Overview of Del Sol Electric Conversion!
This is a partial overview of the project from start to finish. Check out the daily blog on the right side of the page to see individual updates!
Bought a 1993 Honda Del Sol – Needed a little bit of work…
Took the engine and other unnecessary parts out
Removed the transmission from the engine
The first of body restoration – not done yet
Cleaned and painted the engine compartment
Reinstalling the transmission and re-attaching the CV joints
After sending out some sponsorship emails, Advantage Forklift LTD contacted us and donated this forklift to the project!
The forklift up on stands while we were working on it – removed the motors, speed controls, electronics, wiring, everything we could need
Milled a custom spline adapter for the flywheel in machine shop at Conestoga college, cut a plywood spacer for the transmission, and the start of the transmission-to-motor adapter plate
Everything attached, ready for the motor!
Everything mounted securely!
Finished view of new drivesystem
Car heating system made using a 1500W kettle element, ABS pipe fittings, and a computer pump to pump the rad fluid through the heating coil.
Heating system attached and functional!
Conestoga College donated 10 used batteries to us! 6 of them seem to be good while the other 4 are dead
Cleaned out the trunk and mounted the batteries, chargers, and wired everything!
Mounting the speed controller
All hooked up to the speed controller to monitor energy use! Will add a computer to the final car.
First test drive! All it needs is a new paint job…
Test drive video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmtLzdqLKBQ
Accelerator printed using a rapid prototyper
Estimated completion time is around Fall 2009.
Currently waiting on funding to purchase a proper battery pack to power the vehicle. Running on used car batteries, it can hit a peak of 70km/h with a voltage drop of 30V (not good!). Once we have more batteries (higher capacity) the voltage drop won’t be nearly as large, and the car will be able to run at our desired 90+km/h.
Thanks for looking, don’t forget to check out the daily updates!
Jamie Hobson
Ian Hillier
H2 Technologies
www.delsolectric.wordpress.com
The Electric Del Sol Conversion Blog 
Hey guys I really like your project I live in Guelph and I am doing a Electric Conversion as well but with a pickup I was wondering If you guys had any extra parts you would sell or donate if you do you can contact me at 519-829-2772 or cameronnisbett@hotmail.com Thanks
Hi Cameron,
That’s great! Are you going to start a blog? (Atleast take pictures!)
What kind of truck are you converting? What parts do you already have? Progress? We don’t really have many extra parts – all the other motors we got are smaller (going to use atleast one for a motorcycle) and the monster motor we have we want to use in a truck haha.
Let me know if you need any help!
Hy guys, good job!!!
I’m interested if the converted EVs are legal. Can you insure them
in Ontario?
I’ll keep watching your progress.
Lucian
Hi Lucian,
As far as I know, yes, they are. But you have to jump through a lot of hoops… Something we haven’t quite looked into yet…
There’s an electric car in Ontario called the Forkenswift which is street legal – I’ve just recently inquired about how they got it legal…
James
This is awesome, I have a del sol ive been debating going electric with for some time. Ive decided to hold off for now. But ill be watching your site for updates! Email if you need any del sol specific parts, I may have some laying around.
Hi Boys,
It’s Denise from Advantage Forklift Ltd. Just wanted to see how your progress was coming along. Looks great and good luck with your future projects.
Hi Denise,
Can’t thank you guys enough for the parts you donated, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are right now without you!
Unfortunately school work has bogged us down and we’re still trying to find some battery sponsors (it’d cost a couple thousand if we bought them ourselves) but we’re going to try and step it up soon. Still hope to have it driving by summer!
Where is the project at these days?
Did you see day 36? That was yesterday – We’re currently waiting on sponsors to see if we can afford to buy a battery pack to power this. Everything else is ready to go.
I know you have a Del Sol – do you have any idea where the speedometer and tachometer cables/sensor wires connect? We still have the engine intact but really need to get atleast the speedometer back up and running, if not the tach too (kinda useful). Any ideas would be greatly welcomed!
Hi there..great project! The speedsensor is attached to the transmission, the same for the tachometer. Good luck with your project.
A delsol owner from the Netherlands
Hi Gerard!
Thanks!
We found the speedometer sensor, seems as though its broken (tested it with multimeter). Ordered a new one off ebay. Still not sure where the tach is. Do you know if its a 2 wire sensor near the flywheel?
This is soo cool. I love your project. Keep it up very helpful very cool. Glad to see people are not waiting for the car companies to make them the EV’s they want.. Just build it. Good on ya.
Lots of folks write about this issue but you said some true words.
Thanks!
Sadly insurance companies are holding us back at this point… Either no ones willing to insure it, or no ones willing to part with insurance for less then an arm and a leg!
nice comments guys
Ooops – that email got clipped – is should be editor@evsociety.ca – if you want to have your EV at shows!
As to insurance – the wording is most important, and can make or break the deal – just ask the folks at project forkenswift – how I had to help them get the words right.
Wow now that’s an amazing project! Keep it going!