carnut1100's i MiEV

Post up a thread for your EV. Progress pics, description and assorted alliteration
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offgridQLD
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Post by offgridQLD »

Funny all this talk of trailers and utes. On the weekend I took the guy aross the road for a spin in the Imiev. He runs a small business and has about 5 utes on the road for it. One of the utes costs him $300 a week in diesel to keep on the road. The first question he asked me after getting out of my EV as. How much would it cost to convert a ute to electric with a 150km max range mixed driving.

I think small trucks and utes make great ev candidates.

Is the Brumby a legal 3 passenger up front? I was looking around at some small utes a while back but not many of the new ones are 3 seats up front.

Kurt
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Post by 4Springs »

offgridQLD wrote: Is the Brumby a legal 3 passenger up front?

Nah, two bucket seats. Comfort over practicality!
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Post by acmotor »

offgridQLD wrote: Funny all this talk of trailers and utes. On the weekend I took the guy aross the road for a spin in the Imiev. He runs a small business and has about 5 utes on the road for it. One of the utes costs him $300 a week in diesel to keep on the road. The first question he asked me after getting out of my EV as. How much would it cost to convert a ute to electric with a 150km max range mixed driving.
........
Kurt


So what was your answer ?
$30k, $50k, don't try, ?

$300/week in diesel at maybe $1.60/l is around 187litres at 10l/100km that is 1870km for say 5 days is 374km per day.

You'd need to buy a ute at preset iMiEV prices to make it an economic decision.

Not trying to be negative, just been there with the economic argument. That us why I wonder about your answer.
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offgridQLD
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Post by offgridQLD »

I think the ute in question is used 6 days a week and consumes a lot more than 10lt/100km perhaps 13 - 15lt 100 km so the km pr day would be less. (Some) of the older utility vehicles are shockers. It's only been the last few years that they have cleaned up there economy. My own 4wd ute is 7.2 - 8lt / 100km but it's one of the most economical modern 4wd Utes available.

I told him if you did a big chunk of the hard work yourself you might be able to get away with 25k for a 80 - 100km range - 35k for 160-200km range and that's best case. He understood that the biggest chunk of the cost is battery's (He also lives off grid so knows battery's aren't free). It would be a lot more if your paying people to get there hands dirty (as he would be because he isn't mechanical minded).

The car would be off the road for some time and you would have to be dedicated to see it all through (the good and the bad) It would be a project. In the end you might not save that much money. It would take a long time to get the money spent back in savings.

I told him that I would just hang tight and a OEM Ute will be available one day. Perhaps look at swaping that ute he has now for on one that is more economical as a start and I told him there are some Imievs available for 24k if he is looks for a small personal car to charge for free off grid.

In the end I look at it this way. At this stage in the game if you want to build your own ev your doing it because you want a car project and all the joy that brings to the table and not to save money. Most people want a turn key solution though. The other issue is a lot of people are not comfortable (or just don't have the ability) to fork out the 20,30,40k to make it happen and even if you could prove that over time they would be better of they would only consider a OEM option as they can get finance for it.

Personally I just like utes and all kinds from old VW utes to little mighty boys to old datsuns they are just very unpretentious vehicles that most people in Australia can relate to in some way. So as a project car and I will do one (one day).They are high on my list. Not to mention they have some great advantages with the battery placement and load capacity in or under the tray. ....."opens new tab in web browser to look at second hand utes "Image...one dayImage

Kurt
   
Last edited by offgridQLD on Tue, 11 Feb 2014, 04:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by carnut1100 »

In honour of the mighty i MiEV reaching the 10,000km milestone today, here are a few more pictures of it!

Image

Image



Image


Image


Image


Image


Still running like a dream....still being an awesome car!

Having two in the same family now is nice too...if multiple trips need to be made then one can be left charging while the other drives...but usually I take mine to work and she takes hers.
If I am doing gardening, which is usually on a Sunday, then I take the Hilux full of gardening gear...but otherwise I drive the i MiEV as much as possible.

Been stuck with the Hilux for the last few days though...hers is waiting on tyres.
Not long after getting it she bulged a sidewall on the front of hers in a pothole. We got a set of the Continental 155s put on it up front.
A few days ago on the same bit of narrow road she was forced to the side by an oncoming car and both left wheels caught the sharp edge of the tarmac where it had washed away and broken...blowing out both sidewalls, including one of the new Continentals...
So...a replacement Continental in 155 is on the way as well as a Continental in the 175 for the rear.
One week to order them...
So, as she has the longer commute therefore the greatest petrol saving, I am using the Hilux while she uses my i...

I will get photos of both cars together soon.
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Post by offgridQLD »

Nice pics, got that dramatic contrasty look going on. The wheels on the gen 1 are much nicer then Gen 2.

I know what your saying with the single lane roads that you have to pull onto the shoulder when oncoming traffic approaches. Our dirt road to our house like that. Though not a problem for eating up wheels as there isn't a transition lip from blacktop to dirt.

Though a road I went on a few weeks back to Kenilworth was a shocker, lots of traffic and one small one lane bitumen strip with all the sides eaten out and a huge transition lip and big pot holes. It's even more messed up from dairy cattle walking up and down the edges.

