Graphics Applied

In preparation for the Austin Maker Faire event, today we had vehicle graphics applied. A combination of vinyl, non-removable lettering and magnetic signs were used so that we can scale the graphics up or down depending on the event. Milton Jr. at Davis Sign Company in San Rafael California was extremely helpful with this part of the project.

Trim Panel Reinstalled

The left trim panel was cut easily with a utility knife. Here it is shown reinstalled around the charger.

 

Later I will have a cover installed to protect and further secure the charger area.

Charger Installed

The charger was then bolted onto the charger mounting plate. Note the built in fans on the top of the charger. One person told me these fans blow out (up). Since the charger cooling fans I installed earlier are near the bottom, I may need to open the charger and reverse the direction of these fans. This is very easy since the cover and fans are held with only 12 screws.

Charger Mounting Plate

In order to securely mount the charger, I had a piece of 16 gauge sheet metal cut. Then I welded and drilled mounting points. Finally I welded nuts to receive the charger bolts.

 

I’d like to see a PHEV kit manufacturer make these professionally with a variety of threaded holes to receive a variety of charger makes and models.

Charger Fans Location

This is another photo of the charger cooling fans to give a better idea of their placement.

Charger Cooling Fans Installed

As the charger operates and as the new PHEV battery pack charges and discharges, heat will be generated. The charger will automatically reduce the current flow to the batteries if the temperature gets too hot (currently over 104 degrees). These cooling fans will exhaust the hot air from the charger and batteries out of the vehicle. They are installed over an OEM flapper vent that is intended to let air out of the vehicle and prevent atmospheric pressure inside the cabin.

Battery Box Installed in Vehicle

The battery box was installed in the vehicle with a helper in about an hour. This involved removing the plastic cargo tray above the spare tire then marking and drilling holes in the floor of the vehicle. The box base was then bolted through the floor. Steel flat bar was used on the underside of the vehicle to distribute the load of the box over a wider area. I’m considering changing the flat bar to angle iron to allow me to weld the angle iron to the frame of the vehicle.

Note: The gas springs are unattached at this point because the battery weight has not yet been added to the vehicle.

Low Power Cables

These low power cables from Hybrid Plugs (see links) are primarily used to connect the PHEV control board to the various relays and fans that will be necessary for paralleling the PHEV battery pack with the OEM pack.

Top View of Battery Box

The battery boxes from Plug-In Supply can be preloaded with High Voltage components if desired. Going counter-clockwise from the upper left corner, this box has a shunt (for current measurements), high voltage contactor relay #1, fingerless fuse holder #1, high voltage contactor relay #2, fingerless fuse holder #2, heat sink with a diode bridge, charger interlock relay, control circuit board, and a low voltage power supply. There are also two cooling fans and one GFCI mounted on the left side of the box. A single battery of the 20 total required is also shown.

Tilting Steel Battery Box

Keeping batteries secure is vital to vehicle crash-worthiness, therefore a well made battery box is a necessity. However, it’s important to note that it’s impossible to know how these modifications will behave in an accident without professional crash testing. Because this type of testing is not available to the do-it-yourselfer, I selected this box because of it’s steel construction. It also has the ability to raise for access to the spare tire. It’s available from Plug-In Supply (see links).