A few pictures here. (for some reason, I never remember how to make the pictures smaller, the wikidot misguides with that function wizard, I think..)

Jukka explains the functioning, of, well, of something wonderful..!

Jukka explains some more wonderfull stuff

And the man gets it! :-)

April 5th

Lots of people have been visiting the eGarage and "signing in" the project.

Also representatives from different companies have been contacting us about co-operation during the manufacturing of the eCars.

This week's big steps forward were adjusting the eCorolla suspension to correct height and the temporary drive shaft construction plans (see http://ecars-now.org/documents/Vetoakselin%20sovitin-vasen-250309-ELe.pdf ) from Corolla and Swift parts.

The heater will be implemented with water circulation and it will be connected to the original heating system of eCorolla. Daniel has designed the setup and it has been tested in earlier one-shot conversion, it should be simple and inexpensive.

Simpler gear selector is being designed on the center console (forward and reverse are needed at least) along with the eGUI display.

Most other components are already in store an available for assembly, but the Lithium Balance battery management system is still on the way.

The protocol for eGUI and eECU communication was defined and tested with a separate demo kit, but some work still needs to be done for it to work with the real eECU hardware (Henkka and Tapsa).

Work with eGUI has advanced for "final" screen #1 layouts in SVG format (Joona). Jukka R. has made a version of it that talks with the eGUI engine using javascript. After that's done, Henkka adds them to eGUI engine and there's a working chain from the motor controller to the display (DMOC->eECU->eGUI->SVG->Firefox) - principle.

The eGUI engine has an option to specify parameters and to monitor different devices in "console mode", which is meant to be used only when the car's not moving. It might not even be in the final user interface or very well hidden. It's not really a "unix console" but an ordinary browser application really. Henkka's blog at http://yty.vox.com has more information.

April 16th

The Tuesday after Easter saw a dozen of activists/team leaders gathering to the eGarage, called there by Janne, the project manager, to clarify the vision shared between different teams.

Open things:
- import taxes must be taken care of before registration
- electric motor aligment and attachment to the motor/battery frame
— must have 10 mm insulation
— the motor/battery frame has to come straight up and out from eCorolla engine compartment
- "Racing vacuum pump" was selected to the first car
- DC/DC converter is at hand
- A tractor water heater is one of the heater possibilities
- still waiting for Lithium Balance's shipment
- gas pedal (watt pedal actually) position reading ok, motor controller commands in place but not tested yet
— security checks and thoughts must be added to the software
— original potentiometer (about 1-3.4 kOhm) from gas pedal linkage will be used
- drive direction selector still to be decided, a Valtra rotating switch perhaps?
- interior team comments needed for above
- Megatech from Nummela could help with electric wire set
- chargers need to be ordered

Pics and more stories are at Henkka's blog.

There was a podcasting team from "PodPuhe" at the eGarage around Easter and they interviewed Jukka J. but the podcast is in Finnish ( http://podcastit.tv/index.php?q=node/200 )

April 20th

Motor support was built and the electric motor can now be mounted to correct position. The final battery frame design is being worked by Vikke. See animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1nL5pUXnzk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fyty.vox.com%2F&feature=player_embedded

There's now a team called "Inteam" and they work with the cabin interior.

The electric innards of eCorolla (battery frame, motor support ) get a green paint finish and the paint cans were 50% off when good people of RTV Riihimäki heard where they will be used. :-)

More people drop by to see the eGarage action IRL (in real ife) instead of hanging around the website or mailing list.

April 27th

Lots of media has been visiting the eGarage even though the car doesn't even move yet: Aamulehti, Image, Energia magazine and Keskisuomalainen among the others. It's good to have visibility, that way the information about electric cars will keep spreading and it introduces the project to people who might be interested. It takes a toll also: the interviews and photo/video shoots take time, not to mention cleaning up the place… in the future there should be a day/time slot for media attention and the rest of time are reserved to the project.

