Battery arrival

Batteries have arrived!

It's been a month or so since I ordered my batteries but they have finally come in.  For this build I wanted to go with a reputable battery manufacture that is known for there consistent battery performance and reliability.  For this reason I selected the China Aviation Lithium Battery Company (or CALB) as my battery manufacturer of choice.  The next decision that had to be made was how much was I willing to spend and how far did I want to go.  I reviewed my average daily commute and then mapped out the furthest point which I would typically go with any regularity and determined that a 40 mile range would meet my needs sufficiently for 90+ percent of the time.

Two crates from China with thirty 100Ah Cells totaling 96volts

I quickly removed the strapping with the claw end of the hammer and pried the top off (I would not recommend using a hammer for strap removal normally but it's what I had handy).  I pulled each cell out visually inspecting each one (I will check the voltage on each cell later this week).

The first three cells out of the box!

All 30 cells lined up sequentially by serial number

Weight reduced flywheel

I also got back the flywheel from the original engine (which has been sold!).  The flywheel gear has been machined off (thanks to my advisor Lowell) as well as some additional material around the outside to lighten it up a bit.  Unfortunately I didn't weigh the wheel before it was machined however it was estimated that about a pound of material was removed.  Every little bit helps.  I'll have the clutch and clutch plate mounted up and take it for balancing shortly.

Lightened flywheel ready for balancing with the clutch

More Parts on the Way

Now I am back to waiting for more deliveries.  For the remaining drive train components I ordered the RebirthAuto Classic VW Performance/Mileage Kit.  I spoke to Steve at Rebirth Auto who was very helpful in setting me up with my kit.  I upgraded to the Netgain Warp9 rather then sticking with the standard Kostov.  I did stay with the Evnetics Soliton Jr. for this build as I am only running 96 volts right now and couldn't justify the extra cost associated with putting a Soliton1 in there.  Steve was gracious enough to give me a EVCCON discount as I will be bringing the car to Missouri this fall to show and drive during the event.

In addition to the drive components which are very important I also have ordered disk brake conversion kits for the front and rear wheels of the beetle.  With all this new power behind my little super beetle I am not so confident in the original drum brakes having the necessary stopping power.

Lastly for this week I have a slight deviation from the Beetle to the new towing package and trailer purchased for the drive to Missouri.  A new hitch and wiring system have been installed on my girlfriends trusty Chevy Equinox and I purchased a Beetle sized trailer from Harvey Trailer in Bangor.  Now the trick is to keep the weight of the Beetle and Trailer under 3500 pounds so as not to max out the Equinox!

Parking the trailer next to the shed until a more permanent home is created

Wood mounted on the front and sides to protect against road debris

Look for new parts deliveries in my next update!  If you have any comments or question please leave them below.