These past months have been filled with planning and hunting for key components to move my EV conversion of the 1971 Roundie know as Phaedrus forward. I've been following auctions for wrecked Leafs to source both the electric motor and battery pack, with a focus on the 2018 or later models that feature the third generation ZE0 motor stack with a 110kwh inverter and 40-62kwh battery packs. This newest motor offers 147HP and 236 ft/lbs of torque across the entire power band, which would give the conversion substantially more oomph than the stock motor I've pulled. 

I landed one from a salvage yard between Boston and Providence a couple of weeks ago and made the 10-hour roundtrip trek to haul it home to NJ.

I've also been busy organizing a new kind of cooperative group called electr0motiv to make classic car EV conversions faster, easier and more affordable by working together.  We're also calling the collaborative approach an EV Builder Guild because part of the mission is to facilitate learning, training and knowledge sharing so that more people can develop skills to do EV conversions. The idea is that a network of regional cooperatives can help convert DIY into Do-It-Ourselves, and make the conversion process more social and fun. For now, we're functioning through a Facebook group -- which you all and anyone you know who may be interested are welcome to join.

Meanwhile, with the stack back at home, I enlisted my college and high school age sons on XMas day to help me hoist it out of the Ford Flex and get it into the garage. I also broke the motor stack down, taking off the Powder Distribution Module on top, and the reduction gear box off the back of the motor. 

That will make it a little easier to test fit the motor in the engine bay. The plan is to connect the motor directly to the four-speed manual transmission, via a frabricated coupler and an adapter plate. Utilizing the manual transmission will enable the right RPM range to the drive train -- otherwise I would require some other kind of reduction gearbox. The one I took off the stack is intended for the front wheel transverse configuration in the Leaf.

Procuring a battery pack with 40kwh or more of capacity is the next big challenge. Along with it is the work to fit that capacity into two battery boxes split between the trunk and the engine compartment to preserve the 2002's weight balance. While there is some weight reduction gains from the motor swap, exhaust and gas tank deletion, the batteries are likely to weigh between 600-800 lbs, so there may be some need to beef up the suspension with both the slightly greater gross weight and the significant power and torque gains.

Other big considerations are the Vehicle Control Unit and Battery Management System boxes needed to  talk to the inverter to send power through the system and to manage the batteries and charging systems. I'll also need to find solutions for electric heating and a vacuum pump to replace the brake vacuum booster.

As always I welcome input, feedback, ideas and support on how to accomplish this conversion, on everything from figuring out how to mount the motor stack in the engine bay to leads on a battery pack or the other components needed to get this 2002tee back in the fast lane.   

What's more, this new EV Builder Guild needs smart folks like those in this great community to grow the group and bring along their restoration expertise and technical gumption. Happy New Year!