[Caevlist] 2000 Corbin Sparrow

Tue Oct 17 13:16:10 PDT 2023

Thank you, Paul!

I will send all of this information over to Bob. I’m definitely a fan of
used Nissan leafs, they are a really good deal.

This is definitely a just for fun project and very periodic driving so I
appreciate the wealth of information that has been shared here. I’ve
relayed all of it to my friend Bob, thanks again!

On Tue, Oct 17, 2023 at 09:32 Paul Wallace <ianaudio at peak.org> wrote:

> Stephen,
> my 2 cents worth.  Looking at the layout in photos of the present battery
> location for the 13 Yellowtops, I think that to go to a Lithium based
> chemistry best plan would be lithium iron phosphate cells.  Sitting on
> lithium ion cells without some sort of very secure container doesn't appeal
> to me.  Lithium iron phosphate cells are intrinsically safe and don't
> suffer from thermal runaway at end of charge.  You will need about 4 cells
> per yellowtop and then one additional cell per every 10 cells to get a
> roughly equivalent pack voltage to the 13 yellowtops.  A good number is
> probably 56 cells.  The charger will probably need to be reprogrammed for
> the new chemistry, taper current, and final off charge voltage.  You will
> need a BMS as well, like an Orion 2 72 channel unit at about $1600.  Off
> charge voltage for 56 cells of this type will be about 201vdc so all
> components powered by the traction pack and the charger will need to be
> checked for compatibility with this voltage.  Dropping down to 52 ish cells
> might make all the difference in practicality of the conversion.  The
> yellow tops are 55ah at 13.1vdc nominal for 720wh each or a full pack of 13
> 9366wh total.  The CALB CA40 cells are physically short enough to fit
> vertically in the same space as the yellowtops.  They are 40ah each at
> 3.2vdc or 128wh each.  Thus for 56 of them the total energy will be about
> 7168wh somewhat less than the original pack, but much stiffer voltage curve
> during discharge.  The CA100 cells are taller than the yellowtops so a
> horizontal stacking would probably be necessary.  They come out to 320wh
> per cell, for a total of 17920wh for the pack.  The 100ah cells are roughly
> $130 each in quantity, plus some shipping and handling for a box full.
> That would make the total cell cost about $7300.  Beyond that, there is the
> cost of mechanical structures and integration.  You can get an idea from
> this a rough idea of how much just the electrical update would be.  Then
> there are the other maintenance items you mentioned to deal with.  Makes
> buying a used Leaf look appealing cost wise.
>
> Paul
>
> ------------------------------
> *From: *"Stephen Hodges" <stephen at bosonhub.com>
> *To: *"Glenn Burket" <gburket at peak.org>
> *Cc: *"Corvallis EV CLub" <caevlist at caevclub.org>
> *Sent: *Monday, October 16, 2023 3:07:07 PM
>
> *Subject: *Re: [Caevlist] 2000 Corbin Sparrow
>
>
> Hi all!
> Thanks for the input, I shared with others here that I am just doing a
> feasibility study for my friend who owns it - he would prefer to get it
> going for the purposes of short runs into town, going to a car show here
> and there, etc. Not for daily use!
>
> It's down in Central California and he can tow it somewhere if he has some
> ideas of numbers. I understand there are lots of options, he is trying to
> figure out cost/benefit at this point.
>
> Thanks again for all the input and if there are some general numbers
> anyone can share, I would appreciate it!
>
> Stephen
>
> Stephen Hodges
> Managing Director
>
>
> *https://bosonhub.com <https://bosonhub.com>*
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 1:05 PM Glenn Burket <gburket at peak.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Stephen,
>>
>> I have a general design, fabrication, and repair business with some EV
>> experience and parts (new and used controllers, chargers, etc.) . If you
>> would like some help with your project, please contact me.
>>
>> Re what Kirk is referring to for stability, at least one vehicle
>> manufacturer added a thick lead plate to the bottom of their EV to restore
>> stability when they switched from LA to lithium batteries.
>>
>> These days, you can pick up a used Leaf, after rebates, for ~$2K (is this
>> still correct?). You would have a much safer and more practical vehicle
>> than the Sparrow. Maybe you just want a unique vehicle to blast around town
>> and short distances. You would certainly get a lot more attention!
>>
>> Glenn
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> *From: *"Kirk Swaney, SHIFT Electric Vehicles LLC" <kirk at SHIFTev.com>
>> *To: *"Stephen Hodges" <stephen at bosonhub.com>, "Corvallis EV CLub" <
>> caevlist at caevclub.org>
>> *Sent: *Monday, October 16, 2023 7:58:27 AM
>> *Subject: *Re: [Caevlist] 2000 Corbin Sparrow
>>
>> Hi Stephen,
>>
>> Sounds fun. Most sparrows used a simple series-wound brushed dc motor and
>> Curtis 1209 controller.  There are many on evAlbum.com. Perhaps one thats
>> been converted to lithium by someone who would share the e perience with
>> you?
>>
>> Optima yellow or blue group 34 will cost more than lithium. Keep in mind
>> that with conversion of batteries to lithium comes conversion or
>> replacement of the charger too, and the addition of a BMS + integration
>> time. A good learning project.
>>
>> The lead weight added stability, so keep CG in mind with lithium
>> placement. Especially since it's on 3 wheels. I rolled an electric 3
>> wheeler in 1996 and it took the joy right out of the ride lol.
>>
>> Kirk
>>
>> -------- Original message --------
>> From: Stephen Hodges <stephen at bosonhub.com>
>> Date: 10/15/23 10:10 PM (GMT-08:00)
>> To: Corvallis EV CLub <caevlist at caevclub.org>
>> Subject: [Caevlist] 2000 Corbin Sparrow
>>
>> Hi all
>>
>> A friend of mine has a Corbin Sparrow and we are considering a
>> restoration for my YouTube channel. However, we’re not quite sure where to
>> start. Regardless, we want the car back on the road. Any input would be
>> helpful, especially on the cost of batteries.
>>
>> Condition: (from the owner)
>>
>> “Does TheBadIdeasGarage want to work on then do a review of my 2000
>> Corbin Sparrow? It needs all batteries replaced. 13 optima yellow top
>> 34’s.  Also needs Brake work since it’s not need driven for at least 3
>> years. And who knows what else.”
>>
>> We certainly do not have the capabilities to do major work, however, he
>> is perspectively interested to see what it would be cost wise to upgrade to
>> lithium batteries. Apparently, there are folks who have done this around
>> the country. I thought I would start with our group First, I know ShiftEV
>> is obviously a part of it. He is trying to do a cost benefit analysis
>> before replacing the batteries with what is there.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have an image attached, not sure if that is going to come through.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
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>
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