“CO2 LES”
Converting A Gas Powered
Corolla Wagon into an
Electric Family Hauler
By Sten Mander
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6:
Part 7:
The car selection process
Removing the gasoline components
Power to manual steering conversion
Installing the motor
Rear batteries and charger
Instrumentation
Brakes and suspension
Part 1: The Car Selection Process
I need a light car
that is large enough
to take two kids in car
seats to school…
I chose a 1991 Toyota Corolla station wagon with a
good body and a clean interior.
Then I installed a tow bar so I could tow the car home
after the engine was removed.
I have driven the car about 500 miles.
The odometer is now at 195,000.
Next, the engine and all the gasoline parts
needed to go.
Part 2: Removing the Gasoline Components
The Casa Grande Auto Tech class removed the engine,
gas tank and exhaust system.
This is the 4- cylinder gasoline engine out of the car.
The stock exhaust system weighs about 20 pounds.
Then I towed the car home and put it in my garage.
This is what the engine compartment looked like.
Part 3: Power to Manual Steering Conversion
I had to replace the power steering rack
with a manual steering rack because there is no
engine to turn the pump.
This is what the stock power steering pump and rack
looks like out of the car.
The manual steering rack (above) has a shorter and
narrower pinion gear…
compared to the power rack (below).
Compare the two steering yokes:
The manual rack yoke (above)
and the larger diameter power rack yoke (below).
Compare the 2 steering shafts:
The power rack shaft is shorter (top).
The manual rack shaft is longer (bottom).
The biggest problem I had with the power steering
swap was finding this cover for the manual rack.
Part 4: Installing the motor
This is the 8-inch D and D motor, coupler and adapter
plate from Wilderness Electric Vehicles.
Ack! The adapter plate that came with the kit was
rough and warped!
Ack! The coupler that came with the kit wobbled
because it was not welded straight!
The first step to installing the electric motor
is making a model.
I got the idea for my car from another Toyota Corolla
wagon conversion I saw on EV Album.com.
John Balon, my neighbor, made this fixture to find the
exact middle of the new adapter plate.
It was super difficult. Thanks John!!
For my 47th birthday, I worked on the car with Rob at
JRL Machine for 12 hours at $100/hour! Yowza!!!
Ack! The original transmission leaked oil and made a
grinding noise going into second gear
so it had to be rebuilt.
The lower cross member is in the way, so half the
adapter plate is bolted to the trans-axel…
Cross
member
…and the other half of the adapter plate (a flange) is
bolted to the motor before the motor is installed.
Flange
Notice the
direct
motor
coupler,
no clutch.
Rob at JRL
Machine cutting
a notch in the
motor holder
for my floor
jack.
I made a special motor holder for my floor jack. The
motor weighs about 100 pounds!
Installing the motor does not even require the removal
of the wheels!
The motor adapter is held in place while it is bolted in.
Notice the clear heater hoses.
The motor is bolted to the trans-axel. Next, the motor
end plate will hang from the stock motor mount.
Stock
motor
mount
This is the 8-inch motor installed at both ends before
the steel was powder coated.
Notice the MES 120V DC heater and 8-inch motor are
installed. The front battery rack mount is being
attached to the motor end plate.
The motor end
plate is made of
heavy, ¼ inch
steel.
We call it
“Nevada.”
Here is Rob
at JRL Machine
holding the finished
motor end plate.
Fitting the front battery rack.
Ack! The front batteries won’t fit
because the heater hoses are in the way
This shows the black pre-molded heater hoses and the
8-inch motor after the steel parts were powder coated.
Part 5: The Rear Batteries and Charger
Before installing the rear battery rack, I had the spare
tire tub sprayed with Rhino Liner to protect it from any
acid that may drip.
After the Rhino Liner was sprayed and the charger
installed, I ran a PVC conduit for the welding cable from
the engine compartment to the spare tire tub.
The PVC plastic conduit for the welding cable enters
the spare tire tub from the front, underneath the floor.
A galvanized steel battery rack is installed over the
coated spare tire tub and bolted to the car in 10 places!
Battery
charger
The next layer is the bottom of the battery box, made
of ¾ inch thick Star Board plastic.
The bottom of the battery box has a drain so any acid
that drips can be rinsed outside the car.
Sten is covering the stainless steel battery hold-down
tubing with a layer of heat shrink rubber to protect it
from corrosion.
Eight rear batteries are secured with six 3/8 stainless steel rods
and two pieces of 1 inch square coated stainless steel tubing.
This is the rear battery compartment complete and
ready for the cover. Approximate weight: 775 pounds.
This is a close up of the Quick-charge 120V charger.
The is a rain proof marine charging outlet
rated at 120V 30A.
The Watts-Up Pro data logger keeps track of hours,
Kilowatt hours, Volts, Amps and even dollars!
Part 6: Instrumentation
This shows the temporary dash board. From the
left: motor Amps, motor RPM, speedometer,
odometer and motor temperature.
The console has a battery indicator and a volt meter.
The car goes about 2 1/2 miles for each bar and it
charges at 136 Volts.
Part 6: Brakes and Suspension
This is the MES vacuum pump for the brake booster. The car
weighs 3200 pounds and really needs power brakes!
This is the current engine compartment. Eventually,
the wiring will be covered with black flexible loom.
Vacuum
pump for
the brake
booster
The Spring-Works in Santa Rosa made the 900 pound
over weight springs for the rear of the car.
Ernesto at Bosh Automotive is removing the stock
springs with a spring compressor.
Compare the new spring (top)
to the stock spring (bottom).
The new spring fitted in the rear of the car
at Bosh Automotive.
My son Erik and the Corolla with the new springs installed
before the 660 pounds of batteries and the 100 pound battery
rack and platform were installed.
The top of the rear
wheel arch
was 28 inches high!
Erik Mander and the Corolla with the new springs and the
batteries installed. The top of the rear wheel arch is now 25
inches from the ground, down 3 whole inches!
For every 14 miles I drive the electric car, I save $3.00
in gas compared to driving my truck.
Design and Build Team Members
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Tow Bar:
Engine Removal:
Brake Vacuum Pump & Heater:
Original Conversion kit:
Manual Steering Rack:
Adapter Plate Modifications:
Machine Work:
Galvanized Battery Racks:
Undercoating:
Star board and Charging Outlet:
Batteries and Welding cable:
Road Master, Or
Casa Grande Auto Tech, Ca
Metric Mind, Or
Wilderness Electric Vehicles, Ut
Truck world USA, Ca
John Balen, Ca
JRL Machine, Ca
Beauchamp Welding, Ca
Rhino Lining
Fred Fritz Electronics, Ca
Battery Systems, Ca
More Team Members
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Custom Rear Springs:
Spring Installation:
Transmission Rebuild:
Motor and Controller upgrade:
State of Charge Gage :
Safety Concepts :
Heinemann Safety Breaker:
Instrumentation:
Final Assembly Inspection:
Ca
Strong Helpful People:
Other Conversions:
Spring-works, Ca
Bosh Automotive, Ca
Trans-man, Ca
Electric Vehicles of America, NH
KTA Services, Ca
Chris Jones, Ca
EV Parts, Wa
Westberg Manufacturing, Ca
Tony Travis, Ship Shape Marine,
John Shribbs, Todd Creighton, Ca
www.evalbum.com