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Alright everyone I'm back. I took the last year off from Jeep building to design and build my new house and shop. We bought ten acres out in the valley and built an off grid passive solar home and detached 1900 sq/ft shop/garage.
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With that garage came a 30 panel solar array that produces WAAAAYYYYY more power than I need. When turning my attention to ways of using this extra electricity I keep coming back to my Jeeps. I've always loved electric cars. And I believe we have the tech nowadays to make good conversions. I even came across a video of a guy who did a Range Rover.
The Wagoneer has plenty of room for battery storage. I was wondering if anyone has played with this idea before? I have a 76 Wagoneer that would be perfect for the job. I'll run a 4 speed manual transmission with the NP209 t-case so it will still have all the off-roadability. Let's hear your thoughts on the topic.
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1982 Wagoneer Limited 5.3L Vortec 4L60E swap - finished/restored - sold - bought back - sold again
1979 Wagoneer 360 TH400 1339 QT - built into perfect daily driver - sold
1981 J10 Sportside Honcho - finished/restored - sold
1979 Cherokee Golden Eagle - 5.3L Vortec 6L80E swap - finished/restored - sold
1967 Super Wagoneer - sold, too much work
1978 J10 Golden Eagle - finished/restored - sold
1962 Rambler Classic Cross Country Wagon - current project, wife's daily driver - she'll never let me sell it
Also I figure to still have power steering and brakes, I'll have to set up a small electric motor to spin a hydraulic pump to provide hydraulics for those two "accessories". And then ditch the vacuum brake booster for hydraulic.
1982 Wagoneer Limited 5.3L Vortec 4L60E swap - finished/restored - sold - bought back - sold again
1979 Wagoneer 360 TH400 1339 QT - built into perfect daily driver - sold
1981 J10 Sportside Honcho - finished/restored - sold
1979 Cherokee Golden Eagle - 5.3L Vortec 6L80E swap - finished/restored - sold
1967 Super Wagoneer - sold, too much work
1978 J10 Golden Eagle - finished/restored - sold
1962 Rambler Classic Cross Country Wagon - current project, wife's daily driver - she'll never let me sell it
I have a coworker that converted an S2000 to electric. You can see his blog here: http://s2kev.blogspot.com You have to go *WAY* back to see it from the start. These days, there are a lot more options for motors and motor controllers. He kept the 6sp transmission, which was weird to drive with. Rarely used all 6 gears because of the torque the motor made. With a truck 4sp though, "syncro shifting" can be a bit tough sometimes. Shifting with using the clutch takes some getting used to as the electric motor won't act like a gas engine when you let off the throttle. Although, if the motor is big enough, driving on the street will just result in using 4th gear all the time.
I would keep the power brakes. An electric vacuum pump uses VERY little power. Way less than a motor big enough for running hydraulic steering and brakes. But I can see having things maybe a bit simpler with the single setup.
Which motor and controller are you thinking of going with?
I wanted to do this with mine originally, but I didn't want to be the uncharted territory guy. I just replaced with a reman 360. Very interested in what you do though. I'd start with giving the guys at EV West a call though.
ICON did it on a 49 Merc. There are some pretty decent articles out there with overview of parts they used, although not a complete build sheet. One of their Derelic builds. It doesn’t use a transmission..
One day I will wake up and realize that my jeep is complete...one day, I just know it.
88Wag, LT1/4L60E/NP242, J20 axles, etc. http://imgbox.com/g/rNuIasKYrS
95YJ, STaK, D44's, SOA, ARB's, Bilstein 5150s, 35" KM2's
50 CJ3A
77 J-10 (sold)
I think it would be a really cool build. I looked into converting my Ford ranger a few years back. Still might do it. It's definitely becoming easier to convert with more and more electric cars hitting the yards and more charging stations going up every day.
Even if you go super premitive with a bunch of deep cycle batteries stashed everywhere you should be able to get at least 50 miles per charge. If your daily commute is half that or less and you can charge at work you're set! Just weigh the battery options. The typical $150 deep cycle battery is only good for around 500-1,000 charge cycles. They start to loose capacity before then. You could opt for $1,000 lithium ions with 2,000-5,000 cycles but sheesh! You'd have $20k in batteries!
I would graft from a wrecked electric car and definitely use their battery pack and charging components. Regardless if it's a sema quality build or a primitive one it would be super cool to be the first.
Oh man I want an electric FSJ soooo bad! Please please keep us all posted on your progress. I live fairly close to EV West and have been over there to talk to them. They do fantastic - not cheap - work. The problem is they are booked three years out. They do have lots of advice and kits.
Paul
1978 Wide Track Cherokee - work in progress
1976 Cherokee S - sold long ago and sorely missed
1989 Wrangler - not sorely missed.
DustinLangston wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 1:27 pm
The Wagoneer has plenty of room for battery storage. I was wondering if anyone has played with this idea before? I have a 76 Wagoneer that would be perfect for the job. I'll run a 4 speed manual transmission with the NP209 t-case so it will still have all the off-roadability. Let's hear your thoughts on the topic.
