Small updates like I post on Instagram as @oudevolvo and on facebook.com/oldvolvoblog (so you can also follow/like me there).
Voltvo only
My electric Volvo Amazon wagon had a custom speedo cluster with two green OLED screens where the temp. and tank meter used to be. The speed, odometer and tripmeter were still driven by the mechanical cable from the M400 gearbox.
In my rebuild I will drop the gearbox and need an alternative to drive the speedo. A Speedbox from Speedhut is an option. However I wanted to see if I could modify the speedo even further. I really like the original speedo so I do want to keep it. #evconversion #electriccar #voltvo #electricvolvo #custom #speedbox #speedhut #directdrive #volvoamazon 15 Likes
In my rebuild I will drop the gearbox and need an alternative to drive the speedo. A Speedbox from Speedhut is an option. However I wanted to see if I could modify the speedo even further. I really like the original speedo so I do want to keep it. #evconversion #electriccar #voltvo #electricvolvo #custom #speedbox #speedhut #directdrive #volvoamazon 15 Likes
Honored that the organization of Volvobeurs by the Volvo Klassieker Vereniging requested to use my photos of Voltvo for their poster for the theme 'Modern technology and old Volvos' of the upcoming fair. Unfortunately as the rebuild of my electric Amazon wagon is still in progress the car will not be there. I will be there with some (I think) nice things. Some I will not reveal yet, of some I'll share the preparation progress. #voltvo #rebuild #volvobeurs #volvofair #volvoklassiekervereniging #inspiration #electricvolvo #volvoamazonwagon #classicvolvo 9 Likes
Back to the heater and airconditioning box. During my summer holiday I had the box lasercut and folded by 247lasersnijden. Great job again. Fits nicely under the dash (tight though). Next steps are to create the mount, attach to the top blower and add vent outlets. #evconversion #rebuild #hvac #heater #airconditioning #electricvolvo #evconversion #volvoamazon #voltvo 2 Comments
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22 Likes 
For sale interlude: I have decided to sell my Volvo 123GT from 1969. For the time being I am still busy rebuilding the electric Volvo Amazon wagon and I need all the resources (time and money) for that. I cannot keep all future restoration projects. All ins and outs and many photos are on my blog. Link in Bio.
#volvoamazon #forsale #restorationproject #rare #classiccar #123gt 1 Comments 65 Likes
#volvoamazon #forsale #restorationproject #rare #classiccar #123gt 1 Comments 65 Likes
Using the 3D scan and after making 3D models of the Volkswagen PTC heater and the modern evaporator designing the new heater box became much easier. From the design back to a cardboard mockup to validate fitment. Some more room needed to attach the two Spal blowers. #evconversion #rebuild #volvoamazon #3Dscanning #electricvolvo #voltvo 2 Comments 24 Likes
3D scanning now comes in handy! Much more convenient than crawling under the dash and balancing the evaporator and PTC heater. Should have adopted this way earlier! Only challenge is that I need to learn to work in Fusion 360 instead of Onshape as the latter cannot import and process this type of scans. #3dscanning #shining3d #autodesk #fusion360 #onshape #volvoamazon #evconversion #voltvo #electricvolvo 4 Comments 23 Likes
Test fitting the modern plate airconditioning evaporator and the Volkswagen air PTC heater under the dashboard of the Volvo Amazon. It is tight but should fit without having to modify the firewall again. Best chance is with the PTC high voltage connector towards the steering column. #evconversion #volvoamazon #electricvolvo #amazonwagon #voltvo #rebuild 24 Likes
In June I worked on the new HVAC box by cutting up the old one. The heating element was damaged and I want to upgrade to the Volkswagen PTC heater I reverse engineered. I will keep the top blower including it's mount. Maybe I can also repair and retain the original Frigiking F500 airconditioning front. #evconversion #rebuild #hvac #heater #airconditioning #frigiking #voltvo #volvoamazon 20 Likes
Last idea in April was to just make beams straight to the front and prototyped that in wood. Made them from steel in May and installed then towards the end of June. Slowly some progress on my own car in busy EVcreate times. #voltvo #electricvolvo #evcreate #motormounts #rebuilding 16 Likes
In April I've also worked on the motor mounts. The Engiro motor only has mounting points at the back and in the middle on both sides. For the middle the car does not really have a convenient spot to mount to. Bought MG motor rubbers and explored some options in CAD as well as in the car. Work in progress and evolving as I go along.
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #rebuild 24 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #rebuild 24 Likes
Exploring alternative locations for the inverter. Unfortunately it is too big to be installed on the firewall. That would require modifying it again and would take up too much interior space. So the best option in the end is all the way down on the subframe.
