Australia's first electric MX5!

zombie · Postby **zombie** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:12 am

Looks like it's up and running again - There's photos of it at the "ElectroKhana"

Wish I'd known about that event, I would have loved to have been there to spectate

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:28 pm

Good news, I finally got around to taking this thing over the pits, so it's now officially licensed and you might start seeing it around the streets of Perth - look out for the ZEVA plates!

While I'm writing, any recommendations on a good workshop in Perth to service or upgrade the brakes? They've never been very good on this thing, and now that I'm actually driving it around (and with a view to hit the race track occasionally) I'd like to have them looked at, or possibly get some bigger stoppers put in. I hear the NB brake upgrade is a common one, any other suggestions?

Sean · Postby **Sean** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:54 pm

Perth - Call Les @ wheelspin/mx5shop.

He is a member on here I think mx52nv is his username. Knows MX5s pretty well to say the least and has performed brake upgrades more than a few times as far as I know

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:06 pm

Twood be very interesting to see out on the track.

Any chance of completed pics?

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:46 pm

Sean: I thought Wheelspin had closed shop?

Jeo: Sure, will upload some more recent pics soon. These ones are still pretty up-to-date though: http://www.evworks.com.au/vehicles.php?id=1

Sean · Postby **Sean** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:52 pm

Hoops wrote:Sean: I thought Wheelspin had closed shop?

I think you're right, I think he runs MX5Shop now - That's what his profile shows.

Postby **Okibi** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:17 am

Wheelspin has closed, any good mechanic should be able to service/flush/recondition your brakes.

If need be you can send the callipers or master/slave off to Perth Brake Parts for a rebuild.

marcusus · Postby **marcusus** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:36 pm

I totally forgot this was in Perth... Is that offer for a test drive still open? :mrgreen:

geofiz · Postby **geofiz** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:56 am

PM sent re brakes.

Benny · Postby **Benny** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:01 pm

Hoops wrote:Good news, I finally got around to taking this thing over the pits, so it's now officially licensed and you might start seeing it around the streets of Perth - look out for the ZEVA plates!

Seeing as you can get a vehicle converted to run electric power registered, are there any limits imposed by the government as to how powerful the motor(s) can be?
I have read about cars like the electric version of the Mercedes SLS for example, and they are running over 400hp motors.
Would there be a power output limit for electric car conversions to get them road registered?

What racing class would this EV run in?

I believe the fastest drag bike in the world is running electric power, so we could all imagine a 400hp MX-5 which runs almost silently, and with all the torque being developed at idle, it would be a real hoot to drive!

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:28 pm

Hi Benny,

Officially you're meant to replace the petrol engine with an electric motor of equal or lesser power, but the loophole is that usually licensing people don't know anything about electric cars, and the official rating of an electric motor is it's continuous rating (not peak like petrol engines), and we put several times more than continuous rating through them short term e.g under acceleration. So right now you could get away with massive amounts of power in electrics and still get them through licensing.. if you've got the money to build them.

So far we don't really have any properly high performance electric cars in Australia though, with possible exception to the Tesla Roadster which Simon Hackett (Internode, NSW) imported last year. I'd love to see someone build an EV akin to White Zombie (a 10 second electric Datsun from the US) but it takes a fair bit of money and expertise.

pepejesus · Postby **pepejesus** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:36 pm

Thanks Hoops for bringing this beast out to the MX5 Club sprint over the weekend. It's an amazing car and a hell of achievement to put it together and get it road registered.

Now let's see what times it can do on the track! :evil:

marcusus · Postby **marcusus** » Thu Sep 30, 2010 12:55 am

Great little surprise seeing it there. Next time I'll have to con you in to taking me for a spin in it.

Hoops · Postby **Hoops** » Thu Sep 30, 2010 3:19 am

Cheers guys, yeah I am very keen to start doing some motorsport with the car so it was good to come check out what the MX5 Club gets up to. Racing among the MX5's brethren seems like a good way to start. I also went for a quick meet & greet at tonight's committee meeting, and picked up a membership form.

I'll get in touch with Warwick Gates to see when I can next join you guys on the track. As far as I know it'd be the first EV in WA competing in motorsport, which'd be pretty cool. (I can't imagine it being particularly competitive, but gotta start somewhere!)

I'm not particularly precious about "my baby" so am happy to let others have a go behind the wheel too. As I say it's not super powerful (similar to a stock NA6 probably) but electric cars offer quite a different driving experience which I think can be appreciated most of all by car enthusiasts. I certainly enjoy driving it.