Does the Electrek Drive on Lithium? | Part Two

[@NickElrod]

I, for one, am completely on-board for getting it painted and re-upholstered.

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's gonna look so good!

[@Latituded611]

I'm definitely supportive of the planned cosmetic work. It certainly seems to need it and doing it the way you plan is essentially a restoration in my mind. I think it'll pair well with the new batteries, allowing people who end up seeing it while you drive around to get an accurate view of what it looked like when new.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Exactly! It'll look like it just rolled out of the factory!

[@yodasbff3395]

The only thing that I could see that needs to be fixed are the shock absorbers . Thanks for the video. 👍

[@herrtichy]

That's what I thought immediately when I saw it swaggering over those bumps like a sailor on land 😁

[@ElectrekGarage]

When I have time and money I will be redoing both the brakes and the suspension!

[@DarronBirgenheier]

Shunts can be confusing. They work simply by having a calibrated resistance between the two meter terminals on the shunt. Calibration is done in the factory usually by slitting the shunt with a fine saw until the resistance across the meter terminals is RIGHT at a certain value. A "200 Amp" shunt will mean that the shunt will show a certain voltage across the meter terminals when 200 Amps is flowing through the shunt, maybe something like 50 millivolts (this value is often stamped into the shunt somewhere, I think). And two shunts, each rated at the same current, may be of significantly different physical sizes, since they may be calibrated to different full-scale meter terminal voltages. As long as the shunt is of low enough resistance to not overheat and fail at its maximum rated current, it can be of various sizes.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Very interesting!

[@jakobmn]

Really nice project. I fully support getting it restored back to factory condition. When mounting stranded core wire in terminals, you should use tube terminals on the wire. Also hot glue won't last long in a car. Maybe create a bracket that goes over the device?

[@ElectrekGarage]

Yeah no the hot glue already failed, I'm gonna create a 3d printed mount for it

[@SpecReviewPlus]

Hey Declan, I can't remember if you said how big the pack was in your last video, but I think a range test in one of your upcoming videos would be super entertaining. You could do it Kyle Conner style and run it really low! Excellent video! Can't wait for the next part!

[@tiredplumber]

Congrats! Best of luck on the hair dryer replacement.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Oh no, the hairdryer is staying, I'm just going to run ADDITIONAL heating. I couldn't never get rid of the hairdryer!

[@milescarter7803]

Quick question on the throttle. I had a small EV (golfcart) and there was a main contactor interlock on the throttle. Since you mentioned the throttle was reading slightly engaged is there also an interlock somewhere on your throttle? Probably it is for safety as if you release the throttle and any other problems in the controller or circuit the contactor will open.

[@ElectrekGarage]

No interlock on this throttle, that would be asking too much from Unique Mobility

[@tomtroxell2527]

Might need to change up the springs with the weight difference if the new battery pack

[@ElectrekGarage]

Will definitely be doing that!

[@Mladjasmilic]

14:30 Factory shunt had much bigger voltage drop so it could drive analog dial. Modern shunts are designed tomdeop 75mV at rated current. So at 1000A it would drop 75W.

[@Whereswally606]

Good effort. Your suspension makes me feel sea sick just watching it.

[@ElectrekGarage]

I'm getting the suspension calibrated so that it doesn't do that

[@stevesurf22]

Great job!. Might need some upgraded suspension eventually. Back end looks to be is riding a little low. Looking forward to seeing the rest

[@verficationaccount]

Great work and great video. By no means boring - and you absolutely should follow your instincts in regard to making this the best electrek there ever was.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thank you for the support!

[@milesd.8083]

the chemistry between the viewer and the description is almost as strong as the chemistry between declan and his electrek

[@LoudSL1]

Boring?! no way. You have a working Electrek that TWERKS! Amazing. Keep it up :D

[@ElectrekGarage]

The twerking is a FEATURE!

[@arpinchock]

This also is a prime example that EVs are not dead once the battery dies. This and examples like the Nissan Leaf show that a car can have new life with new batteries. My hat goes on ff to you young man!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Absolutely! New batteries are just like installing a new engine in an old car!

