DriveEV.com: B|EE|3000 - Mazda B3000 PHEV conversion

« December 19th, 2005 »

Mazda B|EE|3000 is my second long-term, out of the ordinary automotive project. As the project is still in its infancy, the end goals and methods used to achieve those goals are still open ended and subject to change. However, the core objetive of this project is certain. I will be Electrically Enhancing my Mazda B3000 truck to make it a cleaner, more efficient vehicle which is not dependent on a single "fuel" source to operate. Thus, as of now, the end goal for this project is to convert my ordinary truck into some form of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

Due to my current time and budget limitations, B|EE|3000 will be a long-term project which is likely to take longer to complete than my JeepEV project. So I sat down and came up with a list of all the modifications that I plan to include in this project, and divided them up into parts or "phases" to separate the simple, quick modifications from the harder, more time consuming modifications. Here's my basic plans for this conversion:

Phase 1:

Convert most all the vehicle lighting from incandescent lamps to LEDs.
Install quality tires with attributes that result in lower rolling resistance.
Replace the mechanical radiator fan with thermostat controlled electric fan(s).

Phase 2:

Replace the mechanical power steering pump with an electric power steering pump.
Replace the mechanical Air Conditioning compressor with an electric A/C compressor.
Install an additional battery pack configured for 12 Volts.
Install an onboard 12 Volt smart charger for the added battery pack.
Configure the alternator to engage and charge the batteries ONLY when the brakes are being applied. (A weak form of Regenerative Braking)

Phase 3:

Install a relatively large Seperately Excited DC motor connected to the vehicle drivetrain (likely by replaceing the starter motor with it).
Increase the additional battery pack to at least a 72 Volt DC system
Install a DC/DC converter to power the existing 12 Volt system.
Install a Sep-Ex DC motor controller to power the motor and allow the motor to be used for Regenerative Braking.
Install a high-voltage, universal input battery charger onboard.

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