Electricfly Sheds Pounds, Suddenly!

On March 16, 2011, at about 2:30 P.M. - electricfly lost about 10 lbs all of a sudden when a Cube Van squeezed by where it was parked, pushing it forward 4-6" (Even though the brakes were on!), crushing the lower right corner of the Hatchback frame, and blowing out the back glass! With the Backwindow gone - it was about 10 lbs lighter!

That is based on the glass that I swept up at the time, compared to what I picked up today from what remained that I removed, and while I don't have the hard figures it would appear - based on the weight of theglass that remained, compared to the volume that blew out - that it should have been about 10 lbs!

We Still did the "electricfly Aero Mods" Event, and as the weather was a bit wet we mostly discussed possible mods to the car inside, until the end of the Event,when it began to dry out outside.

Today, I did some clean up on the Glass as I had finally some time to do so since confirming with the Insurance company that I am not at fault, and that they will cover the repair. In the process - I discovered that one of the two positive posts - the 'Traction' wiring - had actaully melted a significant portion of that post head, and it had 'drooled molten lead' down the side of the case, and onto the polypropylene ropes for the battery handle! (Good thing I was digging deep to vacuum out the shatered glass, or I might not have even noticed this one!)

I Alread had one copy of the new Power Battery High Rate AGM's that I was looking to switch the pack for while waiting on money for my Lithium cells, so I dissconected all th wires to the Battery #7, and swapped it out for the new AGM Power Battery! (Well - new to me and to Electricfly - actually a used UPS battery from an Industrial UPS set at work.)

Still need some washers to suit - since the bolt is an 8mm bolt instead of a 1/4" or 5/16" bolts as on the Trojan SCS150's installed before. Also - this means new nuts required as the exisiting wing nuts won't work, and the wiring lug end has a bit larger hole - more suited to 5/16" - hence the need for washers!

I will update with pictures later this week!

My first Event! "Electricfly Aero Mods" is coming

My first Event, learning about improving the aerodynamics of your and my vehicle - "Electricfly Aero Mods" is now being promoted, and runs on Sunday, April 10, 2011 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (ET).

Speakers wanted! If you have something to share on the subject topics, I am looking for Aeromod Instructors, Assistants, and Exibitors! If you just want to see and learn - Sign up as an
Aeromods Observer!.

Limited ticketing! This is a small group gathering, so please don't hesitate if you're thinking about joining us!

Need a 3D Solids Modeling CAD Program to design your Aeromods? Check out Alibre Design!

Event Registration Online for
Electricfly Aero Mods

NAIAS - Detroit Auto Show - Today!

Today is the first Public day for the Detroit Auto Show, also known as the North America International Auto Show!

I am in Windsor, Ontario - just about to get a bit to eat, check out, and then head accross the tunnel and go check out the show!!

Did not drive the Electricfly to the show, might not do that ever, but at least not before getting a good lithium pack installed (uploaded?) in it!

(Edited Sept.02, 2011, due to discovered typo!)

Not Just Electricfly Driver - Also EV Surge Editor and More!

While many people read my posts here like what they see, and many also watch in depth activities in the Electric Car Fields, I should point out that while I am working on the Battery Electric Research Vehicle I call electricfly, I also am the Editor of the Newsletter for the Electric Vehicle Society of Canada - called EVSurge, which we usually produce 6 times a year since I began, but 2010 had such a large increase of EV News, that both it's size and it's freqency have taken a bump up, with an extra issue in the spring, and more pages to share the increasing EV Content happening out there with members of the Electric Vehicle Society of Canada.

I am also Editor of their web site - www.evsociety.ca - and this year worked on two EV Shows with them: In the Spring we put together our first this year, and the first in many years they have been involved in - called EV Show & Shine, on April 10, 2010; followed by a fall show - EV Fest, Toronto's Premium Electric Vehicle Fall Festival, with it's own web site at www.evfest.ca!

If you want to know more about the Electric Vehicle Society of Canada - see the website - or if you're in the Greater Toronto Area - come by for a visit at one of our General Meetings - we meet 10 times a year on the Third Thirsday of the month, excepting July and Augus, at Centennial College - Ashtonbee Campus.

So if you see anything missing or out of date on the website there - well - that would be my bad! I also work in Aerospace which also has deadlines to meet with scheduled deliveries and such so I often have to choose who gets my energy - and in the end - work has to come before the Volunteer activities, though it has had it's moments of trade off -in the end it has to win. Looking for work in Aerospace? There are some job openings there at the moment!

Toronto Star: Homegrown EVs turn heads at Toronto show

Peter Gorrie covered our show last week, and the matter is presented - in a story by the same title as attributed to them in this blog post!

Peter Says "Most of the big names didn’t make an appearance.

No shiny Nissan Leafs, Chevy Volts or Mitsubishi i-Mievs.
Perhaps it was because the Electric Vehicle Society’s first annual autumn show was held at a Toyota-Lexus dealership near the corner of Eglinton Ave. and Leslie St.", and goes on with "Corporate competitors couldn’t have matched the array of Toyota Priuses — standard and plug-in hybrids, and a couple of all-electric conversions — that lined one side of the display area."

Then there was the reference to cars like mine - the blood, sweat, and even - yes, tears some times: "No matter, though: The stars for about 400 visitors last Sunday were mainly across the aisle; individuals who’ve caught the electric bug and created their own alternative wheels."

While I did get interviewd by Peter, I did not get quoted by him, but that might have been because another writer for the Toronto Star - Monte Gisborne - intervied me also, and was doing his own article, and while it is not online yet, it was in the Saturday, October 23, 2010 issue of the Star in Print - Wheels Section, along with Peters Story! That one has a paragraph about me, and a good shot of 'electricfly' - the Embroidered Front Seat Headrests, and Embroidered Ball Cap!

The Story - found at - the front cover - below the fold on the wheels section and online at http://www.wheels.ca/article/792247 did a pretty good job of telling it like it was and covered some of our better members projects in Southern Ontario! 

Jan Szott, with two of his projects - the Horseless Hybrid Carriage, and the Chassis of his future Electric Sportscar; Brian Kirk and Graham Lambert, with their 1983 Porsche 944 with Lithium Iron Phosphate Cells - made th cover of the Story;  Ken Roach’s 1995 Ford Escort now in phase two of PbA Battery Tests with some new ones I tracked down and he is testing; the UOIT Team with The blue Saturn Vue, and their exotic Lithium Polymer pack and exotic cooling and heating system for the cells; and Aaron Cake on his 10-year-old Honda Insight hybrid, which he got 'only' 3.8 l/100 km instead of his better 3.0 l/100 km! Aaron also brought his custom built, 48 volt, home built for abuse, scooter! Steve Dallas can be easily seen, but not heard, driving Toronto’s streets in his 'Little Yellow Car' officially called 'Project EVE', and all Electric Custom built, Prototype he hopes to produce!

Check out the Show info at http://www.evfest.ca/!