[@cglan_9748]

This is absolutely awesome. I’ve wanted to see a lithium swapped Electrek since I learned about it in other videos! I’d love to know if it drives any differently, more power or anything like that. Looking forward to future vids on it.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Absolutely has noticeably more torque although I couldn't tell you why. My theory is that there is significantly less volt dropping on acceleration with allows for a smoother power curve. Thanks for your support!

[@alierengam1749]

Amazing video, that electrek rides smoother than a rolls royce those shocks must be really good

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's very luxury. Like driving on a trampoline.

[@ClaireSmith-eg3mh]

Excellent video. You’re getting a lot better on camera. Informative and fun to watch!

[@jlucasound]

That car is SO Ugly, that it's Beautiful!!🔋🔋🔋🔋🔋🔋

[@StealthATK]

That's awesome, great work getting this to all work together! Been enjoying the process, love the videos, keep it up!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thank you so much!

[@SimonTekConley]

I'll pretend to be an LS enging guy. Now it's time swap the drivetrain to modern electric car.

[@ElectrekGarage]

I've thought about doing that but probably not on this electrek, definitely on another electrek in the future tho!

[@intrepidzephyr]

Would be better to have the J1772 rotated 90deg instead of 180? More natural for the right hand's thumb to hit the release button and pull. Great job dude!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Not a bad idea! Ill have to put in some real-world testing but itll be pretty easy to rotate it if I want to!

[@jumar360]

Congrats! That car is a work of art. A bouncy work of art.

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's like driving a trampoline!

[@jessebrook1688]

New shocks after the A/C and freshening?

[@ElectrekGarage]

@@jessebrook1688 before for sure

[@JohnDoe-zr6bk]

22:45 it needs some new rear shocks for sure. This jumping isnt normal...

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's mainly because the new batteries are significantly lighter than the originals so the shocks aren't the right stiffness anymore. I'll be fixing it!

[@djyjrlz]

You can really tell how much you’ve enjoyed this process and should be immensely proud, the updates and mods are the fun bit!

[@ElectrekGarage]

It was a pain at points but I absolutely love what I do! Thanks so much!!!

[@Drinksfromtap]

Nice job and great car! I 100 percent support re-painting and re-upholstering.

[@Gedden]

I'm loving it!

[@jochenstacker7448]

This is AWESOME! Can I ask you what your plans are after you complete your studies? Will it have something to do with electric vehicles? It is my firm belief that repair and overhaul of battery packs , electronics and motors for EVs, and to a lesser degree converting ICE vehicles, has massive potential. Manufacturers don't want to know about that stuff, they just want to fit new spare parts or preferably scrap the cars every 10 years and buy new ones. Of course the manufacturers will do everything they possibly can to prevent any kind of repair to the battery pack or drive train and a possible solution (besides non-stop lobbying and going to court for right to repair) would be to manufacture third party control systems using an open-source architecture. My guess would be that third-party control systems for EVs could be a massive thing.

[@ElectrekGarage]

I would love to run a buisness that converts old cars to EV, however, my goal is more in the field of alternative energy storage systems, specifically Lithium Sulfur batteries. I'd love to build electric cars that implement innovative energy storage solutions in mass manufactured vehicles to push the industry to innovate cleaner and better solutions to the current technologies available!

[@jochenstacker7448]

@@ElectrekGarage I wish you all the success in the world with that, that is a hugely exiting field and it's only getting started. The possibilities are endless. 👍🖖🤟

[@Nevir202]

This has to be the ugliest car I've ever seen, it looks like the offspring of a Hearse and a Ford Pinto lol. That said, awesome project, subscribed!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thanks for the support!!!!@

[@MrPGT]

I'd be worried about the charge connector placement, both that it is front-facing for weather ingress as you drive, and that it will potentially be underwater if you ever drive through a deep flood puddle or a ford a stream. Also, that MG is looking good!

[@ElectrekGarage]

The electrek as a whole doesn't drive in rain. It is not water proof. Also worth noting that if the charge port goes underwater, so will the controller, which isn't 100% water proof and likely would blow up the car. I think my solution is just not driving in water haha! And yes! The MGB is a surprisingly great car!

