Introducing ElectricDreams

Hi,

a new member signed up today from Qld and I thought some might be interested in what he has planned. Please don't scare Jason off by by using his plans as an excuse to drag out those old chestnut posts about EV and alternative fuels sources etc.





Hello, my name is Jason ........ and I live on Mount Tamborine Qld. I own a coupe trucks but they are a 2007 Mack, and a 2013 DAF models. I'd like to join your forum to learn about the Kenworth K100 or K123 primarily, however the Mack F600 or F700 is of interest.

I'm interested in sourcing, restoring, and recommission one of these mid 60s to late 70s prime movers back into active duty.

To be open about this project, I'd like to repower it via an electric motor. Given the price of diesel, my work requirements, my location, and heat and noise would not be an issue anymore, I think a modern electric spin to an old truck is ideal for me.

I asked the American Truck Historical Society Australian Chapter for help but they snubbed me. I am not after engineering advice, more truck specifications, detail, and experiences.

Now I get historical societies like to deal with vehicles as they were made. Believe me I have a father in-law who owns a couple 20's Rolls Royce, Merlin motors, and the series of Gardner motors to name a few. So I get keeping it original and how the manufacturer made it is preferred. I'd argue however for what it's worth, that is great for a vehicle that does the odd rally or run around the block. Back when that now vintage vehicles were in use, if it were to be repowered via a different or bigger motor, had power steering, better brakes, air conditioning or turbo fitted, extended, shortened, GVM upgraded, or whatever required to make a buck, few would have seen an issue. I respectfully expect my idea will off side the odd forum member, but essentially it still will be the truck made by the manufacturer just different. It will not also not cost 300K if one were ever to be manufactured.

Sooo that's my case. I'm hoping you are happy for me to climb on up.

Jason

Jason

My two bobs worth is anyone interested in old (or new) trucks, no matter their area - vintage, classic, modern or the weird and wonderful including your experiments is more than a welcome addition to our mob. If you have been looking at the forum you will see we often drift far from a direct connection but maintain member interest. We might be curmudgeons but we are interesting and interested curmudgeons. Please keep us up to date on your plans with photos of course.

Lang

Doubt it will be cheap.
Saw a clip on a mob in the US converting cars to electric, they were using wrecked Teslas for the parts and those conversions were in the 70K bracket.
Think there is another mob in Aus, maybe Vic who are converting classic cars.
Biggest headaches I see would be a motor of sufficient power and the size of the battery pack.
Cheers

Jason, if you can solve the technical aspects you will be ahead of the game.
Wish you every success. Paul.

Lang wrote:

Jason

My two bobs worth is anyone interested in old (or new) trucks, no matter their area - vintage, classic, modern or the weird and wonderful including your experiments is more than a welcome addition to our mob. If you have been looking at the forum you will see we often drift far from a direct connection but maintain member interest. We might be curmudgeons but we are interesting and interested curmudgeons. Please keep us up to date on your plans with photos of course.

Lang

Thanks Lang, I've been called many things over the years, but never a curmudgeon. That could be down to the company I keep, the biggest word, the cleverest person I've ever met, knew, was corrugatediron.

Do you mind if I ask who you spoke to in the ATHS Australia as I am a member and think it would be an idea worthy of a challenge

gee didn't think I would be sharing so much off the bat, but anyway hello all.

Its very early thoughts and to be honest I have no idea if it can be done. The ET sparked from the hybrid car my wife drives which charges fully, easily going down hill hills. I wondered if an electric truck rolling down hill creating all that energy could charge itself enough to get there and back.

I have found an Australian company promoting click clack batteries as the future. Their claim is 400 to 600km range on a 40T test truck with 4 minutes to swap out the battery. So a bit like a big battery operated power tool I guess. The kicker is you have a battery depo near by.

So I asked if their technology could accomodate regenerative charging, or whilst I'm loading up top on the hill could dit be charged. My day is 350km, so I'm somewhere in the park I think, I go down full and come back empty so an Et makes a lot of sense to me.

geoffb wrote:

Do you mind if I ask who you spoke to in the ATHS Australia as I am a member and think it would be an idea worthy of a challenge

Whoever takes care of the general inquiry emails. To be fair they just said they didn't provide engineering advice, and preferred trucks in their natural state so to speak. Fair enough. I sent them an email because I know my idea won't gell with some, so just wanted to be respectful of all you blokes doing great work with old trucks.

ED, See you already have a nickname.

Get into it and keep us posted how it goes.

I for one will be most interested in your exploits.

This link should give you a look at the B model I mentioned earlier

www.bigmacktrucks.com/gallery/album/1722-electric-conversion/


Paul