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #design #electricvolvo #leadrive #rebuild 4 Comments 28 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #design #electricvolvo #leadrive #rebuild 4 Comments 28 Likes
From CAD to car. Then it took until mid April when I worked on the car again and checked the intended position of the inverter. Not ideal since the premade cables from the Leadrive inverter to the Engiro motor are a bit too short.
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #leadrive 23 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #leadrive 23 Likes
Still in the last Christmas holidays in January I explored the battery box possibilities since it had become clear how much the Engiro motor could go into the tunnel. Two MEB modules next to each other was tight but would fit ending up with 5 in the front. Inverter on top is visually nice but not easy to achieve. Good news: much lower center of gravity than with the Siemens motor and Tesla battery modules.
#evconversion #voltvo #volkswagen #mebmodules #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo 2 Comments 23 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #volkswagen #mebmodules #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo 2 Comments 23 Likes
Time between cutting into the Volvo Amazon tunnel from the parts car and cutting into Voltvo was about 4 months. Since I'm so busy with @@evcreate R&D and supporting others doing conversion it took until the Christmas holidays before I found time working on my own car again.
But the dummy Engiro motor was in in January this year.
#voltvo #evcreate #evconversion #rebuild #engiro #directdrive #electricvolvo 40 Likes
But the dummy Engiro motor was in in January this year.
#voltvo #evcreate #evconversion #rebuild #engiro #directdrive #electricvolvo 40 Likes
Some June 30th flashbacks.
2018 = Received my first 3D designed parts for mounting the Tesla modules
2019 = Fabricating the custom heater and airconditioning box
2020 = Assembling the painted car
2021 = Spontaneously caught fire when parked
2022 = Disassembling and prepare for cleaning
Now in 2024 making some progress again. Will post some further updates soon!
#voltvo #evconversion 3 Comments 75 Likes
2018 = Received my first 3D designed parts for mounting the Tesla modules
2019 = Fabricating the custom heater and airconditioning box
2020 = Assembling the painted car
2021 = Spontaneously caught fire when parked
2022 = Disassembling and prepare for cleaning
Now in 2024 making some progress again. Will post some further updates soon!
#voltvo #evconversion 3 Comments 75 Likes
Quickly added an original throttle pedal. Not bad at all! I will modify the throttle to create some more space. But overall I'm quite happy with how the motor fits. The tunnel needs to be widened a bit on each side but not too much. Now having the motor where the M400 gearbox used to be will make a huge difference. #evconversion #rebuild #voltvo #powertrain #directdrive #evpower 1 Comments 24 Likes
After placing the gearbox support and adding some reinforcements, I was able to partially cut out the tunnel and it was time to fit my dummy Engiro motor. The most important questions are: is there enough space left around the accelerator pedal? And: How far can/should the motor go back? #evconversion #voltvo #rebuild #makingisknowing 19 Likes
To squeeze in the Engiro motor I need to cut the tunnel of my Volvo Amazon wagon. Since it was flame galvanized I want to do this first time right. So last summer I bought a middle section of a Volvo Amazon that was cut up already from DinkyCorgiToys. Thanks guys! Now I have a nice test bed. #volvoamazon #evconversion #rebuild #engiro #flamegalvanizing 41 Likes
To make the motor connection cables for my Engiro motor I need a fairly specific crimp. This is a 70 mm2 DIN 46234 indent crimp. After some research, a Cembre HT61 turned out to be the best tool in combination with a specific die set for this type of crimping. #goodtoolsisthehalfwork #rebuilding #voltvo #electricvolvo #evconversion 3 Comments 20 Likes
Nine years ago on April 10th 2015 I met Anne from @newelectric. It was at the very beginning of my Volvo Amazon EV conversion journey. I really liked the engineering and pioneering atmosphere. Thanks Anne for inspiring me! Still very happy that I bought my first parts with you and the adventure that started back then. #evconversion #flashback #innovation #pioneer #thanks 18 Likes
