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Full EV conversion/Bigger battery


Kdaporcupine
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So, to anyones knowledge. Is there a place where you can basically convert the energi to a full ev or even just install a bigger battery?

i know i know itd be a lot of money etc etc. buy a mach e or tesla. BUT i love my energi platinum. And as much as i want a mach e 40k is still a lot. Ive been looking for replacement energi batteries. But couldnt just a mache battery pack work just as well? I dont need the power but i guess technically cant one just take out all the ice components leave the charging connector and just put in a mache motor with some big batteries from maybe a tesla or something? Completely oversimplified yea, and I probably wont do it and if i do id need a second car but just wondering if anyone else has thought or done a full conversion 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/19/2022 at 11:01 PM, jsamp said:

You'd either lose the entire trunk to batteries (and mess up the weight distribution), or you'd have to split up the battery to part in the trunk and part under the hood.  A far less than ideal setup.

From what I’ve researched

i could probably get away with a 45Kwh battery using lifepo4 batteries

so the current EV battery in our cars use 84 3.2v 25ah batteries for a total voltage of 300v. Now from my understanding, recent batteries have gotten smaller and higher capacity

 

so if I were to take this project on I would get 84 3.2v 150ah batteries (which is where I got the 45Kwh from)

If I split the rows into 4 or 5 I’d be able to keep the a similar trunk space (of course through assumptions of basic measurements with WxHxL of a single cell and measuring the size of the battery in the trunk.)

I looked up the dimensions of the battery cells I want to use and they’re 

7.9” H

8.2” L

1.32” W

xxxx

xxxx so instead of two rows horizontally I’d do 4 or 5 rows vertically

and I’ve considered the weight so I’d probably have to get stiffer suspension

 

Other things I’ve considered: upgrading the charge input, but I concluded that without installing a water cooling system for the batteries it won’t be possible because the heat output would be too much for the air cooled system and also the orange connectors are a different style so without wiring diagrams I wouldn’t be able to properly change the plugs

reason that i wanted to do it: the charging rate is at 14a or 3.3kw. So I wanted at least a 30a charger but the only one I found was a 6.6kw which would decrease charge time by half. Especially if I do upgrade the battery but anything higher than a 3.3kw charger requires a water cooling system

 

i wouldn’t be able to confirm anything until I actually remove the battery cover and inspect how the batteries are packed. And if I’d be able to remove all the wiring and maybe make a custom enclosure.

 

my reasoning to why it could be done:

As long as I stay at 300v of what our batteries are rated at and just increase capacity then it should work. Other people have taken parts from EVs and thrown whatever battery they can find and make it work. The computer on board is smart enough to know when the capacity of the battery is lower because it tells us our range left after years of degradation. so I’m assuming that the computer is also smart enough to know when the range is higher but the voltage is the same so not frying anything on the inside

 

Like I said before it’s a hypothetical and I wouldn’t take the project on for maybe another year for when my HVB battery is closer to maybe 1.5kwh since it’ll just be like having a basic hybrid. And since ford won’t do anything to help I see no point in paying nearly 8k to replace a battery with 1/25th of a Tesla battery when they’re about 20k for 75kwh

oh and that’s also another thing

ive messaged a seller on alibaba and for 84 cells I’m looking to spend about 3k on the batteries with shipping included

below I’ll put the links that I’ve used to calculate stuff and where I found the amount of batteries we have in our energis


https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1115817_2019-ford-fusion-energi-plug-in-hybrid-gets-25-miles-from-revised-battery

“The new battery continues to hold 84 individual lithium-ion cells, though it weighs 3 percent more than the previous version.“

 

battery size calculator 

https://www.inchcalculator.com/ah-to-kwh-calculator/
type 150 for the amps

300 for the v

and youll get the 45Kwh 


the manual to remove the HVB In a safe manner

https://elvsolutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2017-Fusion-MKZ-HEV-Battery-Removal-Guide-Final.pdf

 

Dimensions for the battery cells

https://www.lifepo4-battery.com/Products/CATL-Battery/CATL-CB260-150ah.html


charge rate calculator

https://www.homechargingstations.com/ev-charging-time-calculator/

 

I’ve had fun looking all this up so I do think it’s feasible. I have the tools to do it. I would just need the time and money haha.

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On 5/1/2022 at 8:01 AM, Ffe said:

This would be epic!  I will absolutely follow in your footsteps if you pull this off!  6x the electric range?  Count me in!

 

Heck maybe I'd just double or triple it to save money and weight/space and still be happy with that.

I know it sounds epic. But I’ll get back to this forum in time when I do have the money to go fully into this project. For now I’ll probably order a couple cells and maybe work on a box or method to wire everything up so I’ll keep the forum updated!

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  • 2 months later...

If you're wanting to convert something, start with an S10 or Ranger, small engine, 4spd tranny. Remove engine, related stuff. Replace weight with batteries etc. I found a book written 20+ years ago about how to do this. Guys were getting 100 miles with lead acid batteries, DC motors. Same weight LiPo you'd probably get 300+, if you had the room. 

 

Best wishes. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Is there a place where you can basically convert the energi to a full ev or even just install a bigger battery?

