An Electric Willys?

Installing the
WarP 11 motor

So, what is Electro-Willys all about? E-W is a 1952 M38 Willys jeep that we converted to all-electric. The details of the conversion process can be followed in a photo album at The Electro-Willys.

The gas engine was replaced with a 11-inch DC WarP 11 motor made by NetGain. An adapter plate was custom made to connect this motor with the bell housing of the Willys jeep. This allowed us to keep the rest of the E-W as original as possible.

Blue lithium batteries
next to
old lead-acid battery

Power is supplied by 46 3.5-volt lithium batteries. Initially we used lead-acid batteries, but they weighed a lot and had some severe limitations. The lithium battery pack stores 42 kilowatts of power, and operates at 144-160 volts and 600 amps.

A Soliton Jr controller by Evnetics sits underneath the driver's seat. This device controls the flow of energy to and from the batteries and the motor.

Soliton Jr controller

E-W can scoot right along at over 70 mph. At more reasonable speeds, the average distance between charges is about 60 miles. This is more than sufficient to get Mike to work and back, although the preference is to plug E-W in while at work. Mike can run errands around town if necessary before heading home.

With the current cost of electricity, Mike estimates E-W uses about $5 dollars worth of energy a week to recharge. That is a huge savings over the cost of diesel for our F-250.

- Ellen