Still a lot of work and a long way to go but Voltvo will be back on the road even 'greener' 😉 and better. To be continued. #voltvo #evconversion #electricvolvo #rebuild 4 Comments 71 Likes
The motor is indeed a very powerful Engiro motor. It is tuned with a six phase Leadrive inverter. Peak torque is 670 Nm and peak power is 227 kW. Enough for a direct drive implementation. So dropping the gearbox and it's noises! Only downside is the weight. It is almost as heavy as my previous Siemens / DMOC setup, but more than twice as powerful. #evconversion #electricvolvo #voltvo #rebuild #classicelectriccar #leadrive #engiro 2 Comments 45 Likes
Thanks to "a little help from some friends", I unloaded the new motor for Voltvo with my sons on a beautiful summer day last year. Who recognizes this motor? Further details and information will follow. #evconversion #voltvo #electricvolvo #rebuild 1 Comments 49 Likes
I ordered two sets from the lasercutter. One out of aluminum to practice my TIG welding skills and one out of steel to assemble quickly. Won't fit easily in the narrow tunnel of the Volvo Amazon but does not seem impossible. With a bit of luck it could perhaps be squeezed into the tunnel almost completely. In this setup there would not be a gearbox anymore. #evconversion #volvoamazon #electricvolvo #evconversion #rebuild #voltvo 1 Comments 39 Likes
Time to catch up with some updates. In my blogpost 'Rear wheel drive EV conversion motor options' (link in bio) I wrote an Engiro motor would be the ideal way forward (after a Tesla small drive unit directly powering the wheels). I could not let go that idea so in Februari last year I made a dummy to see if it would fit at all. #evconversion #electricvolvo #engiro 22 Likes
My website has been renewed! The English version is now accessible at www.oldvolvo.com (link in bio) and more translations will be added. I completed my conversion blog as I stopped bloggin in 2019. Furthermore the electric/Voltvo section has been expanded with the former Voltvo website (the result) and a section about the fire as well as the rebuild. Stay tuned for more news about thats soon. #oldvolvo #volvoamazon #evconversion #electricvolvo #classicvolvo #volvo 1 Comments 71 Likes
That was a nice first day of the Volvo fair of the @volvo.klassieker.vereniging. Under the impression it was less busy than other years. Nice conversations and seeing nice people (again). Great positive open attitude regarding conversion to electric. Also sold some parts together with my son. Tomorrow is another day. Shoutout to Alain from @volvo_lotte for (in my opinion) the stand that really created the best atmosphere at the fair.
It was a beautiful day (the day of the autumn equinox, by the way)! See you tomorrow. #evconversion #volvobeurs #classicvolvo #volvoparts #evconversion #evcreate 77 Likes
It was a beautiful day (the day of the autumn equinox, by the way)! See you tomorrow. #evconversion #volvobeurs #classicvolvo #volvoparts #evconversion #evcreate 77 Likes
Preparations for the Volvo fair by the @volvo.klassieker.vereniging in Rosmalen tomorrow. You can find me at H.12. I'll be selling some parts I collected over the years and will not be using anymore and of course as @EVcreate for all ins and outs for converting to electric. #volvobeurs #vkv #volvokv #evconversion #pars 1 Comments 51 Likes
New insights in the cause of my electric car fire! Building on responses I received after publishing my blog post I was able to link events that I had not identified as being relevant before. Now the fire seems to be less 'sudden' and perhaps even better explained. Read the addendum on my website, link in bio.
#evconversion #electriccarfire #evfire #electricvolvo #rebuild #voltvo #classicelectriccar 1 Comments 77 Likes
#evconversion #electriccarfire #evfire #electricvolvo #rebuild #voltvo #classicelectriccar 1 Comments 77 Likes
Today it's been exactly two years since our electric Volvo Amazon wagon spontaneously caught fire during our travels in Sweden. Now it's time to share my thoughts on what might have caused the fire in a blogpost on voltvo.nl. Link in bio. It has become quite an extensive analysis. I'm curious what you think. #evconversion #electricvolvo #elektrischevolvo #volvoamazon #volvoamazoncombi #carfire #voltvo #rebuild #classicelectriccar #diyelectriccar #tesla #batteryfire 9 Likes
Our good old Volvo 940 that made it possible to continue our trip in Sweden after the Volvo Amazon had caught fire received a well deserved wash. It has driven 605.000 km (of which 150.000 by us since September 2016) and just received a fresh MOT. Still going strong.
