Electric Mini Conversion

[Kriss]

I’m very much for sharing information on the internet. Not personal, thou. Back, in early 90’s I run small sweat shop for few years. That’s where I know how to handle sewing machine from.

[Louis]

Looks really good!

[Kriss]

I try to get the mini weather tight, so I could push it out of the garage when it’s raining, which is pretty much… always.
















For some reason, don’t actually remember what it was anymore, I haven’t done passenger doors.



Gonna do them up next week

[Kriss]

Did the door




















































Now prepping and painting. Hate this part

[Kriss]

[DaveC]

Great work on the doors

[Kriss]

Thanks mate

[Kriss]

[Kriss]

[Kriss]

[Underhauled]

Those mirrors are cool. Are they an originality for that car?

[Kriss]

Homebrew. I was looking for nice mirrors, but they all either look horrible or ,if they look OK, you can see eF all in them. Besides none of off the shelf mini mirrors come with heated glasses, and you wanna have them heated out here. So I customized mirrors from seicento. Glad you like it cos I wasn’t entirely sure about them. Anyway, they bolt to standard fixing holes so I can always bin these and fit different ones.

[woody]

Great build thread, excellent engineering.
Interesting seeing heated mirrors,electric windows and electric power steering when all these things likly to reduce range. I would have thought you'd be looking at saving energy with the likes of LED lighting and manual everything else. What is your predicted range?

[Kriss]

Thank you Woody. Well, it obviously is not going to be a touring car. My rough calculations indicate range of 80 kms plus. Or minus. Minus I’d say. Car is intended to be a daily commuter. We live 25 kms from nearest town and as I stopped to get exited about driving two decades ago (these days if I can avoid getting behind the wheel I don’t), it should be more than enough for our needs. Mine main objective thou, is building low running cost, low maintenance, practical, and fairly comfortable small car. Things like electric windows, power steering, power assisted brakes, cars these days, just have. Let alone proper cabin heating or lighting. Can’t quite picture myself cranking down the window, to be honest.

I will be using led bulbs all around. Electric power steering is actually quite efficient. It draws power only when you move the wheel and only as much as it needs, while hydraulic pump has to run constantly. Mirror heating element draws 5W. Electric windows? Well, how much you actually use them? Would be more concerned about 0.5 kW heating element I’m gonna install in cabin heating system.

You do have a point thou, less auxiliaries means bigger range. But, although electric, I still want it to be a …car.

[woody]

" I still want it to be a …car."
I can hear Issagonis turning in his grave
Sure weren't sliding windows good enough for the people.
Did you find any details about the experimental electric mini BL built?

[Kriss]

No, not really. What's mini BL?

[woody]

I seam to remember a photo in a book of Issagonis with an electric prototype but I can't find it now.Heres a photo of an electric countryman but I have no details

If you scroll down here you will find pictures of another motor and gearbox
http://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?f=5& ... start=1130

[Kriss]

Here. Good stuff

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/elect ... ctric+mini



That?




Well, I was thinking of similar approach in the beginning. There is couple of issues with this kind of set up thou. Firstly, you need to transfer the power from motor to gearbox. Can be done with chain or belt. Cannot see what’s used here, as it’s all covered up. But although such applications can handle quite big power and torque, they not exactly maintenance free. Over the time they wear and stretch. Can be quite noisy too. Secondly, the size. Look at that. It’s huge. Must weight quarter of a tone. So, I’ve dropped that idea right away. I figured small car like mini, with motor that can produce about 70 horse power, 120 ft-lbs and spin at 6500RPM, should do direct drive with no problem. Most factory electric cars are in fact direct drive.







Couldn’t afford Borg Warner trans axle














So I engineered my own. I think I did OK. My drive train unit is quite compact.















Not only have I got enough space for all necessary gear, but I also have room for additional battery box under the bonnet.

[woody]

I would guess that the countryman was chosen for the extra space under the back seat for batteries, mid mounted low down. Are you putting yours in the boot or losing the back seat? Any idea what the total weight of the car will be?

[Kriss]

Main battery box I got welded into the boot floor. Back seat stays.















Plus small box in engine bay.

There will be 34 100Ah batteries in total. Car should be slightly lighter than stock mini, I think. Can’t say for sure thou.

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Here is a silent video on your electric Contryman Woody,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIe6y3_uYDk

And an Australian conversion similar to Kriss's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9BL0qtt8Gs

And one for Kiliian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0g3ypjBL9Q


Now if anyone had photos or film of the electric Mini Marcos that UCD did in the 70's, I'd be interested.

[Kriss]

[Kriss]

Been working on door trimmings. Made door cards and pull handles. Yeah, I see it too, these pull handles look like sauce pans,










but when on the doors I think it ain’t that bad.


















These doors are actually the first fully finished unit in the car. They been pre wired, and thoroughly wax oiled before assembly.

[just_st3v3n]

Door cards and the sauce pan looking good no window winder or electric up/down switch?? Interesting project and some nice custom fabricating going on, good job!

[Kriss]

Thanks. Switches are going on the center console.