There's another Corolla project called äCorolla, by "Äpy team" (http://kauppa.apy.fi/info), it has a Siemens motor, 100 Lithium batteries, top speed around 120-170 km/h and range of 100-150 km. The äCorolla was on display in Kamppi, Helsinki in April 29th.

Still waiting for BMS.

May 4th

After a long day for Kari A. and Eki (the eGarage owner) the motor support and electric motor are in their correct places with a little grinding involved. Now a good welder is needed A-SAP (One came up and did the job overnight. Impressive!)

More activists are needed to get the car on the road, preferably during May. Now there are too few builders compared to the publication and completion calendars.

The Lithium Balance BMS arrived around April 28th or 29th. One team could get involved with the BMS if there are willing activists.

May 11th

The car, eCorolla, is ready for display in Electric Vehicle Symposium in Stavanger ( http://www.evs24.org/ ).

Motor and battery frames are painted, motor is in it's place and cabin interior is clean and tidy. Only batteries and BMS are missing from a full display setup.

The car is displayed exactly as it is and the community goes to present themselves openly and honestly: this is what we do, this is where we are now. Most important thing is to communicate the project idea as a teaser: this will be available soon and there's even more.

The community-driven industrial volume conversion is something new even on global scale and open source is coming to (electric) car circles.

Other recent efforts include
- the brochure at http://ecars-now.org/documents/eCars-now_Brochure-EVS24_3.pdf
- eCars T-shirts have been printed (only to the symposium team at first)
- video presentations, one example at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F664C2A2E65CEC1A
- Viking Line sponsored the ferry trip with the towcar and trailer in the truck deck and cabins for the team, big thank you for them
- exhibition gear was gathered
- international press release by Jiri and the international language team

There are total of ten activists either already in Stavanger or heading that way, publicity should be guaranteed. Stay tuned. :-)

Best regards,
Murska

eECU and eGUI teams are going to meet and get the parts to work together in the near future.

Drive shafts and engine compartment frame (that supports the batteries and where the motor and most components are attached to) are still under construction.

Best regards,
Murska

Edit: There are also a note about this in Henkka's blog.

http://s2kev.blogspot.com/

Two sets of motors arrived from Azure Dynamics last week. Before this there were models by Vikke about motor installation cage where the motor, batteries and auxiliary devices will be attached. The real motor was fitted into the Corolla engine compartment during Sunday, the final installation cage is still under construction.

Corolla drive shafts don't match the Azure gear box. The gear box has 22 tooth coupling but the Corolla drive shafts have 23 tooth coupling, diameter and lengths are identical, one could really say it's a "near miss". The best solution would be to change the gearbox coupling specification for manufacturing the next ones. That would be cheaper for the conversion buyers and also faster than deal with it during the conversion.

Engine control unit (eECU) team was debugging the software and there was some activity on the bus, but the high voltage connections were not complete yet, so the motor didn't get to spin yet.

Eki spent lots of time under the Corolla measuring things for slipstreaming plates. The idea is to make the underside of the car as aerodynamic as possible.

Some ideas about vacuum pumps for brake boosters and open source BMS have been thrown around in the technical mailing list. We'll see which of them evolve further.

To be continued…

Best regards, Murska

The first eCorolla donor car was purchased from Warsaw, Poland during 17.-19. of December. The car is year 2004 model white sedan. The price was reasonable EUR 6333 but additional import taxes and toll fees aren't clear yet. They usually are around EUR 2000 - 3000 for this kind of a car.

Some pictures and Polish technical information available in the beginning of this thread.

Br, Murska

Lessons learned while tinkering and participating in eCars.Now! EV-conversion project

Check it out at

http://yty.vox.com/

-Reima

(Hei puuhamiehet! Jos nimenne tai tekstinne käyttäminen tässä ei ole mielestänne soveliasta, laittakaa viestiä joko wikin kautta tai ecars-listalle niin säädän tätä. - Hey activists! If you think your name or text isn't appropriate to use in here, send me a message by wiki or ecars-list and I will tweak this - Murska)

Week 48 update

Rev up the engine! (Janne K 25.11.2008)

Thanks to Jiri's spectacular negotiation skills the project funding is getting better so it's time to rev up the engine and start to put the car together.

