P85 Tesla Rear Drive Unit with Custom Battery Enclosure – Build Specs Below
The Tesla Swapped Electric Impala is not just a one-off concept car. It is a fully functional vehicle that is capable of driving on the road just like any other electric car. The conversion process involves removing the original gasoline engine and transmission and replacing them with a Tesla electric motor and battery pack. This process is not for the faint of heart and requires a high level of technical expertise. However, the end result is a car that is not only environmentally friendly but also incredibly powerful and efficient.
Specs
INTERIOR
The interior is all-original and restored to a perfect finish, but the owner added a few extras to go with the modern underpinnings. There’s a touchscreen that operates the transmission and serves as a control panel for the air suspension.
Want all of the power and more of a mega cubic inch, turbo, or supercharged motor with the reliability of a modern sedan?
The answer may be to install a Tesla drivetrain or similar electric crate motor setup. But it can be an undertaking that will require fabrication, advanced electrical knowledge, and a big budget. The result will be 600-800 horsepower of reliable, rechargeable chaos that will behave like a docile commuter when needed. The Tesla Swap Complete guide below will help you decide if you are up for the challenge to Tesla Swap your Car.
Complete Tesla Model S drive unit for sale as a complete drop-in package. This unit will run up to 400 Volts and 400 kW, delivering more power at an affordable price than many of the other packages available. This kit includes the Tesla motor, inverter, gearbox, control unit (EV Controls), throttle pedal, throttle pedal plug and pins, brake switch, brake switch wiring plug and pins, encoder plug, and pins, inverter plug and pins, axle clips, 2 axles, pre-charge relay, and pre-charge resistor.
The Stealth EV Tesla Drive Units handle the pre-charge system and main contactors directly from the internal control board (no external vehicle control unit required). The throttle pedal and brake pressure transducer link directly to the drive unit with NO CAN input required.
Motor from a Tesla, an inline gear reduction where a traditional transmission would bolt up behind an engine, and a universal joint waiting to be fixed to a driveshaft.
Battery Options – Cells – Packs – Enclosures
Battery with BMS -A suitable high-voltage battery will likely be the single largest expense of the build. It needs to be sized properly both in total energy capacity as well as instantaneous current capability to support the power you want to make.
How big a battery do I needfor my EV Swap? Here are some very rough estimates for how many miles you can expect to travel for each usable kw/h of capacity your battery has.
Economy driving = 3.2 mi/kWh
Normal driving = 3 mi/kWh
Spirited driving = 2.5 mi/kWh
Racing = 1-2 mi/kWh
Example: 100 miles of range at a normal driving pace would require around a 35 kWh pack. Or about 7 modules of the above EV West Tesla Battery Modules
Transmission Options
The intended use will also play a factor here. Whether you intend to retain your manual transmission, use a simple gear reduction, or utilize an adapter plate to mate up an automatic transmission.
If you are using the Complete Tesla Rear Drive Unit, This will contain everything you need for your powertrain.
Conventional transmissions, manual or automatic are designed for internal combustion engines. The multiple gear ratios and ratio spread work well with the RPM-sensitive nature of small gas and diesel engines. For many years, these conventional transmissions were primarily three and four-forward speed units and in automatic, of course, incorporated a neutral, park and reverse mode as well. Over the last two decades, the number of forward speeds has continued to increase in an attempt to squeeze more efficiency out of a less-than-efficient engine design. As the number of forward speeds has increased (now up to ten forward ratios), the size and weight have also increased, and here is the PAIN! Electric car conversions are very weight sensitive and space is always at a premium.
Retaining the conventional multi-speed transmission when converting to electric power is wasteful to the extreme.
Electric motors as a rule are much higher in efficiency and make their peak torque right from a stop and over a much broader rpm range. This means that many electric car conversions could do very well with a smaller, lighter transmission package. In fact, most could do well with a single forward speed reduction gearbox (the ev – TorqueBox®). As an example, all Tesla vehicles use a single-speed gearbox. This is of course true of most all-new plug-in electric cars.