Hey! I know this is an old topic, but did this ever get anywhere? I'm also in Utah and have an 89 GW that has been sitting for many years with a dead 360. I've been thinking that most of my driving is within 20 miles, which would be ideal for an electric vehicle. There's a guy on YouTube here in Utah that goes by the name Jerry Rig Everything doing a conversion on a HMMV, which has me thinking. Any idea on costs?
Chevrolet recently announced that they are making an e-crate “connect and cruise” crate motor, battery pack, and controller kit. Which should make installation easier but I can’t find any credible information.
From the research I’ve done The price for electric conversion seems to be around $30-$60k (plus the vehicle). The big problem is finding someone to do the conversion. There are very few people doing conversions and they are all over booked.
Anyone have any other insights?
Paul
1978 Wide Track Cherokee - work in progress
1976 Cherokee S - sold long ago and sorely missed
1989 Wrangler - not sorely missed.
FSJ Paul wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:33 am
Chevrolet recently announced that they are making an e-crate “connect and cruise” crate motor, battery pack, and controller kit. Which should make installation easier but I can’t find any credible information.
From the research I’ve done The price for electric conversion seems to be around $30-$60k (plus the vehicle). The big problem is finding someone to do the conversion. There are very few people doing conversions and they are all over booked.
Anyone have any other insights?
I heard the same mumblings about a GM kit, but I do not think its available, and with parts shortages, will probably be delayed.
I work with somebody that converted a car himself. In some ways its easier than an engine swap. But you do need to have a good understanding of electric systems if building your own system. Though a turn key kit would mean a lot of in depth knowledge is not required.
FSJ Paul wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:33 am
Chevrolet recently announced that they are making an e-crate “connect and cruise” crate motor, battery pack, and controller kit. Which should make installation easier but I can’t find any credible information.
From the research I’ve done The price for electric conversion seems to be around $30-$60k (plus the vehicle). The big problem is finding someone to do the conversion. There are very few people doing conversions and they are all over booked.
Anyone have any other insights?
I heard the same mumblings about a GM kit, but I do not think its available, and with parts shortages, will probably be delayed.
I work with somebody that converted a car himself. In some ways its easier than an engine swap. But you do need to have a good understanding of electric systems if building your own system. Though a turn key kit would mean a lot of in depth knowledge is not required.
I thought about it long and hard before I started my build. I decided to go ICE now. In 10 years I can upgrade when I can no longer afford gas and swaps and battery technology have evolved and prices come down. I suspect then, the cost of ICE now plus electric at that point will still be cheaper than if I tried to go electric now.
I looked at Tesla model 3 battery packs to see if I could fit a whole assembly including electronics under the raised floor in the trunk section. Putting in a new sub floor would be perfect. Nope, doesn't fit. Checked out component pricing at EV West too if I was to try and build (have someone build cuz I don't have the skills or expertise) Aside from cost, complexity of electronics ie battery management system, range and reliability of existing batteries were the biggest reasons not too.
It would be fun and when I can get at least 400-500 mile range and fast charging and not have to worry about solving electronics I'll be on the list. If the latest reviews of the Rivian R1T that are starting to come out are any indication, I see a high probability of a future remake of my FSJ being electric.
Matt
83 Cherokee Laredo WT
L8T 6.6L, 6L90 GEN III LS Swap (LM7 block) 4L60E
Laredo Matt wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:15 pm
If the latest reviews of the Rivian R1T that are starting to come out are any indication.
Don't believe much of what you see in the R1T reviews. The only reviewers to have seen and drive it work for companies that invested money in them, or large review places that were payed. No independent reviewers have been allowed to drive it. They also refuse to let anybody tow with it.
But in ten years the aftermarket should really come around to swaps. For now, like you stated, ICE swaps are still the most feasible.
Hopefully prices on kits will fall as supply and demand increase. I see electrification as a great way to keep our classic rigs running reliably for many more decades to come. Unfortunately, I’ve already spent so much time and money keeping the ICE system running with bubble gum and tape that the price of kits and install will need to come waaaaay down for it to be worth it. Maybe as more and more e-trucks come on the market and crash someone will come up with a way to shoehorn a rivian into a FSJ.
Paul
1978 Wide Track Cherokee - work in progress
1976 Cherokee S - sold long ago and sorely missed
1989 Wrangler - not sorely missed.
letank wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 10:08 am
good news, but batteries not included... and everything else such as the BMS which is a real challenge for a DIY.
You can already buy BMS setups. Lithium batteries are easy to get. But, the format they currently come in is not the best for an automotive use case. But that will certainly improve over time.
Stuka wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 1:47 pm
You can already buy BMS setups. Lithium batteries are easy to get. But, the format they currently come in is not the best for an automotive use case. But that will certainly improve over time.
Yes, people are getting trans and BMS from toyota prius from the junkyards.
A good friend went from lead acid to Li batteries for his golf cart, he has lighten the load by 300lbs... he designed a few other controller boards... the first time we tested it... forward was reverse... and no reverse, defective part...
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)
So then how far is the range for an elec FSJ?
How long to recharge it and how many recharge STOPS and how long are they, if I want to drive 800. miles to Yellowstone and back?