johnev's Blog

I wonder if we'll ever see a Leaf/Zoe etc SDV...

It should be possible to take the battery and motor/controller assembly out of a Leaf and build a kit car around it. In fact you might argue that the health of the kit car industry depends on it - in the long term anyway.

Looking great John.

Good to see your getting nearer to the finish line.

2 hours ago, johnev said:

It should be possible to take the battery and motor/controller assembly out of a Leaf and build a kit car around it. In fact you might argue that the health of the kit car industry depends on it - in the long term anyway.

Yeah, an awful lot of what-if's and "this needs to happen's" are required for it to work, but a part of me is actually quite excited for one possible future of the kit industry.

in time, there will be ever more electric vehicle donors about, that for reasons unique to mainstream electric cars,  become uneconomic to keep going.

However, when you don't care about destroying trim, or even bodyshells to get at the batteries and controllers and motors, that becomes a very different economic argument.

Of course, the batteries, at that point, may we'll be the prime reason for scrapping, as they get close to, or hit, their design lives. But one would hope, that by that stage in the electric cars life cycle, Independant companies would have sprung up offering more economic routes to changing the batteries, whether that's some kind of recycling scheme, or whatever.

Cheap(er), lighter batteries would be the game changer for the whole thing. Let's face it, we already drive cars for fun with an average 120/140 mile range!

I guess the main obstacle to kit electric cars is domain knowledge and the dreaded IVA.

It's not clear to what extent the battery safety regulation (Reg 100) is to be enforced but using a battery from an approved car (Leaf etc) could make the IVA less onerous.

I expect niche electronics companies will develop ECUs that could control the battery and drive train systems in second use applications - just as aftermarket EFI systems are available for engines - and honestly, electric cars are no more complicated - just different. I know of companies that have the knowledge to do this now.

Battery 'end of life' means 70-80% capacity left - still very usable in a light weight kit car and motors/controllers/chargers will perform as new after 10 years.