 »

Yes-it's possible, yes- it's been done... but I've yet to be convinced that these vans are realistically worth converting.
The weight and shape of the van plus added weight of batteries means you won't get far on one charge and it would be very inefficient.
If you could drive for 2 hours without then having to charge for 4 hours I'd be surprised. (I've done the maths).
Depends what you want to use it for I guess but there are better electric vehicles for commuting in.
most have been converted to campers or day vans and having a 100m range on a camper defeats the object in my mind.
'86 1.9 DG, 4 spd, tintop, camper conversion.
Split case club member.

User avatar
nicq
Registered user
Posts: 1185
Joined: 24 Sep 2011, 19:03
80-90 Mem No: 10290
Location: Cranleigh Surrey

Re: Going electric

Post by nicq »

bigbadbob76 wrote:Yes-it's possible, yes- it's been done... but I've yet to be convinced that these vans are realistically worth converting.
The weight and shape of the van plus added weight of batteries means you won't get far on one charge and it would be very inefficient.
If you could drive for 2 hours without then having to charge for 4 hours I'd be surprised. (I've done the maths).
Depends what you want to use it for I guess but there are better electric vehicles for commuting in.
most have been converted to campers or day vans and having a 100m range on a camper defeats the object in my mind.
People are spending half of what an electric conversion costs to get a TDI or scooby conversion and you still have either a smelly or thirsty conversion.
It horses for courses, i think your 4 hour charge is a bit old hat.
:ok
2.1 Twin slider

User avatar
Aidan
Trader
Posts: 6522
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 19:21
80-90 Mem No: 742
Location: Llanfyllin, mid Wales : )
Contact:

Re: Going electric

Post by Aidan »

Just bear in mind going forward that insurers and possibly government will be looking for some type of approval for conversions like they are now doing with camper conversions so whilst it will be technically feasible it may not be an easy thing to do, though Brexit if it ever happens may make it less difficult. The round the world French couple had to take their van to E Europe to get a type approval to get around French conformity laws, and they have sponsorship cos she is cute and the project interesting, otherwise you'll need very deep pockets and a structurally strong vehicle which increasingly won't be the case.

Whether mining the moon or the sea bed for minerals to make batteries is a good move or economically viable remains to be seen; the future is likely to involve less driving/travel/tourism for the good of the planet, and many people will just be getting by economically as true cost of life is increasingly felt by all but the super rich.

Sharpen your pitchforks :ok

User avatar
rollercoaster
Registered user
Posts: 897
Joined: 10 Dec 2008, 20:30
80-90 Mem No: 6231
Location: Carmarthenshire Ceridigion border

Re: Going electric

Post by rollercoaster »

too right Aidan..

at some point hopefully people will realise that things are not what they might seem.

Currently the idea that building more and more electric vehicles/batteries is ecological is absurd,
the embodied energy/pollution that making all these things takes up, is not saved by the use of them in their limited lives,
and then the systems that produce the ecological electricity are not ecological either.
Try recycling any solar panel, or look into how they are made, out of what, shipped how etc etc.
Then check in with the ecology of the battery materials, mining, processing, not to mention murderous politics.
Finally unless somethings changed recently, no one wants to recycle lithium, as its not economically viable.

I am absolutely for ecology and especially wildlife and biodiversity, and oil use does have huge problems.
So I am not arguing one thing or the other, just pointing out that (this kind of) electric is not the solution its made out to be.
Its great if anyone wants to do that, yes horses for courses, more ideas and options the merrier..

Love my electric bike, 45mile range, carries a good load, its affordable and repairable, mostly recyclable.
And yes I love pitchforks, good old ones, they dont make them like they used to!

I dream of a sensible and abundant fuel produced from waste hemp,
after we have used the best bits for food and fibre for building with.
Apparently we can even fix our plastic problem by using it for that too.
The list of its great uses goes on and on...

But wait, people would not borrow money to buy new "eco" cars or solar panels or batteries,
what would the banking system do, no fractional reserve money creation from lending..
inflation would slow down and people would grow their own..
Petrodollars would become insignificant, wars for oilfields would be over.
They would have to make hemp illegal just to keep the crazy "economy" alive!
Live as if you were to die tomorrow
Learn as if you were to live forever

Syncro Danbury 2.0 petrol AGG
 

RogerT
Registered user
Posts: 1798
Joined: 10 May 2013, 11:59
80-90 Mem No: 13706
Location: Central Scotland

Re: Going electric

Post by RogerT »

rollercoaster wrote: But wait, people would not borrow money to buy new "eco" cars or solar panels or batteries,
what would the banking system do, no fractional reserve money creation from lending..
inflation would slow down and people would grow their own..
Petrodollars would become insignificant, wars for oilfields would be over.
They would have to make hemp illegal just to keep the crazy "economy" alive!

Aye, the theory is that that is how it went.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesig ... bon-energy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have you ever seen an unhappy fool?

88 Transporter with hitop camper conversion, 1.6td.

100leelee
Registered user
Posts: 519
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 18:28
80-90 Mem No: 15962
Location: Dinnington, South Yorkshire

Re: Going electric

Post by 100leelee »

It still amazes me how quickly LPG is dismissed...
Very low emissions, created as a by product and the infrastructure to supply is already in place..
Yes there’s the on cost of conversion, but still vastly cheaper than electric, plus a far longer service life..

Agree on the comments on batteries, they all use ‘rare earth’ minerals and the environmental impact of extraction is huge.
Not saying for one minute that we can carry on as we have, change is needed, its clear fossil fuel is ultimately limited..
If there were a bus that took me to work i would use it. But when they hardly run, take 4x the time and are relatively expensive its not hard to see why cars are so popular!
To save the planet at the shock rate we need surely penalising China, India and the US as major polluters might be needed?

Anyway my 2p for what it’s worth...!,

User avatar
bigbadbob76
Registered user
Posts: 1733
Joined: 07 Nov 2016, 14:41
80-90 Mem No: 15707
Location: Isle of Skye

Re: Going electric

Post by bigbadbob76 »

nicq wrote: i think your 4 hour charge is a bit old hat. :ok

:lol: and you are quite entitled to think so. :lol:
and I was assuming the use of Li-ion cells. never assume.
However I'll back that up with my experience of working with batteries containing thousands of 18650 Li-Ion cells as used in many electric vehicles.
You can charge them to 80%/90% very quickly, as long as the cells will cope with the current you drive through them, however to reach 100% capacity then takes while.
Or you can charge them at a lower current so that reaching 80%/90% takes longer but the top-off charge to 100% is shorter.
Total charge time to 100% takes abt 4 hours regardless of charge current as long as it's not rediculously low.

Certainly electric vehicles are not the planet savers they're marketed as. they're great for reducing smog in cities but there's a much bigger picture than that.
rare earth metal mining and disposal, electricity generation and transmission, national grid capacity and available infrastructure all play a part.
Personally I think hydrogen fuel cells are the way forward. they bring their own problems of rare earth metals too though.
'86 1.9 DG, 4 spd, tintop, camper conversion.
Split case club member.

Post Reply