This week's theme is modeling the engine compartment and mechanically fitting the wooden model of the electric motor into Corolla.

With engine compartment 3D model we can plan final positions of motor, battery pack and accessories under the hood. After that we can order the installation brackets from a metal shop.

In the background the eECU (electric engine controller unit) group and GUI (graphical user interface) group have been working and we'll get to look their results in the upcoming weeks. Thanks for all the activists for the immense momentum.

Re: Rev up the engine! (Mika Salo 30.11.2008)

Measuring the engine compartment part 2:

Battery pack for the proto (40 Ah):

Trying on the model motor and batteries:

eECU and software schematics:

Planning the heat pump and fiddling other things:

(Hei puuhamiehet! Jos nimenne tai tekstinne käyttäminen tässä ei ole mielestänne soveliasta, laittakaa viestiä joko wikin kautta tai ecars-listalle niin säädän tätä. - Hey activists! If you think your name or text isn't appropriate to use in here, send me a message by wiki or ecars-list and I will tweak this - Murska)

Week 49 update

The mechanics is rolling, then electronics and user interface (JanneK 1.12.2008)

Last Sunday some measurements were taken and there's now a cloud of points in the 3D-section of the Finnish site. Based on a wood model and cardboard piece measurements at least 40 Ah of batteries will fit easily under the Corolla's hood. All components are now modeled so everyone with 3D skills can have a computer party and try to fit the needed pieces under the hood.

Some viewpoints that surfaced from the discussions:
- one large battery pack is better than many smaller ones. One reason is keeping the cell temperatures as identical as possible.
- the motor can be tilted forward or standing up against the firewall for larger connected space in front of it

The mechanics work will continue in electronic form for the following weeks until the motor installation brackets are drawn and the motor arrives to Finland.

The eECU (electric engine controller unit) group will have a meeting with the GUI (graphical user interface) group.
At the workshop there was a demo of the eECU proto board that was talking nicely to the GUI and motor controller.

Re: The mechanics is rolling, then electronics and user interface (JanneK 1.12.2008)

The idea is to use 110 ferrite cells that have nominal voltage of 3.2V.

110*3.2*40 = 14.08 kWh (nominal capacity). Take 80% of that because ferrite cell capacity drops quickly to that level and then another 80% which reserves something to prevent driving the batteries completely empty. That leaves 9 kWh of usable energy.

The actual production car is supposed to use larger batteries, some out-of-the-sleeve numbers are 60 and 90 Ah, but the final decision will be made when the first car moves and the real consumption will be measured.

Re: The mechanics is rolling, then electronics and user interface (anon 1.12.2008)

Quick calculation: if battery pack of 40 Ah gives real capacity of 9 kWh, 90 Ah pack will give 20 kWh capacity.

Sounds really optimistic because range of 150 km won't happen even if the car consumes only 15 kWh per 100 km.

Re: The mechanics is rolling, then electronics and user interface (Vikke Hyvonen 1.12.2008)

The pics from Azure shows that the motor kit can be installed only +/- 15 degrees from horizontal position, probably because of the transmission lubrication.

The 3D models seem to indicate that the differential axle will be a bit higher than the Corolla's original. Azure doesn't fit at the same place so some longer drive shafts are needed.

