Converting car to electric - Run through and first drive

[@jonathan5354]

Yeah! I've been waiting for your next episode! Good to see you project is coming along. Great choice of car for this conversion. Please keep the updates coming.

[@billbayer5526]

Great job!! Nothing more satisfying than converting your own vehicle!

[@crispydoda]

Just the process of doing it has been good, having it running on the road will be great.

[@terrylee501]

I’ve been watching this channel for years and like it a lot. Hope you’re doing well in UK. Take care and stay healthy, and of course bring us more update afterwards!

[@crispydoda]

Hi, Thanks for your message and watching. It's a shame I get so little free time to spend doing this so getting to the end is a slow process. I recently bought a Zivan charger off ebay so another stage should be complete soon. Doing ok here in the UK, very busy working from home as are most of us now. Keep well and all the best to you too.

[@ADudeNamedStacie]

Amazing build! I'm currently converting a BMW e46 sedan. A bit heavier. Can't wait to see yours completed!

[@rotorspin6127]

Looking forward to more updates.

[@jpgmccabe]

Great Work! Looking forward to the update, stay safe n well.

[@currieleo]

Amazing! Looks like a lot of work but well worth it. Any idea how much weight you've gained/lost overall?

[@pololebricolo7925]

Great work, i've just now finish mine. I have the diffrent CAN messages that the ecu used to send to the SAM controler. No more low oil, over temp errors lights. if you want i can send them to you.

[@HolgerSchueler]

I would be very interested in that, Polo!

[@voidtyphoon]

+1 to that polo, please send me an email at [e-mail], I'm about todo some canbus hacking on my car and some heads up on some ID's would be amazing, please!

[@peterjol]

I just love the look of that little car

[@michaellaba9553]

Great to see it moving under its own power. Let me know if need help fitting the charging plug/socket in the fuel flap, remember I have have done this - its a bit tricky because you don't want water penetrating into the metal body double skin section.

[@kimkeam2094]

Well done, I will be watching with interest. As 3phase or stepper motors operate, they do transmit the noise through any other metal or frame they are attached to. An example is a 3D printer where they offer rubber isolation mounts to remove 80 to 90% of noise which can drive you crazy if you are printing in a quiet house overnight. It works! Have you thought about doing the same instead of bolting flush to the gearbox? It would make the motor almost silent when driving. I’d thought I’d ask whilst you are still in the construction phase.

[@ffclassics]

Congratulations 👌 We need more Videos 😁

[@crispydoda]

Hi, more videos coming in the next few months, tinkered with a few things over the winter so looking forward to it being on the road properly this year!.

[@nfisheremti]

awesome! congratulations. good work

[@itstheterranaut]

Was waiting for this :) great job!

[@Andrew-qb3oq]

Great to see it moving.... On a side note I just thought of a conversion that would work well for the smart roadster. The motor, batteries and controller; out of Zero motorcycle. I've seen a few recent;y and it would seem that it would work well in small light weight cars.

[@gafrers]

Awesome. Simply awesome. Great job

[@RhaisPL]

That's an interesting project, great job! :) I've subscribed and got the notifications set up for your channel, I'd love to see how it performs on the road. Will you do the acceleration test? Also, how loud is it inside? The sound kind of reminds me of the old remote controlled toy cars.

[@crispydoda]

I'll definitly do another vidoe once it's on the raod and I've found out what it can do. The vidoe makes it sound louder than it is, and it helped after I remembered to put the gearbox oil in too!.

[@CASHSEC]

Hi Mr Crisp, thanks for sharing your amazing work with us. I have gotten the EV bug from an interest point of view and would be very interested how you go through the re-registration to cover a change to EV and so have clicked the subscribe button. Stay safe and will look forward to more vids to come.

[@capello1986]

Any more updates on the project? Am going to be embarking the same next year once batteries prices decrease

[@crispydoda]

No updates at the moment, but I'm buying last parts and planning on finishing it this spring... can't wait to get this on the road although after owning a Leaf many years ago I can imagine the range anxiety will be an issue again :D.