Also, brushless DC and all AC motor conversions do not need a reverse gear in the transmission as they can simply turn the motor in the reverse direction to back the vehicle up.
On-Board Charger
Unless you are building a dedicated race vehicle that never strays far from the pits, it will need to have an On-Board Charger. These modules allow you to connect to standard EV charging points either at home or in public areas.
DC/DC Converter
Unless you are building a dedicated race vehicle that runs for very short periods and has a large enough 12v battery to not need to be charged during use, your EV will need to have a DC/DC converter to keep the 12V battery charged.
To determine what you need, for example, A stock RX8 has a 100A alternator. Multiply this by 13V (a more typical operating/charging voltage) and you get 1,300 watts of power. So whichever DC/DC converter we choose, must have at least 1,300 watts of 12V output power. This wattage may vary for your particular vehicle conversion, but this is a pretty universal alternator wattage for passenger cars to power your lights, wipers, radio, gauges/displays etc
Power Brakes
An electric motor does not produce a vacuum during its normal operation like a combustion engine. You will need a vacuum source supply for your power brake booster and possibly any other vacuum-operated accessories such as heater doors for cabin heating and air condition controls.
Source of vacuum for booster – How much vacuum do I need to run a brake booster?
Any brake booster in the world requires 18 inches of vacuum to operate at peak efficiency.
Another option if you only need brake booster vacuum and do not need vacuum to also run any HVAC controls would be to swap your brake booster for a Bosch iBooster. These can be salvaged from Tesla Model S and Model 3’s as well as some newer Honda.
Bosch iBooster
The Bosch iBooster is an electric brake booster system used in vehicles to enhance braking performance, especially in electrified and hybrid vehicles. It is designed to work in conjunction with regenerative braking systems commonly found in electric and hybrid cars.
Here’s a brief overview of how the Bosch iBooster works:
Brake Boosting:
The iBooster serves as an electromechanical brake booster that amplifies the force applied to the brake pedal by the driver.
Unlike traditional vacuum-based brake boosters, the iBooster uses an electric motor to provide the necessary assistance, making it suitable for vehicles with electric or hybrid powertrains.
Regenerative Braking Integration:
In electric and hybrid vehicles, regenerative braking is used to recover kinetic energy during braking and convert it back into electrical energy to recharge the battery.
The iBooster is integrated with the regenerative braking system to ensure seamless coordination between traditional friction braking and regenerative braking.
Brake-by-Wire Technology:
The iBooster operates on a brake-by-wire system, where electronic signals from the brake pedal are transmitted to the electric motor in the iBooster.
This allows for precise control over braking forces and enables features like brake energy recuperation.
Energy Efficiency:
The integration of the iBooster with regenerative braking contributes to overall energy efficiency in the vehicle.
The system optimizes the balance between traditional braking and regenerative braking, providing effective stopping power while maximizing energy recovery.
Safety Features:
The iBooster is designed with safety features to ensure reliable brake operation even in the event of electrical or system failures.
Redundant systems and fail-safe mechanisms are often incorporated to maintain braking functionality.
The temperature of the battery is important and it needs to be monitored and kept in a relatively tight window. If
it is too cold, it needs to be heated before charging or driving. If it is too hot it needs to be cooled. If you want to extract the absolute maximum performance from the battery it needs to be preconditioned to an exact temperature before use. This requires a fluid heater, a pump, a radiator, a fan, diversion valves, and a VCU to determine what to do and when to do it. The water pump for your battery enclosure can be controlled by something like the AEM VCU
Cooling system for the motor and inverter
The motor and Inverter will make heat and need cooling. It won’t be anywhere near as much as an IC engine makes but it still needs to be dealt with or the inverter will start de-rating the power to protect itself. The cooling system usually includes a cooling loop with a pump, radiator, and fan. In some systems, you may have separate loops for the motor and inverter.