Edit: Missed week 48 update which is the second part, so changed this to part 3. - Murska

(Hei puuhamiehet! Jos nimenne tai tekstinne käyttäminen tässä ei ole mielestänne soveliasta, laittakaa viestiä joko wikin kautta tai ecars-listalle niin säädän tätä. - Hey activists! If you think your name or text isn't appropriate to use in here, send me a message by wiki or ecars-list and I will tweak this — Murska)

"Kuulumisia hallilta" - Tales from the shop (Mika Salo, 11.11.2008)

Today at the shop two activists got the internal combustion engine off the pre-proto-Corolla.

and the workshop walls got some attention too

Re: Why a crash car as a pre-proto? (r-r- 13.11.2008)

Even though the crash car has bumps and dents, seems that the most important parts are intact. That got the tech team something to work with and test different things while waiting the actual prototype.

Re: Tales from the shop (EVforMe 12.11.2008)

That awful engine had to be plucked out because it stank. The wires are marked, hopefully the whole engine wire set can be removed. Exhaust pipe is still in its place with the other lambda sensor. Keep the catalytic converter and the rest is junk. Gear stick and wires wait for removal, nobody's going to need them, I guess.

Re: Tales from the shop (mfb4242 14.11.2008)

Took out the wire set from ECU. There were just some grounding and 12V wires that can still be used.

Janne K removed the seats, now the rest of the wires are wound up from dashboard to the tail. Next we will cut off half of the car from the bottom of the windshield and below the pedals. This way the front end can be lifted to a rig and everything can be tried into the engine compartment without much extra room around that.

Electric 12V power steering was really nice surprise. Daniel S pointed it out, it's on the steering axle under the dashboard. It simplifies the needed components and purchasing. Also it keeps the front end simpler.

When the set can be loaded with ease, we can do the first Beta proto. That will go to real and moving car for test drives.

Re: Tales from the shop (mfb4242 18.11.2008)

Moments ago the Corolla jig was stripped from the interior stuff and it was chopped to a convertible. The roof was cut off from the bottom of the pillars. Every possible piece of plastic has been packed up and are waiting for storage. Next one is rear axle, it will be sent to the guy who sold the chassis. Seats were in good condition, they had airbags too, but we got only EUR 80 from them.

Re: Tales from the shop (Halli 23.11.2008)

Some of the guys are at the workshop again, the saw will sing again.

The target is to cut down the car to the final jig form. Draining brake fluids and removing rear axle.

(9 and half hours later)

The car is in smaller pieces now. Some phone cam video was taken and will be uploaded somewhere.

We are working on an English version of the site to spread the love ideas, but that, too, is still under construction.

Best regards,
Murska

i was making research for a concept I'm working on together with Ruedigher Hild (founder of EAA Europe www.eaaeurope.org) and suddenly came accross your E-cars now! project.
It was like a "thunder in the sky" because your project looks very similar to the concept we are working on.

In fact, we are in the preliminary phase of a concept about a mass conversion of Mercedes A-class based on the prototype made by Daimler itself on 1997.
We already have studies made in co-operation with University of Hamburg and going to build the first one/two prototypes by the beginning of 2009.
We are going to decide if use AC or DC technology.
off course the choice is based primarly on financial/economical bases, so a feedback from your project for mass purchase of such components could help our preliminary studies a lot!

Then, We are very interested in understand deeper your project as we could join our strenght to get even more subscribers and the results of getting chaper prices for components.
Also, sharing and enlarging our experiences and the IT word-of-mouth could increase exponentially the final result of the both projects.

I know of similar collective projects in italy, people's discussing about forming purchase-groups and what I read on these blogs is a great interested and participation, similar to which you're experiencing for the E-car now project.
BUT ALL THESE ARE STILL HEMBRYONAL IDEAS TO BE CONVERTED INTO REALITY

So if the project is good for 500 conversion, why don't try to enlarge and spread it all over europe?

Maybe some components would be different (you are going to convert a Toyota corolla, we are going to convert a Class-A, somebody elase would like to convert a different model..) but maybe not, so we could get very good wholesale prices from manufacturers/suppliers of motors, components, etc.
At least, batteries are batteries, and so far this is the most expensive item of the conversion pack, so expanding the group to over 1000-2000 people could decrease the costs even more!