[@michaellaba6363]

Hi Paul, I note by the lack of action you might have given up on you conversion! My conversion has also ground to a halt.

[@crispydoda]

Hi, It has ground to a bit of a halt but only because I have no time at all to work on it. Very frustrating and this year I was hoping to finish it but I had even less time than before. It drives but it still needs the charger fitting and the vacuum pump connected then it would be about ready for inspection ready to put it on the road. One day.....

[@jdss13]

@@crispydoda keep your head up, this is a great project!!

[@oogie-boogie]

great job keep up the good work,,,love that car its soo cute

[@PlanetCypher_]

Brilliant great to see so close to completion, may sound boring but would love for you to share the process of getting on the road, changes re V5 and taxation, even though it now am ev will road fund tax still be required ? etc ... 👍

[@crispydoda]

That has been a big unknown and hard to find out the information on it. I'll definitly share that when I get to that point.

[@thelaserhive3368]

Hi Paul, I've been watching your progress eagerly. Great workmanship and engineering. I am researching for a classic mini conversion and the combined electric auto transmission looks a nice possibility. I don't know the rear track of the roadster ( be interested if you wouldn't mind measuring that?) but I would be very interested in your thoughts on such an application with the combined unit mounted in the mini front subframe. In any case, I shall continue to follow as you impart a lot of information very well. All best, David.

[@davec200i]

What's involved it making it road legal?

[@Francois_Dupont]

plating it and not telling anybody...

[@crispydoda]

Letter from dvla says, in breif, receipts of purchase for the conversion or letter from a garage confirming the engine has been changed and what size and the engine (motor) number. It's unclear if I need a full inspection report for insurance. So it's just a case of finding a garage who are prepared to have a look at it and do the written confirmation... hopefully.

[@davec200i]

@@crispydoda interesting. I'd be quite interested in a little video on this once it's all been resolved!

[@Francois_Dupont]

@@crispydoda i wish you great luck and success if you try to do it that way my friend.

[@UKenGB]

​@@crispydoda Unfortunately the change of 'Fuel Type' can be noted on the V5C, but the 'Taxation Class' cannot be changed. So you'll have to keep paying the same VED (road tax). I've been chasing DVLA on this, but cars from 2001 onwards cannot change taxation class as that is based on the emissions of the car when new and even though emissions are now ZERO, it is still taxed based on its original emissions. Fortunately that's quite low for this car, but this situation is nonsensical and needs to be changed to make converting cars more cost effective. I thought the government wanted to reduce emissions.

[@MattTester]

Very tempting to convert my Roadster, looking forward to seeing you getting it out on the road.

[@pololebricolo7925]

Electric roadster for city driving is prety awesome. but if you want more than 100k of range, you have to sacrifice the front trunk. Also the wheight limit is super tight.

[@THEBOB566974]

been thinking of keeping my knackered roadster to do the same thing to it, are you concerned about the dash light when it comes to giving it a mot?

[@crispydoda]

Hi, Leaving those little issues until the end :), probably remove the light/led if it's an issue or try and rewire it to show something else. looking forward to an MOT as that means it's almost ready to drive!.

[@jujitsuboy730]

I think this is cool 😎

[@elibaiioud5290]

Hi i really love the smart roadster and wanted to be able to change ot from a automatic to manual? Would anyone know how or what engine I could use for this to work?

[@SparkyRih]

Great job! What are the figures? Like top speed, 1-100, range etc?

[@qdegooijer]

congratulations Paul, the car seems to drive well ! In my roadster conversion I have also installed an arduino board to let the gearbox change gears with the dc gear selector motor (you posted a video where is works well on your desk) but I have trouble finding the right position (number of rotations of the gear selector) to get the box into the right gear. Is this working well in your conversion? Are you able to switch gears while driving?

