Electric conversation of Porsche 914

Abstract

With energy and environmental concerns becoming increasingly greater issues, electric vehicles are a promising alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles. More research and interest must be focused on battery technology and electric vehicles to make this a viable solution for the future of transportation. This project focuses on converting a 1974 Porsche 914, originally equipped with a 4-cylinder IC engine, into a full electric vehicle. The IC engine is replaced with a 50kW peak, 3-phase AC induction motor powered by twelve lithium-ion phosphate-metal cathode batteries. This paper goes through the conversion process as well as the necessary maintenance and driving techniques required to safely and efficiently operate an electric vehicle. Although the vehicle is complete it is currently in the debugging phase due to unforeseen electrical problems. The vehicle is planned to run by early June, 2007. Despite this setback, the project has been successful in starting a performance electric vehicle team, MIT EVT, and in increasing the appeal of electric vehicles in the MIT community.