Please let me know if we can co-operate in any way.
As you, We do believe in the OpenSource scheme and convinced this is the only way to make the E-cars spread around in the next few years at affordable prices.

Looking forward hearing you.
Kind regards
roberto

ps: sent yoiu an emial also on gmail account

It's been a while since last posting..

Here I will try to tell some key points what has happened in the eCorolla project here in Finland. I know that I promised to write Part II on "How to start an eCars - Now! project in my country" weeeks ago. Sorry for that! Here I have to reveal some personal stuff. I have been home with my younger son Leo for 1,5 years. During that time I had more hours for eCars than today. I have now been working full-day in somewhere completely different. - That is to say Part II will come when ready and at that point we will offer you some "keys-in-your-hands-ready" IT stuff by which you can easily launch a simple version of the eCars - Now! project in your country.

How an open source project can get stuck into financing problems?

Yes, it has happened to us. When we started, pretty soon the Norwegian Enviro Elbilsag came and said that they would finance the prototype. At that point we hadn't even begun to think of the funding because we thought getting the first 500 names would take at least six months. - Both wrong!

500 names came in eleven days and the Norwegian funding didn't materialize. There was a very strange set of manouvers played inside-and-out Fevt (Finnish Electric Vehicle Technologies). You see, the man who started this, Jukka Järvinen, started also Fevt. Suddenly Fevt was to make the eCorollas for the Norwegians. And then not. And then back again.

All this created much confusion in the open source project team: What would be the use of making the eCorolla if the Fevt is going to make it anyway? This cliffhanger lasted almost half a year. But there was yet another business-is-weird set that was holding us back -and forth again..

In April I personally opened discussion with a billion euros Finnish company if they would fund the first prototype. At first it all went like a dance, but then.. Probably what happened was that so many sections of the company got interested of the project that internal discussion took months. And between those months there were the looong holidays of the big bosses. ;-)

At the moment the sponsorship deal is still not closed. The official EV association of Finland, which had to came in to help as a legal entity (that eCars - Now! is not), had also to make its own ramifications and reporting structures. Now the billion-euros-company is offering us a paper that is basically secret and honestly that feels like poison to me. We will see if they can grow to opennes.

We are also starting a grass-roots financing model with a small car-sharing company which is looking very promising. We might or might not close the deal with the giga-company, but we will surely make the deal with the shoestring company. So finance is on the way. And the sum? - Ridiculous 30 000 euros, which is a double ridiculous sum since the target price for a production eCorolla is 27 500, only about two thousand euros more! - But I guess there still is the risk of not getting the thing run in the first place. The burden of proof lays in our hands.

Now some good news:

- Yesterday we got our first concrete Corolla to work with. It is a crash-car, so it can not become the prototype. Yet it is crucial, since much of the work is in reverse-engineering the workings of the drive computer(s) and that can be done also with a cheap crash-car.

- Earlier on Jukka Järvinen founded a company Electric Vehicle X, which is solely concentrated on conversion business. The eCars - Now! community has helped Jukka with building his facilities and Jukka / EvX will offer his expertise, garage and equipment freely into the use for the eCorolla project.

- Norwegian Enviro Elbilsag came to fund this after all, but in a slightly different set. They invested in Jukka's EvX and have been testing Azure Dynamics' motors with Citroen Berlingo in Norway that will give the project here much valuable information.

Now, to get back on the "How to start an eCars - Now! project in my country, Part II"…
First, I envisioned a grand system, where in the core would be a global database of people, questionnaire answers etc. A system that would combine different eCar model projects, country sister projects and language profiles into a single matrix..

Today it seems that that's still the case where we should be heading but instead of trying to build it all at once, we will start small and build from that. After all, we are all making this on our free will, part time and may have the time and energy only for a gradual evolution.

So.. I will post the Part II and with that some tools that you can begin with.

It will be simple.