#volvo940 #swedishbricks #volvo 42 Likes
#volvo940 #swedishbricks #volvo 42 Likes
Still no keys so I'm throwing in a new ignition lock. Hope it finds a new owner who will bring her back to its full glory. Alain from @volvo_lotte will take care of that for me. Maybe even electric like my fathers car? A few pictures for inspiration. #restomod #evconversion #electricvolvo #volvoamazon #volvoamazonwagon #classicvolvo 127 Likes
Thanks to Tom from Engovis (also the creator of Simp BMS) for the inspiration, reverse engineering and sharing his work on this gear selector. Now I needed a tester and a selector too. I definitely want this in my Voltvo rebuild. #evconversion #reverseengineering #electricvolvo #voltvo #upgrade #canbus 2 Comments 61 Likes
Time for making some decisions. Soon (when I find the keys) my Volvo Amazon wagon project I kept for years will be for sale. Need to face the fact that rebuilding the electric Volvo will take quite some resources. Despite the fact that this one is a California import it has quite some rust especially at the rear end. But as far as I can tell it's original and unmolested. Well worth a restoration and in fact a better basis than I started from (but by the time I found this one, I had progressed too much with the dark green one) #volvoamazonwagon #volvoamazon #restoration #swedishmetal 3 Comments 123 Likes
Best way to practice using new @evcreate 3D scanning tools is to use it for my own project. Impressed with the ease of use and scanning result. Next step is to successfully import the scan into Onshape. #voltvo #evcreate #evconversion #3dscanning #shining3d #volvoamazonwagon #volvoamazon #electricvolvo 44 Likes
Yesterday my Volvo Amazon wagon turned 56 years old. On the 4th of April 1967 it was reported OK by the factory in Sweden. In 2015/2016 I started restoring her from scrap level and in May 2021 it was back on the road as an electric Volvo Amazon wagon. Until June 2021 when it spontaneously caught fire when parked during our family road trip in Sweden. Now in 2023 she is ready for a rebuild but finding resources (time and money) is a challenge since I'm doing @evcreate as a fulltime business now. You can support me via my rebuild blog https://www.voltvo.nl (link in bio)
#volvoamazon #evconversion #carfire #electricvolvo #carrestoration #volvo #voltvo #fastned 2 Comments 101 Likes
#volvoamazon #evconversion #carfire #electricvolvo #carrestoration #volvo #voltvo #fastned 2 Comments 101 Likes
Today I dropped off the old emptied front battery box at the recycling. It did its job very well and to a large extent contained the fire so there now is a car to rebuild. This box will not be part of that nor will Tesla battery modules. #evconversion #carfire #voltvo #rebuild #electricvolvo #TeslaBatteries #recycling 3 Comments 57 Likes
What are my motor options for the rebuild? I just posted a new blogpost exploring what the current possibilities are for rear wheel drive cars. Spoiler: I'm committed to dropping the clutch and gearbox. Link to the full story in my bio.
#voltvo #evconversion #electricvolvo #electricclassiccar #rearwheeldrive 5 Comments 106 Likes
#voltvo #evconversion #electricvolvo #electricclassiccar #rearwheeldrive 5 Comments 106 Likes
Ready for the Volvo Fair, theme “In the media”. The XC40 and 240 from the Autovisie article meet again. And of course my Volvo that (unfortunately in that way) made it to the Swedish newspaper after the fire.
#volvoklassiekerbeurs #electricvolvo #evconversion 2 Comments 80 Likes
#volvoklassiekerbeurs #electricvolvo #evconversion 2 Comments 80 Likes
Ready for an improved rebuild! In the background my original inspiration for starting my project: the electric Volvo 240 (in for some maintenance @evcreate for the current owners) converted by Martijn Hendriks back in 2012. The electric Volvo 240, my Volvo Amazon wagon and myself (at the EVcreate booth and EV square) will be at the Volvobeurs in Rosmalen this whole weekend. See you there? #evconversion #volvobeurs #autotron #voltvo #electricvolvo #volvoamazon #volvo240 2 Comments 92 Likes
By the end of August it received a well deserved wash as it had been standing outside for more than a year. With a certain zoom level one could think I was preparing for the Concours d’Elegance. But zooming out revealed that was not going to happen in 2022. #volvoamazon #amazonwagon #voltvo #evconversion 1 Comments 127 Likes
It took a couple of hot days in August during our holidays to take the rear batteries out. They were assembled outside the car with the cover last in line. With some wrestling and patience I was able to take all out from above. #teslabattery #evconversion #classicelectriccar #diyelectriccar #voltvo 47 Likes
So after removing some more burned bits and pieces the front battery box is out. Motor phase cables look like they have not been hot. Sticker inside the cover (highest point) is still OK. #evconversion #rebuild #electricvolvo #voltvo 3 Comments 100 Likes
Took the heater and dash out. Unfortunately my EV Peripherals controller as well as the OLEDs in the speedo have not survived the fire. It hurts, but I just take out everything and throw it away. Even all cables and wires. Don't want gremlins due to fire extinguishing powder. #evconversion #teensy #carfire #rebuilding #voltvo #electricvolvo 1 Comments 49 Likes
Next step was to take the battery management system master out and connect it to my computer. As expected that worked. I immediately checked the BMS error log. Nothing in there that could shine any light on the root cause of the fire. Only some old errors from configuration mistakes during testing before we travelled to Sweden. #evconversion #voltvo #electricvolvo #lithiumbalance #electricvolvo 77 Likes
First step before proceeding was to do some measurements while wearing protective gloves. Potential between the middle of the rear pack and chassis of the car was 140V. So there apparently was a short to ground in the front box (as expected). Cutting the cable going into the front box removed that potential. #evconversion #highvoltage #safety #electricvolvo #voltvo 1 Comments 51 Likes
My electric Volvo Amazon wagon had a custom speedo cluster with two green OLED screens where the temp. and tank meter used to be. The speed, odometer and tripmeter were still driven by the mechanical cable from the M400 gearbox.