[@MrPGT]

@@ElectrekGarage As long as you have considered those possible consequences, I feel less worried. I know the connector will almost certainly have some ingress protection, but never consider things to be "waterproof". Water gets angry at that designation and generally finds a way to let you know the term should only ever be "water-resistant" lol.

[@kevinmcmanis7335]

I hate patina to. I like restored to "like new."

[@ElectrekGarage]

Cars look so much better when they're shiny!

[@sbdr.1241]

Change all lighting to led including headlights

[@ElectrekGarage]

Will definitely be doing that in the future

[@greggv8]

I assume you're also going to correct the poor fit of the hood? I'd be looking at upgrades like a Nissan Leaf motor and a non-ancient motor controller.

[@ElectrekGarage]

The fit of the hood wasn't the problem. The footage was taken when I was still hesitant about driving it, so I left the hood propped open slightly in case I needed to emergency disconnect the battery. I've considered swapping the motor and controller for a modern part but I feel that would ruin the car's driving experience. I seriously love the ancient, terrible motor that it has!

[@99lockerock]

The car does the thing! Looking forward to some AC

[@Space_Reptile]

cosmetic work aside, wich i approve of btw, it needs some suspension work too, that rear is very bouncy and sits low

[@ElectrekGarage]

Once I have the time and money I will be fully redoing the brakes and suspension!

[@TMPGarage]

This car is super cool! Love the quirky cars and I would love to get a electric car eventually for my channel as well.

[@friedtomatoes4946]

I think it's the difference between a thousand amp peak versus 200 amps continuous

[@EricMarschner]

I'm using that export pro battery monitor as well... is it right to always have to keep 12v on it - even when the car is off? It loses its programming if I don't keep 12v on it at all times. :(

[@ElectrekGarage]

I don't have 12 volts to mine at all! It's should maintain its memory even with no power

[@EricMarschner]

I guess it’s not quite the same then.

[@revengefrommars]

1:57 ummm... yeah, no comment.

[@ElectrekGarage]

ITS NOT STUPID IF IT WORKS!!!

[@goclunker]

I don’t understand why the prescaler can’t simply read the voltage and send it to a remote display via low power wires

[@s3an24]

What's going on with the one and a half citicars in the background? Are you going to make any videos about them?

[@ElectrekGarage]

I am making a video on those! But don't hold your breath, it's gonna be a while before they come out. Very extensive project

[@mikehughesdesigns]

How did they think that copying the design of the PACER was a good idea?

[@ElectrekGarage]

They look at the pacer and said "we could make it worse"

[@markmonroe7330]

Excellent video. I am signed on for more. Thanks for sharing.

[@EVSwap]

This is so awesome! Nice work, Declan!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Hey Jimmy! Can't wait to see your electrek drive in lithium in the future!

[@richardkaz2336]

So this is what Musk modelled the failed cyber truck from.

[@batterymakermarkii2654]

Interesting hodgepodge. I see monza taillights, a pinto hatchback, odd looking vehicle.

[@jamesmaxwell4447]

Red = Faster Pixies

[@ElectrekGarage]

Exactly. You know your stuff

[@Black-Villain]

Would be kinda cool/funny to swap out the J1772 connector for a NACS connector and post a vid of driving it to a Tesla Destination Charger for its first public charging session. Also, 3M Dual Lock is great for mounting components without drilling. Holds them insanely securely and you can remove/reposition them later

[@ElectrekGarage]

Ooooo I'll look into that! A tesla charger would be hilarious! Also I will check out the 3m tape because the hot glue did not hold. Thinking about 3d printing a mounting bracket for it

[@dwarf365]

@@ElectrekGarage Plus it turns out Tesla might of won the connector war. Chevy and Ford have announced their support of NACS going forward.

[@Nerd_Bird]

Congratulations!!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thank you nerd bird!

[@spokehedz]

When things fit in the factory mounts: *chef's kiss*

[@ElectrekGarage]

So satisfying

[@Kafouille]

Les amortisseurs arrières sont défectueux non?

