Putting it all together
In part ten I’m ready to flick the switches!
The main advice I received before flicking the switch is to make sure I have taken safety precautions. This involves making sure the car is off the ground! It’s necessary because the throttle has not been calibrated and the motor is very likely to start turning.
The first step is to check, and check again, that I have wired-up the batteries correctly. When I was totally satisfied I turned the two dual pole isolation switches — even though I was sure there would be no problem it was still a nervous moment!
Nothing went bang!
The next step was to turn on the ignition switch (after checking the contactor box wiring again). I turned the ignition switch. The contactors clicked and the engine started rotating. Wow! It was actually working.
The next step was to calibrate the throttle and brakes. When done, the motor stopped turning until I actually pressed the throttle pedal.
The other important piece of advice I received was to test and prove the battery charger system was working, and then charge the battery, before driving the car. It would be a bad look to flatten (and potentially damage) the battery during the first drive of the car.
With the help of John at EV West I set up the battery monitor system and then plugged eTrixie into the mains 240v for the first time — the battery charger whirred into life and the batteries started charging.
Juicecord and accompanying smartphone app
I’m currently using a Juicecord 8 amp from juicepoint.co.nz which operates with any New Zealand standard 3 pin 10 amp domestic wall socket. This awesome cord is WiFi enabled and I can monitor the mains AC charging parameters with my smartphone.
The cool thing is that I can take this cord with me and sip some power from any power point when I go visiting!
As eTrixie is equipped with a 2.5kW charger the Juicecord is almost a perfect match. I have also recently changed my electricity provider to Ecotricity, they are passionate about EVs and sustainability — a no brainer for EV owners.
After all that eTrixie is ready to drive!!!
Read more about the conversion:
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Electric certification in part one
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Power and brakes in part two
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Removal of petrol components in part three
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Flywheel and clutch upgrades in part four
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The AC induction motor in part five
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New Fuel in part six
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High Currents in part seven
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The Loom in part eight
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Keeping it cool in part nine
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Putting it all together in part 10 (including a video of the first drive!)
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Bottom balancing and battery management systems in part 11
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Getting the certification examination in part 12
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eTrixie the Movie! Video walk through