In my rebuild I will drop the gearbox and need an alternative to drive the speedo. A Speedbox from Speedhut is an option. However I wanted to see if I could modify the speedo even further. I really like the original speedo so I do want to keep it. #evconversion #electriccar #voltvo #electricvolvo #custom #speedbox #speedhut #directdrive #volvoamazon 15 Likes
In my rebuild I will drop the gearbox and need an alternative to drive the speedo. A Speedbox from Speedhut is an option. However I wanted to see if I could modify the speedo even further. I really like the original speedo so I do want to keep it. #evconversion #electriccar #voltvo #electricvolvo #custom #speedbox #speedhut #directdrive #volvoamazon 15 Likes
Honored that the organization of Volvobeurs by the Volvo Klassieker Vereniging requested to use my photos of Voltvo for their poster for the theme 'Modern technology and old Volvos' of the upcoming fair. Unfortunately as the rebuild of my electric Amazon wagon is still in progress the car will not be there. I will be there with some (I think) nice things. Some I will not reveal yet, of some I'll share the preparation progress. #voltvo #rebuild #volvobeurs #volvofair #volvoklassiekervereniging #inspiration #electricvolvo #volvoamazonwagon #classicvolvo 9 Likes
Back to the heater and airconditioning box. During my summer holiday I had the box lasercut and folded by 247lasersnijden. Great job again. Fits nicely under the dash (tight though). Next steps are to create the mount, attach to the top blower and add vent outlets. #evconversion #rebuild #hvac #heater #airconditioning #electricvolvo #evconversion #volvoamazon #voltvo 2 Comments 22 Likes
For sale interlude: I have decided to sell my Volvo 123GT from 1969. For the time being I am still busy rebuilding the electric Volvo Amazon wagon and I need all the resources (time and money) for that. I cannot keep all future restoration projects. All ins and outs and many photos are on my blog. Link in Bio.
#volvoamazon #forsale #restorationproject #rare #classiccar #123gt 1 Comments 65 Likes
#volvoamazon #forsale #restorationproject #rare #classiccar #123gt 1 Comments 65 Likes
Using the 3D scan and after making 3D models of the Volkswagen PTC heater and the modern evaporator designing the new heater box became much easier. From the design back to a cardboard mockup to validate fitment. Some more room needed to attach the two Spal blowers. #evconversion #rebuild #volvoamazon #3Dscanning #electricvolvo #voltvo 2 Comments 24 Likes
3D scanning now comes in handy! Much more convenient than crawling under the dash and balancing the evaporator and PTC heater. Should have adopted this way earlier! Only challenge is that I need to learn to work in Fusion 360 instead of Onshape as the latter cannot import and process this type of scans. #3dscanning #shining3d #autodesk #fusion360 #onshape #volvoamazon #evconversion #voltvo #electricvolvo 4 Comments 23 Likes
Test fitting the modern plate airconditioning evaporator and the Volkswagen air PTC heater under the dashboard of the Volvo Amazon. It is tight but should fit without having to modify the firewall again. Best chance is with the PTC high voltage connector towards the steering column. #evconversion #volvoamazon #electricvolvo #amazonwagon #voltvo #rebuild 24 Likes
In June I worked on the new HVAC box by cutting up the old one. The heating element was damaged and I want to upgrade to the Volkswagen PTC heater I reverse engineered. I will keep the top blower including it's mount. Maybe I can also repair and retain the original Frigiking F500 airconditioning front. #evconversion #rebuild #hvac #heater #airconditioning #frigiking #voltvo #volvoamazon 20 Likes
Last idea in April was to just make beams straight to the front and prototyped that in wood. Made them from steel in May and installed then towards the end of June. Slowly some progress on my own car in busy EVcreate times. #voltvo #electricvolvo #evcreate #motormounts #rebuilding 16 Likes
In April I've also worked on the motor mounts. The Engiro motor only has mounting points at the back and in the middle on both sides. For the middle the car does not really have a convenient spot to mount to. Bought MG motor rubbers and explored some options in CAD as well as in the car. Work in progress and evolving as I go along.
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #rebuild 24 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #rebuild 24 Likes
Exploring alternative locations for the inverter. Unfortunately it is too big to be installed on the firewall. That would require modifying it again and would take up too much interior space. So the best option in the end is all the way down on the subframe.