[@crispydoda]

Hi, Due to a lack of time I haven't done anything with the gear changing, once it's on the road properly I might tinker with that but at the moment I'd be happy just to have it running. My assumption is that with the resistor feedback from the pot it should be possible to always be in the right position.. I worte the valuse down somewhere but would need to try and find them again.

[@philthewriter]

Did this ever get properly finished? Interesting videos.

[@crispydoda]

Not quite, I have just bought a few of the little bits needed to finish it off so just need some time and it could be ready. Will be 3D printing the gauge holders this weekend. Thanks for watching.

[@philthewriter]

@@crispydoda Thanks for responding Paul. Hope to see the finished article one day, and more videos on it. These things are often incredibly tough to get over the finishing line, good luck!

[@AR-zr1om]

What bhp and torque is there? Does it feel quicker than the ICE model

[@nxesr]

Curious how much does you car weigh with all that hardware?? Would be very interested to know and how the car road handles???

[@crispydoda]

Hi, I think it must be about the same weight as it was before, the electric motor is lighter than the ICE, the batteries are heavier but in total, with a full tank of fuel I think it should add up to around the same. One big difference is that I chose to put the batteries in the front, but as it was a bit light on the front it's possible the weight is more evenly distributed, if I add more batteries they would need to go in the back where the fuel tank was now.

[@SquareoftheyearFM]

Have you looked into the tax implications? I had heard somewhere that no matter what drivetrain you installed it would still attract the same VED rate.

[@crispydoda]

I've assumed it would take on the new rate, would seem odd to be paying for a high emmisions car when there aren't any. I guess I'll find out at some point.

[@turquemusic]

How you make the electroassisted steering wheel works?

[@Kallenator1988]

Hey Paul, how is it going with your glorious project? =)

[@crispydoda]

Hi, Since my workload has reduced I'm refocussing on this soon, I've bought all the remaining bits needed and plan on getting it all finished this spring. Look forward to it being on the road for the summer. I'll try and get some vids done too on the charging, instruments and how to get it street legal.

[@Kallenator1988]

@@crispydoda Marvellous Paul!

[@britercas]

ojala se fomente la conversión de este coche a eléctrico gracias por estos vídeos

[@copilot6163]

Hello! Where are the new videos? Will there be something else?

[@crispydoda]

Thanks for watching. No new videos planned for a while, if I could get some time on it this winter I might get to the end point at least but unlikly to do any new videos until spring. Once I've finished I'll also create some kind of build pack information which might be of interest?!.

[@HenkHeijnen]

Hi Paul, Can you say something about the costs for this conversion?

[@crispydoda]

Hi, Someone asked that a while ago so I worked it out based on new parts, I think it would cost around £8k for a minimal battery setup and 50kw motor. I got most of my stuff second hand so i think i spent around £3k.

[@endgame4293]

Hey brother. My name is Paul Crisp and I live in Florida/USA>

[@crispydoda]

Hi Bro :D, Hope all is well out there in the sunshine state :). Heading into winter soon so even less chance of finishing the car. Keep well.

[@circuitdotlt]

Any plans for canbus integration? Your instrument cluster is like a christmas tree and I guess nothing works. Will it be street legal any day? Have a roadster myself and was dreaming of converting for last 5 years... but no time to do it properly.

[@pololebricolo7925]

the can bus stuff is not too bad, i've done it on mine and only 2 can ID's to turn off all the lights exept ABS/ESP wich i still have to figur out.

[@crispydoda]

I don't know anything about canbus so I'll have to investigate it. I haven't checked to see what works and what doesn't yet. Aiming to get it all sorted and on the road for next spring.

[@cubeflinger]

Nearly bought a roadster just to do this until I saw the cost of batteries and that I have no idea how to mount a motor to a gearbox..

[@evilutionltd]

Did you manage to create a gear change controller or are you just locking it in 2nd or 3rd?