HVAC
Some method of providing cabin heat for the occupants.
Unless you are building a race car with no heat or are in a warm climate, you are going to need to provide some method to generate cabin heat since there is no IC engine generating waste heat that can be used to keep the cabin comfortable.
Some method of providing air conditioning for the occupants. Unless you are building a race car with no A/C or live in a cool climate, you may want to provide A/C for the cabin. EVs don’t have a spinning engine to spin an A/C compressor so you have to install a compressor specifically designed for an EV.
Emergency brake and/or parking pawl
This is a big issue and it is almost never mentioned. EVs almost never have a parking pawl and you can’t leave them “in gear” so a quality E-Brake (preferably automatic activation) is an absolute must.
Throttle Pedal assembly
We have found late-model Ford pedals to be the most consistent and reliable addition to most conversion kits. 2016+ Mustang pedals work well. These also happen to be the same pedals Tesla uses on their vehicles.
FordPart Number: CR3Z9F836C
Brake Pedal Switch
We like the Ford two-position brake switch from a 2016+ Mustang. These have two brake switch inputs that we use as inverse signals so that we have double confirmation signals, much like you do with a DBW Accelerator pedal.
Ford Part Number: GL3Z13480A
Though this will not cover every exact nut and bolt needed for your Tesla Motor Swap Conversion Kit, I hope this will provide enough details to get you on your way or maybe decide whether this is a project you still want to take on.
Though this is far from a complete list of parts and modifications needed to perform a Tesla / EV swap into your Hot Rod or Classic car, Hopefully, it has been helpful.
So you have completed your EV Conversion and you are ready to enjoy all of your hard work. Another benefit is not having to smog your vehicle any longer. Here is everything you need to know.
Any vehicle registered in California may be converted to a 100% electric drive. As long as all power is supplied by onboard batteries. All combustion and fuel system components must be removed prior to inspection by a California Bureau of Automotive Repairs Referee station. The vehicle must arrive at the inspection site under its own power, and the referee will also visually inspect it to ensure that the vehicle has adequate battery storage capacity for 100% electric operation. Once the inspection is complete, the referee will sign a DMV “statements of Facts” form so that the vehicle can be registered as an EV and removed from the period smog inspection program. The statement of fact form is returned to the California department of motor vehicles. To schedule an appointment with the California Bureau of Automotive Repairs Referee station, please call (800) 622-7733
If you have converted an ICE to an EV, and you wish to register the swap with the state. You will need to follow these steps:
1) Make an appointment with BAR (http://www.bar.ca.gov/) for an inspection. They will take a look to make sure that the gasoline motor and its components have been completely removed, and fill out a form.
2) Make three copies of that form.
3) Make an appointment with the DMV (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/home/dmv.htm) to change your registration. This will require two clerks – one in your local office and one in Sacramento. Only the clerk in Sacramento can change your registration to E (make sure it is not Q).
Depending on whether or not smog inspections are required for the old donor vehicle, and possibly if the smog place you use has a sense of humor or not.
If no smog is required on the donor, then just change it, and consider it a motor swap.
If smog is required, then if the smog shop will bootleg a cert (obviously it would be very clean) still consider it a motor swap and do nothing.
Finally, get the appropriate documentation from the local DMV office for a conversion {never talk to anyone less than supervisor level) and get it inspected by the proper official. {Should be at that DMV office, but could be also CHP) and have them note all the ICE components are removed on your docs so it can’t be reconverted back to ICE. The DMV will then re-issue the registration with the proper body style code “electric” and VIOLA you are good to go. unless the car is currently registered, with current tags, the car will have to be trailered to the inspection places/DMV to be legal. On a good day it should just take one pass, and a couple of hours.
Chevy wants to help make your next motor swap project Electric
Chevrolet is known for its expertise in crate motors. Is now bringing its knowledge to the electric vehicle market with the Chevy e-crate motor. This high torque, electric powerplant. Is perfect for garage mechanics looking to upgrade their classic car or hot rod with reliable power and performance. Building on the success of the “LS-Swap”.Which has become the standard engine for classic Chevy’s, Ford’s, and imports, the Chevy e-crate motor aims to be the best engine transplant option for those looking to add electric power to their vehicle..