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #design #electricvolvo #leadrive #rebuild 4 Comments 28 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #design #electricvolvo #leadrive #rebuild 4 Comments 28 Likes
From CAD to car. Then it took until mid April when I worked on the car again and checked the intended position of the inverter. Not ideal since the premade cables from the Leadrive inverter to the Engiro motor are a bit too short.
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #leadrive 23 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo #leadrive 23 Likes
Still in the last Christmas holidays in January I explored the battery box possibilities since it had become clear how much the Engiro motor could go into the tunnel. Two MEB modules next to each other was tight but would fit ending up with 5 in the front. Inverter on top is visually nice but not easy to achieve. Good news: much lower center of gravity than with the Siemens motor and Tesla battery modules.
#evconversion #voltvo #volkswagen #mebmodules #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo 2 Comments 23 Likes
#evconversion #voltvo #volkswagen #mebmodules #engiro #onshape #design #electricvolvo 2 Comments 23 Likes
Time between cutting into the Volvo Amazon tunnel from the parts car and cutting into Voltvo was about 4 months. Since I'm so busy with @@evcreate R&D and supporting others doing conversion it took until the Christmas holidays before I found time working on my own car again.
But the dummy Engiro motor was in in January this year.
#voltvo #evcreate #evconversion #rebuild #engiro #directdrive #electricvolvo 40 Likes
But the dummy Engiro motor was in in January this year.
#voltvo #evcreate #evconversion #rebuild #engiro #directdrive #electricvolvo 40 Likes
Some June 30th flashbacks.
2018 = Received my first 3D designed parts for mounting the Tesla modules
2019 = Fabricating the custom heater and airconditioning box
2020 = Assembling the painted car
2021 = Spontaneously caught fire when parked
2022 = Disassembling and prepare for cleaning
Now in 2024 making some progress again. Will post some further updates soon!
#voltvo #evconversion 3 Comments 75 Likes
2018 = Received my first 3D designed parts for mounting the Tesla modules
2019 = Fabricating the custom heater and airconditioning box
2020 = Assembling the painted car
2021 = Spontaneously caught fire when parked
2022 = Disassembling and prepare for cleaning
Now in 2024 making some progress again. Will post some further updates soon!
#voltvo #evconversion 3 Comments 75 Likes
Quickly added an original throttle pedal. Not bad at all! I will modify the throttle to create some more space. But overall I'm quite happy with how the motor fits. The tunnel needs to be widened a bit on each side but not too much. Now having the motor where the M400 gearbox used to be will make a huge difference. #evconversion #rebuild #voltvo #powertrain #directdrive #evpower 1 Comments 24 Likes
After placing the gearbox support and adding some reinforcements, I was able to partially cut out the tunnel and it was time to fit my dummy Engiro motor. The most important questions are: is there enough space left around the accelerator pedal? And: How far can/should the motor go back? #evconversion #voltvo #rebuild #makingisknowing 19 Likes
To squeeze in the Engiro motor I need to cut the tunnel of my Volvo Amazon wagon. Since it was flame galvanized I want to do this first time right. So last summer I bought a middle section of a Volvo Amazon that was cut up already from DinkyCorgiToys. Thanks guys! Now I have a nice test bed. #volvoamazon #evconversion #rebuild #engiro #flamegalvanizing 41 Likes
To make the motor connection cables for my Engiro motor I need a fairly specific crimp. This is a 70 mm2 DIN 46234 indent crimp. After some research, a Cembre HT61 turned out to be the best tool in combination with a specific die set for this type of crimping. #goodtoolsisthehalfwork #rebuilding #voltvo #electricvolvo #evconversion 3 Comments 20 Likes
Nine years ago on April 10th 2015 I met Anne from @newelectric. It was at the very beginning of my Volvo Amazon EV conversion journey. I really liked the engineering and pioneering atmosphere. Thanks Anne for inspiring me! Still very happy that I bought my first parts with you and the adventure that started back then. #evconversion #flashback #innovation #pioneer #thanks 18 Likes
Still a lot of work and a long way to go but Voltvo will be back on the road even 'greener' 😉 and better. To be continued. #voltvo #evconversion #electricvolvo #rebuild 4 Comments 71 Likes