I know i know itd be a lot of money etc etc. buy a mach e or tesla.BUT i love my energi platinum.And as much as i want a mach e 40k is still a lot.I have been looking for replacement energi batteries.

 

But couldnt just a mache battery pack work just as well? I dont need the power but i guess technically cant one just take out all the ice components leave the charging connector and just put in a mache motor with some big batteries from maybe a tesla or something?

 

Reliable Permit Solutions, LLC

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"A place" as in a place in the car for the battery, or a place that will do the conversion for you? 

I assume you are asking the latter.  There are a few custom shops or hobbyists around who do that kind of stuff, but it would NOT be cheap.  Search "EV conversion" on the web and you'll see a few.  Here's a good list:

https://www.hybridcenter.org/electric-car-conversion-companies/

 

The thing is, you would might have to get a whole different electric motor and drive system, because the ECV transmission is what blends the ICE and the electric motor to drive the wheels.  Without the ICE the ECVT is technically no longer needed.

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  • 5 months later...

i've been periodically looking this thread since it exist.. and i would like to throw an idea out of nowhere . as a 2018 energi owner i'd pay money on a gofundme for it to happen lmao Get funded make it happen ! 

Business model
Title : GoFurther : DIY Hybrid EV conversion

Idea: 

Create a Kit that most plastic part are 3D printable *can help with that just need technical drawing*
thinking to send Spools of carbon fiber abs and hotend kit for printers or just hire a printer service to print them and ship.
there multiple ways soo its doable 
Source every other component like cells harnes ect and express-post them ? 

then boom next thing you know people are asking for other vehicles conversion. since we would allready have all the Stl files for a fusion its pretty easy to change for any other sedan.

 

idk ... anyway 



 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
On 5/1/2022 at 6:07 AM, Kdaporcupine said:

From what I’ve researched

i could probably get away with a 45Kwh battery using lifepo4 batteries

so the current EV battery in our cars use 84 3.2v 25ah batteries for a total voltage of 300v. Now from my understanding, recent batteries have gotten smaller and higher capacity

 

so if I were to take this project on I would get 84 3.2v 150ah batteries (which is where I got the 45Kwh from)

If I split the rows into 4 or 5 I’d be able to keep the a similar trunk space (of course through assumptions of basic measurements with WxHxL of a single cell and measuring the size of the battery in the trunk.)

I looked up the dimensions of the battery cells I want to use and they’re 

7.9” H

8.2” L

1.32” W

xxxx

xxxx so instead of two rows horizontally I’d do 4 or 5 rows vertically

and I’ve considered the weight so I’d probably have to get stiffer suspension

 

Other things I’ve considered: upgrading the charge input, but I concluded that without installing a water cooling system for the batteries it won’t be possible because the heat output would be too much for the air cooled system and also the orange connectors are a different style so without wiring diagrams I wouldn’t be able to properly change the plugs

reason that i wanted to do it: the charging rate is at 14a or 3.3kw. So I wanted at least a 30a charger but the only one I found was a 6.6kw which would decrease charge time by half. Especially if I do upgrade the battery but anything higher than a 3.3kw charger requires a water cooling system

 

i wouldn’t be able to confirm anything until I actually remove the battery cover and inspect how the batteries are packed. And if I’d be able to remove all the wiring and maybe make a custom enclosure.

 

my reasoning to why it could be done:

As long as I stay at 300v of what our batteries are rated at and just increase capacity then it should work. Other people have taken parts from EVs and thrown whatever battery they can find and make it work. The computer on board is smart enough to know when the capacity of the battery is lower because it tells us our range left after years of degradation. so I’m assuming that the computer is also smart enough to know when the range is higher but the voltage is the same so not frying anything on the inside

 

Like I said before it’s a hypothetical and I wouldn’t take the project on for maybe another year for when my HVB battery is closer to maybe 1.5kwh since it’ll just be like having a basic hybrid. And since ford won’t do anything to help I see no point in paying nearly 8k to replace a battery with 1/25th of a Tesla battery when they’re about 20k for 75kwh

oh and that’s also another thing

ive messaged a seller on alibaba and for 84 cells I’m looking to spend about 3k on the batteries with shipping included

below I’ll put the links that I’ve used to calculate stuff and where I found the amount of batteries we have in our energis


https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1115817_2019-ford-fusion-energi-plug-in-hybrid-gets-25-miles-from-revised-battery

“The new battery continues to hold 84 individual lithium-ion cells, though it weighs 3 percent more than the previous version.“

 

battery size calculator 

https://www.inchcalculator.com/ah-to-kwh-calculator/
type 150 for the amps

300 for the v

and youll get the 45Kwh 


the manual to remove the HVB In a safe manner

https://elvsolutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2017-Fusion-MKZ-HEV-Battery-Removal-Guide-Final.pdf

 

Dimensions for the battery cells

https://www.lifepo4-battery.com/Products/CATL-Battery/CATL-CB260-150ah.html


charge rate calculator

https://www.homechargingstations.com/ev-charging-time-calculator/

 

I’ve had fun looking all this up so I do think it’s feasible. I have the tools to do it. I would just need the time and money haha.

@Kdaporcupine, any update on this project? I’m in the same boat and would love to do this myself if your concept worked out

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