I posted up a few pics of ours around the house. Just taken with phone camera.

viewtopic.php?p=50709&t=3714#p50709

Kurt
Last edited by offgridQLD on Thu, 01 May 2014, 06:16, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by g4qber »

Carnut. Hv I noticed Loss in range with 155s?
Crosswinds are less of a Bother now
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Post by carnut1100 »

No range loss that we have noticed, but we have never monitored hers as closely as I have more so I can't be certain although any range loss would be small or we would have noticed.

Mine will need new tyres sooner than I hoped...gravel road and living at the top of a steep twisty hill with lots of corrugations means tyres wear like crazy here...

Those photos were taken with a Fuji X10 Which is a lovely camera...Almost as close as digital gets to the film experience...
Iirc I had it set to a film simulation mode to make the photos look like they were taken on Fujichrome Velvia slide film...which is fairly contrasty and saturated, especially reds are really punchy...
I do shoot slide film but I have to send it to Melbourne for processing now...
Photography is one of my passions...especially vintage cameras and film.
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Post by carnut1100 »

As promised a photo of both together!



Image
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Post by acmotor »

Nice camera. Can we get the traffic police to use one? It shows up number plates well Image

It would be interesting to know how many demo iMiEV purchasers had the wrap removed and who kept it.
The dealers seemed certain the wrap would be unwanted and were quick to offer to remove it.
Me, I think it looks great and is a great promotion. You can always remove it later to reveal a protected paint job. I hope.
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Post by carnut1100 »

That was our thinking also.
Free promotion for a cause we both like, and being on a gravel road with a dog that likes jumping up on the car door and small children etc...we think the paint will be nice in a year or two when the wrap starts looking scruffy.....

I know that for folks here in Tassie we aren't exactly hard to track down among all of the thousands of i MiEVs roaming the roads of the Apple Isle....however I don't put pics of my cars online as a rule with the number plates visible.

This photo was just taken with my phone...a Sony Xperia Z.
Camera is pretty average to be honest....my old iPhone one was much better.
The photos above taken with the Fuji X10 jut blow it out of the water.....
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Post by carnut1100 »

This might be the first i MiEV in Australia to be used as a wedding car.....but that is what will be happening later on today....
Just gone midnight and I'm off to bed in a minute, then up bright and early for final preparations for the big day.....

It really is amazing how much stuff can fit in one of these with the seats folded down....

Only hours to go, then I'll be locked in...very happy and I can't wait.
I'm a very lucky man...
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Post by carnut1100 »

Also, clocked up 13,000 since October....
Still running perfectly.
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Post by 4Springs »

carnut1100 wrote: Also, clocked up 13,000 since October....
Congratulations!
Oh, and on that other thing too...
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Post by Gabz »

carnut1100 wrote: This might be the first i MiEV in Australia to be used as a wedding car.....


looking forward to seeing wedding photos (something I never thought I would say on this forum)
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Post by carnut1100 »

Ended up going to the ceremony in separate i MiEVs and left together in the blue 2012...wasn't exactly a formal exit so probably no actual photos of it.....but I'll throw a couple of wedding pics up anyway.
When I get home that is....
Honeymoon is just a few days and fairly local, within ev range!
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Post by Johny »

Congrats carnut - I hadn't realized until now that it was YOUR wedding.
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Post by Adverse Effects »

[kidding on]

*cloeses his eyes*
*chants*
dont want to see Honeymoon pics
dont want to see Honeymoon pics
dont want to see Honeymoon pics

icky

[kidding off]
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Post by carnut1100 »

Lolz....no pics of the honeymoon!

Yeah, it was my wedding...was hoping someone would have got shots of us driving away...maybe they did on film but not on digital.
Most of the official shots were on film and I haven't got them back yet.
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Post by Johny »

Geez - you could have leapt out of the car, had someone pose next to your new wife, taken a couple of pics and kicked the poser out again.
...I guess it might have looked a bit odd.

BTW What ARE you doing on the forum at this time?
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Post by carnut1100 »

Back to normal life....we only took a couple of days off, stayed at a lovely B&B, then went back to work....
Planning on a nice longer trip for the first anniversary...


Image


I'm home sick today...my lovely wife made a big fuss,set me up with everything I need, even put some chicken soup on to cook...I'm not used to being looked after like this!
I like it though...

Image

My little sister made the cake from scratch, even did the roses by hand out of fondant....two of my brothers pulled out the stops to get the food ready, my whole family worked together to make it as close to perfect as it could be!
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Post by adelaide-ev »

Congratulations!
Lovely wedding pics and cake but .....where's a pic of the ev wedding cars???
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Post by carnut1100 »

someone forgot to take one.....
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Post by carnut1100 »

My wife's car has clicked over 20,000 km!
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Post by carnut1100 »

Well.....it looks as though we will have a late model Tarago in the driveway in the next week or two....which means an imiev needs to go...

I love mine.....love the styling, the keyless entry, the led headlights, the wheels, the auto folding mirrors.......but the 2012 is a better car.....more airbags and stronger regeneration...
So, the hard decision has been made.
We are selling mine and keeping hers.
On the condition that we keep the 2010 wheels........

Very soon a much loved 2010 will be on the market........with an upgrade to 2012 wheels!
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