[@ElectrekGarage]

Ils ont juste besoin de quelques ajustements

[@FFcossag]

Good work, nice to see it move under its own power. Very satisfying! Another safety concern that just struck me, though: Do you have any BMS-controlled contactor at all? It's convention with large lithium batteries to always have a contactor in series with the battery power wire, that's able to turn off automatically if any cell voltage goes too high or too low. You also turn this contactor off when the vehicle is off, so as to render the vehicle safe in case of something happening to it. This is the same contactor as the one I recommended you'd have four of on the previous video. The biggest risks in not running any BMS-controlled contactors at all are that you might reverse-charge cells under heavy load, which will ruin them very quickly, and that your charger might fail to respond to a soft turn-off command in case of some malfunction, and overcharge the battery. Reverse-charge under load happens if one of your cells has a higher impedance than the others in its string, so its voltage will drop more than the rest, without dropping the string voltage enough to alert you to a problem. This only needs to happen once or twice for that cell to basically shit itself and lose very significant capacity.

[@ElectrekGarage]

There are several bms controlled contactors that I installed after filming this video. This includes a main contactor and contactors in between the parallel connections like you suggested in a previous comment. I just didn't film it because I am lazy with the camera at times.

[@FFcossag]

@@ElectrekGarage Great, I'm glad to hear it! Good job. Remember to test the system by either disconnecting a single cell (=creating a fault condition) or using the BMS's integrated test utilities, if available. You'd be surprised at how many ways there are to accidentally wire up/configure a BMS to simply disregard fault conditions. Anyway, enjoy your battery-safe lithium Electrec! I'm very curious to find out its actual battery capacity and range.

[@DeLorean4]

Are you making a reproduction fiber glass front panel for your Citicar? And if so, do you have any plans to make multiples? The community could really use a source for quality replacement panels.

[@ElectrekGarage]

I actually do intend to make duplicates of all the citicar panels but Idk how i would handle shipping those parts. I'm open to suggestions!

[@JVHShack]

If you ever need new tail light assemblies, look for some for a 1975-1980 Chevy Monza (Spyder?) hatchback. They should be identical.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Yup! The ones on the car are new!

[@bjornlillpers498]

Amazing work! Restoring it to like new-condition visually sounds good. I don't like patina either. Seems like you need to work a bit on the mechanical stuff as well. Especially the real shock absorbers seems to be completely shot the way you're bouncing around.

[@ElectrekGarage]

All suspension and brake systems will be replaced

[@Alanzice]

I'm glad to see the Electrek running again! Amazing video. Seeing the full restoration will be great for sure!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thanks for the support!

[@markellii3093]

Loved the aging wheels segments)

[@EVRLYNMedia]

this is so damn cool. if i ever get the chance and money id totally convert some random car to electric lol. im thinking a minivan with stow and go seats, as the area the seats fold down into would make a great battery holder, and i could just put regular seats in above them.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Yesssss I love minivans! Would love to see an electric one!

[@EVRLYNMedia]

@@ElectrekGarage right??? practicality without the fuel economy hit. and with a tesla motor, it would be a total sleeper lol

[@josephkelly4893]

Everyone needs a 1980 MG push cannon for their battery insertion device. Well done to you all

[@ElectrekGarage]

What else would you ever use an MG for???

[@bubullenoiraude]

Dude, the car is bouncing like crazy. it look like the shock absorbers are EOL.

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's because the new battery pack is significantly lighter than the old one. Will be replacing all suspension in the future

[@toyotaprius79]

The algorithm did something right for once finding me your channel. Subbed!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thank you for the support!

[@jlucasound]

YES!! Mint Her Out!!

[@bok..]

was the peel not supposed to be there as some sort of insulator? i dont know anything just a thought.

[@ElectrekGarage]

I had the same thought after the fact and tbh I have no clue.

[@johnn0hj]

Very cool but do you know your registration has expired ? ;)

[@ElectrekGarage]

Dont tell the cops

[@stephengreen3566]

That has to be the ugliest electric car I have ever seen. It is AWESOME!