Chevy E Crate Motor Specs
With 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of instant torque on tap. Paired to a Chevrolet Performance electronically controlled four-speed automatic. Even though these are not frame-twisting horsepower numbers. The Chevy Bolt-powered Blazer gives you 40 more horsepower and the same amount of torque from idle to redline as the 350ci engine available in 1977. But in a much more reliable, linear powerband. This setup also retains the drivetrain components including the transfer case, driveshaft, and axles from the K5 Blazer.
Power is supplied by a 400-volt Bolt EV battery pack. With 60 kilowatt-hours of usable energy installed in the cargo area. Using production controllers and wiring harnesses to preserve many Bolt EV features, including shock protection, battery heating, and cooling, battery-overcharge protection, and even regenerative braking.
The aftermarket components are included with this swap. Are an electric power steering kit, an electric pump providing a vacuum to the stock brake system, and an electronic controller. This is to drive inputs to the vintage Blazer gauges. Displaying the battery’s state of charge on the original fuel gauge.
Availability
The 60-kWh Electric Connect and Cruise package. Expected to be available in the second half of 2021, includes: 60-kWh battery pack, 200-horsepower electric motor DC-to-AC power inverter to drive the electric motor. DC-to-DC power converter to power low-voltage systems wiring harnesses, controllers, and water pumps for battery heating and cooling.
In Conclusion
Though this may not be the same drop-in solution that the early electric adopters want, it is a turn in the right direction.
Ford has started selling an electric crate motor. Based on the one that powers the GT version of the Mustang Mach-E. The “Eluminator e-crate motor” makes 281 horsepower, 317 pound-feet of torque, and costs $3,900.
The motor is just the first in a series of EV building blocks Ford says it plans to sell. Like battery systems, motor controllers, and inverters. All of which would make it easier to retrofit internal combustion engine vehicles with all-electric drivetrains. Right now, those types of conversions are still mostly limited to specialty shops and hobbyists. Who often piece together parts from all sorts of random places in the supply chain.
Specs:
Peak power: 210kW (281hp)
Peak torque: 430Nm (317 lb.-ft.)
Max speed: 13,800rpm
Gear ratio: 9.05:1
Weight: 93kg / 205 lbs
Includes:
HV motor to traction inverter harness
LV harness/connector
Vent tube assembly
Does NOT include:
Traction inverter
Control system
Battery
Where can I get it and how much?
Part No. M-9000-MACH-E, Ford’s new electric crate motor, is now available at an authorized Ford parts warehouse or dealer. Or online at Ford Performance Parts. Retailing at $3,900, it is targeted at builders looking for a transverse-oriented powertrain. To electrify a range of vehicles from modern to vintage cars, trucks, and SUVs. Each Eluminator e-crate motor produces 281 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft. of torque and is street-legal in all 50 states.
There are a few things to keep in mind. Ford doesn’t offer any battery packs, battery management, or power inverters. Though it has said it will offer more in the future. So you’ll need to supply your own from other companies. You’ll also probably need to have some solid fabricating skills, or the ability to hire someone with them. As the motor’s current configuration is for transverse applications like you would find in a front-drive car. So you can’t just make some motor mounts and bolt them to your old transmission or driveshaft. This may explain why the F-100Ford-built rides on a completely custom chassis. Of course, the transverse layout is also what enabled Ford to pack two motors, one front, and one rear, into the F-100. Since there wouldn’t be a driveshaft and rear differential in the way.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, Ford Performance shared plans to develop a wider list of components to support the Eluminator powertrain. Including battery systems, controllers, and traction inverters. This will eventually allow for the expansion of, turnkey aftermarket packages. For builders to outfit their classics with a fully electric drivetrain.