The motor is indeed a very powerful Engiro motor. It is tuned with a six phase Leadrive inverter. Peak torque is 670 Nm and peak power is 227 kW. Enough for a direct drive implementation. So dropping the gearbox and it's noises! Only downside is the weight. It is almost as heavy as my previous Siemens / DMOC setup, but more than twice as powerful. #evconversion #electricvolvo #voltvo #rebuild #classicelectriccar #leadrive #engiro 2 Comments 45 Likes
Thanks to "a little help from some friends", I unloaded the new motor for Voltvo with my sons on a beautiful summer day last year. Who recognizes this motor? Further details and information will follow. #evconversion #voltvo #electricvolvo #rebuild 1 Comments 49 Likes
I ordered two sets from the lasercutter. One out of aluminum to practice my TIG welding skills and one out of steel to assemble quickly. Won't fit easily in the narrow tunnel of the Volvo Amazon but does not seem impossible. With a bit of luck it could perhaps be squeezed into the tunnel almost completely. In this setup there would not be a gearbox anymore. #evconversion #volvoamazon #electricvolvo #evconversion #rebuild #voltvo 1 Comments 39 Likes
Time to catch up with some updates. In my blogpost 'Rear wheel drive EV conversion motor options' (link in bio) I wrote an Engiro motor would be the ideal way forward (after a Tesla small drive unit directly powering the wheels). I could not let go that idea so in Februari last year I made a dummy to see if it would fit at all. #evconversion #electricvolvo #engiro 22 Likes
My website has been renewed! The English version is now accessible at www.oldvolvo.com (link in bio) and more translations will be added. I completed my conversion blog as I stopped bloggin in 2019. Furthermore the electric/Voltvo section has been expanded with the former Voltvo website (the result) and a section about the fire as well as the rebuild. Stay tuned for more news about thats soon. #oldvolvo #volvoamazon #evconversion #electricvolvo #classicvolvo #volvo 1 Comments 71 Likes
That was a nice first day of the Volvo fair of the @volvo.klassieker.vereniging. Under the impression it was less busy than other years. Nice conversations and seeing nice people (again). Great positive open attitude regarding conversion to electric. Also sold some parts together with my son. Tomorrow is another day. Shoutout to Alain from @volvo_lotte for (in my opinion) the stand that really created the best atmosphere at the fair.
It was a beautiful day (the day of the autumn equinox, by the way)! See you tomorrow. #evconversion #volvobeurs #classicvolvo #volvoparts #evconversion #evcreate 77 Likes
It was a beautiful day (the day of the autumn equinox, by the way)! See you tomorrow. #evconversion #volvobeurs #classicvolvo #volvoparts #evconversion #evcreate 77 Likes
Preparations for the Volvo fair by the @volvo.klassieker.vereniging in Rosmalen tomorrow. You can find me at H.12. I'll be selling some parts I collected over the years and will not be using anymore and of course as @EVcreate for all ins and outs for converting to electric. #volvobeurs #vkv #volvokv #evconversion #pars 1 Comments 51 Likes
New insights in the cause of my electric car fire! Building on responses I received after publishing my blog post I was able to link events that I had not identified as being relevant before. Now the fire seems to be less 'sudden' and perhaps even better explained. Read the addendum on my website, link in bio.
#evconversion #electriccarfire #evfire #electricvolvo #rebuild #voltvo #classicelectriccar 1 Comments 77 Likes
#evconversion #electriccarfire #evfire #electricvolvo #rebuild #voltvo #classicelectriccar 1 Comments 77 Likes
Today it's been exactly two years since our electric Volvo Amazon wagon spontaneously caught fire during our travels in Sweden. Now it's time to share my thoughts on what might have caused the fire in a blogpost on voltvo.nl. Link in bio. It has become quite an extensive analysis. I'm curious what you think. #evconversion #electricvolvo #elektrischevolvo #volvoamazon #volvoamazoncombi #carfire #voltvo #rebuild #classicelectriccar #diyelectriccar #tesla #batteryfire 9 Likes
Our good old Volvo 940 that made it possible to continue our trip in Sweden after the Volvo Amazon had caught fire received a well deserved wash. It has driven 605.000 km (of which 150.000 by us since September 2016) and just received a fresh MOT. Still going strong.