[@ElectrekGarage]

She's beautiful in her own way

[@donwright3427]

Wow cool .Good for you

[@jhomen2003]

Congratulations

[@JTL-DK]

Cool project! Oh my those rear shocks is DEAD!

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's because the new battery pack is significantly lighter than the old one. I will be replacing them in the future!

[@BrownAndDaughters]

Needs more tape. 😂

[@ElectrekGarage]

I agree. Could have used AT LEAST 2 or 3 more rolls! (I definitely did go overboard with the tape)

[@jonthefuzz]

if anyone's wondering 22:05 Lupus Nocte - Maniamaster

[@ElectrekGarage]

Or "Jort Storm" for people of slime

[@mcneill64]

Way to go!!!

[@JimNutt]

Looks like it needs shocks. That should help the ride.

[@ElectrekGarage]

No kidding haha! That's part of the next step!

[@BlazingImp77151]

I dont know much about cars, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. But I think it could be cool to see the car repainted and re-upholstered and cleaned up. I want to see how great the car looks once you have all the modifications you want done to it completed. I've subbed because the project has interested me that much. I cant say I am personally fond of the shape of the electrek, but having a car you personally worked to restore/modify, and one that is electric? that sounds awesome.

[@ElectrekGarage]

Thanks so much for the support! When I'm done with her, she will look and drive like she just rolled out of the factory!

[@BlazingImp77151]

@@ElectrekGarage plus the comforts of modern AC of course

[@stazeII]

That rear suspension. So bouncy!

[@ElectrekGarage]

Like driving a trampoline

[@stazeII]

@@ElectrekGarage was it that bad with the Pb batteries?

[@ElectrekGarage]

@@stazeII nope! The reason it's so bouncy now is because the lithium batteries are significantly lighter than the original Pb's so the suspension is a lot lighter now. Ill be rebuilding the suspension in a future video!

[@BasicRift]

JORT STORM

[@ElectrekGarage]

It took 2 weeks for someone to notice! You are my favorite viewer now.

[@pascalbruyere7108]

Why is the battery so monstrously big?

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's a pretty standard size for EV battery systems. I guess this one would be slightly larger due to it being LiFePO4 so it's less energy dense, but all EV batteries are big! Mo powa babeh!!!!

[@DarronBirgenheier]

Progress!

[@KevinFields777]

I'm not in love with patina, either. But that's okay, cars, computers and tech were all meant to be hot rods. Make them however it suits you.

[@Oldsmobile69]

You're like the HubNut of electric cars.

[@ElectrekGarage]

That's such a huge compliment thank you!!!

[@CableWrestler]

That rear suspension is a joke 😂

[@ElectrekGarage]

It's because the new battery pack is significantly lighter than the old pack! Will be replacing all suspension at some point!

[@FrankGraffagnino]

congrats! hope we get there one day with ours!

[@ElectrekGarage]

I wish you the best of luck!

[@branemadder]

Maybe get new rear shocks before paint. Maybe?

[@Voxelstice]

are you planning to organize the wires in this vehicle and make them not hang around randomly while driving? it could pose some risks with them getting warped around something and breaking other than that, congratulations on getting it to actually drive on lithium batteries

[@youxkio]

Yep. I got you, bro. This one right? 16:32

[@Henrix1998]

Softest suspension seen by mankind

[@Taverius]

Really needs new shocks huh? 🤣

[@theheathkitshop2424]

Maybe I missed it, but how are you cooling the lithium battery pack during charging and discharging?

[@ElectrekGarage]

Right now it doesn't really need it because the draw and charge of the car is low but I have some ideas in the future so that I can add faster charging

[@NackDSP]

Buy new shock absorbers before you crash!

[@briancorso5241]

Needs new Koni's

[@sheabreean1984]

"promo sm"

[@kjm-ch7jc]

DIY home build battery packs are like unexploded devices and shouldn't be used unless certified.

[@pederb82]

Before ac and heating you need to fix that suspension. Also before you paint it. It’s not drivable with that bad a handling. It’s lethal and highly illegal. You could kill someone.

[@Gameking-vn8vy]

Ladies and gentlemen, and everything in between... What has the world come too? Awesome job though. Super cool project.