This blog documents the restoration, and conversion, of a 1965 Humber (Singer) Vogue to a fully electric vehicle. The Vogue will be powered by an 11kW(modified), 3 phase industrial AC motor, controlled by an industry standard Variable Speed Drive (VSD) or Inverter. To be able to produce the 400 volts phase to phase the VSD will need about 600 VDC of batteries. A big thanks to the contributors on the AEVA forum: http://forums.aeva.asn.au/forums/

Friday, June 7, 2013

No Problem Charging in the Rain

The Vogue was the last of three cars into our single lane driveway last night. I took the opportunity to measure up the shortest reasonable length of extension cord that would make it from the mains timer in the carport to the car and cut down my 25 meter Bunnings cord to 12 meters. I haven't blogged it yet, but the socket end now has a custom "shroud" on it that covers the Vogue fuel inlet nicely. Water is directed via a lttle moat through a tube to underneath the car. That's the original system. Anyway, it charged with no problem and this morning when I unplugged the cord from the car the pug was dry. The hinged fuel cover was another matter but a quick dry with a towel helped before closing it - I'll make up a plastic "sock" of some sort for that - no biggy.

As I left it last night.

I added this next photo to this post on the 29th July. The white part of the socket is a $2.50 plumbing fitting cut to size and glued on so that is extends about 3mm past the end of the extension cord's socket. Since the Vogue's plug is elevated above the "moat" by the same amount, it forms a splashproof connection. You can see the drain hole which goes via a plastic hose in the boot (the original) down through to under the car. I have now charged several time in pouring rain with no water at all getting under the socket.

That's not my 150K Ohm resistor - it's in the original sealed socket! The socket has a pathetic little red LED that is barely visible when the power is on.

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