[@circuitdotlt]

We converted a fortwo 450 in 2011, developed a controller for gearbox, removed the clutch. It worked well, but in the end there was no real need for the gearbox. If I did it today, would use two motors instead of one with differential.

[@evilutionltd]

@@circuitdotlt yes a gearbox isn't essential but ultimately, a gearbox can allow the car to pull away quickly but also be far more efficient at higher speeds. Smart got it right in their electric models by using a CVT.

[@crispydoda]

I have a home made controller which will do the shifting using the drum sensor as feedback but for now I'm going to just choose a gear and leave it at that. Experimenting with driving my normal car without using the clutch I've found going up in the gears is easy but down needs the motor speed to be well matched, I assume the Smart will be the same.

[@idontwantcorporateretaliat6301]

did you ever consider using the smart ev drivetain?

[@capello1986]

What’s the current status with this project? Any updates

[@crispydoda]

Hi, No updates I'm afraid, purely a lack of time. It is more or less complete but just needs some dedicated time to finish things off. I still look forward to driving it, next Spring perhaps!.

[@jonathana13]

Love seeing these when they pop up! I use to have a roadster and would love to have another. One note, the lower trip computer was an option extra, one in full working order might be worth a something to someone so might be worth trying to do a swap on the forum given it would be any use to you?

[@crispydoda]

Hopefully I'll never need to sell it, regretted seeling my Mk1 Escort and Westfield so I'll hang on to this one. I bought the trip computer and white dials soon after I got it, and the radio was terrible!. Never got around to flappy paddles but don't need those now. I've hung on to all the ICE parts just in case.

[@howardwilliams1218]

What kind of total cost will the conversion be ?

[@JCchan99]

Wow! is it street legal yet?

[@HAPPY2ISI]

Nice 👍

[@s-ca505]

Are you going to do an update?

[@crispydoda]

Hi, updates are on thier way, I've done a few bits but no vids, plan to do a few this spring.

[@chargeheadsuk]

Did you get the car road legal?

[@crispydoda]

Hi, not yet, I've been so busy for the last few years no time to finish it, but it has to be finished this year so will tackle the road legal part soon.

[@chargeheadsuk]

@@crispydoda great to hear you are still on the case. I'm trying to bring all the UK EV conversion enthusiasts together on my forum, it would be great for you to join up. 👍

[@maverickwillz3953]

how can i reach you personally i have some inquires

[@KevinJones-xh5yk]

Did this get completed? What was the cost?

[@crispydoda]

Hi Kevin, It got put on hold as I didn't have any time to work on it, but plan on completing it over the next few months and hope to get a couple of videos done. Someone asked about the cost before so I worked it out based on new parts, I think it would cost around £8k for a minimal battery setup (as I have) and 50kw motor, but I got most of my parts second hand so I think I spent around £3k.

[@KevinJones-xh5yk]

@@crispydoda I really appreciate the reply. I'm going into this car with the opinion its an investment. all super interesting. keep up the great work.

[@itstheterranaut]

@@crispydoda Glad you're still around Paul!

[@shawng5799]

Your missing the flux capacitor between the seats😁

[@vladleonard86]

How much all this conversion cost?

[@crispydoda]

Almost everything is second hand, waiting for the right parts to come up on ebay etc. I think it's about £2800 so far, I just need another £500 for charger and sockets etc and that should be it. If it was all new I think it would be around £6-7k, but I've never taken the time to work it out.

[@coscorrodrift]

@@crispydoda and a rough estimate on the hours you've put in? and more or less in which tasks e.g. 40% batteries 40% motor 20% controller and 50% research 50% actually putting in the stuff brilliant work, hope you get it registered soon so you can enjoy it! and thank you very much for sharing your journey, as soon as i get a good chunk of time in my hands i'll watch your whole series

[@peterjoy9333]

interesting

[@MK_ultra_]

2:04 WTF?