#volvo940 #swedishbricks #volvo 42 Likes
#volvo940 #swedishbricks #volvo 42 Likes
Still no keys so I'm throwing in a new ignition lock. Hope it finds a new owner who will bring her back to its full glory. Alain from @volvo_lotte will take care of that for me. Maybe even electric like my fathers car? A few pictures for inspiration. #restomod #evconversion #electricvolvo #volvoamazon #volvoamazonwagon #classicvolvo 127 Likes
Thanks to Tom from Engovis (also the creator of Simp BMS) for the inspiration, reverse engineering and sharing his work on this gear selector. Now I needed a tester and a selector too. I definitely want this in my Voltvo rebuild. #evconversion #reverseengineering #electricvolvo #voltvo #upgrade #canbus 2 Comments 61 Likes
Time for making some decisions. Soon (when I find the keys) my Volvo Amazon wagon project I kept for years will be for sale. Need to face the fact that rebuilding the electric Volvo will take quite some resources. Despite the fact that this one is a California import it has quite some rust especially at the rear end. But as far as I can tell it's original and unmolested. Well worth a restoration and in fact a better basis than I started from (but by the time I found this one, I had progressed too much with the dark green one) #volvoamazonwagon #volvoamazon #restoration #swedishmetal 3 Comments 123 Likes
Best way to practice using new @evcreate 3D scanning tools is to use it for my own project. Impressed with the ease of use and scanning result. Next step is to successfully import the scan into Onshape. #voltvo #evcreate #evconversion #3dscanning #shining3d #volvoamazonwagon #volvoamazon #electricvolvo 44 Likes
Yesterday my Volvo Amazon wagon turned 56 years old. On the 4th of April 1967 it was reported OK by the factory in Sweden. In 2015/2016 I started restoring her from scrap level and in May 2021 it was back on the road as an electric Volvo Amazon wagon. Until June 2021 when it spontaneously caught fire when parked during our family road trip in Sweden. Now in 2023 she is ready for a rebuild but finding resources (time and money) is a challenge since I'm doing @evcreate as a fulltime business now. You can support me via my rebuild blog https://www.voltvo.nl (link in bio)
#volvoamazon #evconversion #carfire #electricvolvo #carrestoration #volvo #voltvo #fastned 2 Comments 101 Likes
#volvoamazon #evconversion #carfire #electricvolvo #carrestoration #volvo #voltvo #fastned 2 Comments 101 Likes
Today I dropped off the old emptied front battery box at the recycling. It did its job very well and to a large extent contained the fire so there now is a car to rebuild. This box will not be part of that nor will Tesla battery modules. #evconversion #carfire #voltvo #rebuild #electricvolvo #TeslaBatteries #recycling 3 Comments 57 Likes
What are my motor options for the rebuild? I just posted a new blogpost exploring what the current possibilities are for rear wheel drive cars. Spoiler: I'm committed to dropping the clutch and gearbox. Link to the full story in my bio.
#voltvo #evconversion #electricvolvo #electricclassiccar #rearwheeldrive 5 Comments 106 Likes
#voltvo #evconversion #electricvolvo #electricclassiccar #rearwheeldrive 5 Comments 106 Likes
Ready for the Volvo Fair, theme “In the media”. The XC40 and 240 from the Autovisie article meet again. And of course my Volvo that (unfortunately in that way) made it to the Swedish newspaper after the fire.
#volvoklassiekerbeurs #electricvolvo #evconversion 2 Comments 80 Likes
#volvoklassiekerbeurs #electricvolvo #evconversion 2 Comments 80 Likes
Ready for an improved rebuild! In the background my original inspiration for starting my project: the electric Volvo 240 (in for some maintenance @evcreate for the current owners) converted by Martijn Hendriks back in 2012. The electric Volvo 240, my Volvo Amazon wagon and myself (at the EVcreate booth and EV square) will be at the Volvobeurs in Rosmalen this whole weekend. See you there? #evconversion #volvobeurs #autotron #voltvo #electricvolvo #volvoamazon #volvo240 2 Comments 92 Likes
By the end of August it received a well deserved wash as it had been standing outside for more than a year. With a certain zoom level one could think I was preparing for the Concours d’Elegance. But zooming out revealed that was not going to happen in 2022. #volvoamazon #amazonwagon #voltvo #evconversion 1 Comments 127 Likes
It took a couple of hot days in August during our holidays to take the rear batteries out. They were assembled outside the car with the cover last in line. With some wrestling and patience I was able to take all out from above. #teslabattery #evconversion #classicelectriccar #diyelectriccar #voltvo 47 Likes
So after removing some more burned bits and pieces the front battery box is out. Motor phase cables look like they have not been hot. Sticker inside the cover (highest point) is still OK. #evconversion #rebuild #electricvolvo #voltvo 3 Comments 100 Likes
Took the heater and dash out. Unfortunately my EV Peripherals controller as well as the OLEDs in the speedo have not survived the fire. It hurts, but I just take out everything and throw it away. Even all cables and wires. Don't want gremlins due to fire extinguishing powder. #evconversion #teensy #carfire #rebuilding #voltvo #electricvolvo 1 Comments 49 Likes
Next step was to take the battery management system master out and connect it to my computer. As expected that worked. I immediately checked the BMS error log. Nothing in there that could shine any light on the root cause of the fire. Only some old errors from configuration mistakes during testing before we travelled to Sweden. #evconversion #voltvo #electricvolvo #lithiumbalance #electricvolvo 77 Likes
First step before proceeding was to do some measurements while wearing protective gloves. Potential between the middle of the rear pack and chassis of the car was 140V. So there apparently was a short to ground in the front box (as expected). Cutting the cable going into the front box removed that potential. #evconversion #highvoltage #safety #electricvolvo #voltvo 1 Comments 51 Likes
