Owner-converted 1990 Mazda Miata Electric Car
Tipster and reader of our site Manu shared a link to this 1990 Mazda Miata which has been converted to electric. This particular car is fully electric, not a biodiesel/electric hybrid like the one we showed you a bit earlier. Using thirteen Optima D31M 75AH Blue Top Marine deep cycle batteries, the car can cruise at up to 96 mph, although with severely limited range. At a more sedate speed or around town, the range would be much longer. The car is charged using power supplies capable of converting AC power to DC power, which has an output of "about 13.85 volts per battery." This means that the car can be plugged into an outlet at home (AC power), perhaps using a plug like what is used for your stove or dryer. The charging system then converts the AC power into DC power so that the batteries can accept the current. The motor is from ADC, one of the most popular manufacturers for electric conversions. This particular model can sustain about 20 hp and can supply burst of 85 hp, more than enough for a relatively lightweight car such as this. Controlling all the power is a motor controller from Curtis.
While a good deal of custom work was done on this car (and rather well we might add), conversion kits are becoming much more popular these days. If you are interested in information on where to find some of the components necessary for this type of job, leave a note in the comments and we'll direct you to the right places. And keep sending in those tips!
[Source: Bill Theeringer, h/t to Manu]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
paul 5:58AM (2/17/2008)
what would it cost to turn my 1998 mx5 to full electric
Reply
chris gilbert 8:33PM (3/04/2009)
ive got 43 cars now and im a avid colector od cars and i bought some optima yelow tops to which i found out the hard waty that these batteries are the biggest piece of shitttttttttttttt ive ever owned!! i had a prpblem with several of these batteries and called optima and they dont do nothingggggggggggggggg and when u ask where these batteries are made, they dont know !! theyre made in chinaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!! when asked who the ceo is they dont know !!!!!! its par ericson !!!!!! what a waste of my time and money getting these batteries !!!!!!!!!!!!!! junk junk junk !!!!!!! way too exspensive too !!!!!!! for the money these batteries shoild last way longer than a month!!!!!! ive got a 11 year old sears die hard battery starting my duramax diesel !!! if anyone would like to call me about this matter please feel free to email me at cjtreeservice1@yoo.com or call me at 352 812 2514 or 352 857 0214 my name is chris gilbert !!!!!!! have a good night !!! get differant batteries for your car and project !!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
rod thompson 1:48PM (6/13/2009)
I do a show called The Electric Farmer. I own a 93 Miata. I want to convert it to electric and feature the conversion process on my show.
Anybody done a miata conversion?
I need to know the best way to convert. The best parts. And the best range. I need a car with a fifty mile range at a consistent 50mph speed.
Cost is a big factor. I dont want people to make conversions like this unless the conversion cost pays for itself in under 3 years. My show caters to middle class folks who can't afford a 25 thousand dollar new car.
Since the vast majority of people commute to work at a cumulative 50 miles per day, this technology could mean the end of all oil imports. And if we all make the conversion and add solar panels to our rooftops, we drive down the cost of the electricity needed to make the swap.
Since the solar panel collects electricity at peak power rates and we charge our cars at night off peak, the swap means we make money in the process. And no extra grid infrastructure is needed.
Reply
EV-propulsion.com 11:22AM (7/28/2009)
Hi,
We convert miatas to electric power, we are just finishing up a 1990, automatic trans, power steering, and air conditioning model. You can see it a www.EV-propulsion.com
Thanks for looking!
Mike
Reply
p4ul1977 1:51PM (9/10/2007)
where can the conversion components be found? Links appreciated!
Reply
EV-propulsion.com 11:14AM (7/28/2009)
Hi,
We have a conversion kit or individual parts available for the miata conversion, plus others!
Check out www.EV-propulsion.com Thanks for looking!
Mikw
Manu Sharma 2:20PM (9/10/2007)
Thanks Jeremy!
Paul, EV conversion is a thriving community with the most popular place to hang out being the EV discussion list. While list volume can be high for a new comer, you'll get tons of excellent advice and lots of people to help you if you choose to take the route.
http://www.madkatz.com/ev/evlist.html
Also see EV world for articles: http://www.evworld.com
And EV Album for pictures and details dozens of conversions: http://evalbum.com/
Check resources section for components.
Reply
Manu Sharma 2:24PM (9/10/2007)
Sorry, here's the correct link for EV discussion list: http://www.evdl.org/
Reply
p4ul1977 4:42PM (9/10/2007)
thx!
Reply
grimmex 5:35PM (9/10/2007)
This isn't really news. There's a smallish EV conversion community on the internet, with literally hundreds or thousands of stories about conversions like these that date back to the 70's. There's no new technology involved with the vast majority of the conversions - most people just use Lead-Acid batteries - and the range or performance (pick one) is typically pretty bad.
What *would* be news, is if someone somehow managed to pick up a lithium ion battery for their conversion at a decent price and did the conversion. But the price of these batteries tends to be out of reach for most hobbists.
Reply
Jeremy Korzeniewski 5:46PM (9/10/2007)
Grimmex - Agreed. There are many, many documented stories similar to this. I liked what the owner did with this one, though... which is why I decided to write about it. Why not?
Also, it is becoming more and more common to use new-tech lithium ion batteries from cordless drills in conversions. Take a look at the electric helicopter and large-scale airplane hobbies. You probably already knew that, though... but that goes for any of our other interested readers.
Reply
Joseph 6:23PM (9/10/2007)
"This isn't really news"
So? The same basic stories are repeated on the news all the time.
And it is an accomplishment to make a car electric. It takes lots of time, money, dedication, and effort. I've never made one myself, but I am heavily looking into it.
Reply
Manu Sharma 6:58PM (9/10/2007)
Treehugger just did a story on converting a gas car to an Electric. I'd love to see ABG do a similar but more thorough post - perhaps series of posts - on the topic. Maybe by inviting a guest expert?
I think a lot of people would be interested in reading it.
Reply