Fiat 126r. Kid on electricity. How to turn Fiacik into an electric car?
There are several cars in Slavomir Wysmik's garage. Besides the stylish Aston Martin DB9 and Jaguar I-Type, there are also a few Fiat 126p. One of them is special because it is driven by… an electric motor.
The "babies" were machines, like all of today's 60s and 70s, iconic machines even. Also for Mr. Slavomir, who already today, being retired, has a special affection for this car. When his collection already had several copies of the "Kid", one of them decided to convert it into an electric car. It happened, in particular, at the insistence of Jacek Theodorczyk, a friend from the time of study at the Lodz University of Technology, a great mechanic. After several meetings and discussions, they both knew what the electric drive built into the famous Fiat 126p should look like. It was three years ago when, together with a third colleague, Andrzej Vasak, a great mechanic pedant, they began their first attempts to build such a car. The basis was the "Baby" 1988 release.
Replacing the drive from internal combustion to electric
Contrary to what it seems, replacing an internal combustion engine with an electric one is a rather complicated operation. Once they chose a new drive, which is English. Vysmyk bought in China, problems began with the selection of the battery. The first tests were carried out with the support of several acid batteries. Only then did the best lithium-ion battery for such designs appear. Including due to the need for better weight distribution (the battery weighs 85 kg), they put it in front, in the trunk, but this required a special design to strengthen this part of the body and strengthen the front spring. It was also no coincidence that its size was chosen. After all, we know how small the trunk of the "baby". Unfortunately, during one of the tests, the electric motor burned out. The next one has already been bought in Europe. Further problems to be solved were the development of a cooling system and electric heating of the passenger compartment. However, despite a few more minor annoyances, the "kid" grew up.
After a series of tests of various solutions, all components had to be assembled into a single final form. Arkadiusz Merda was responsible for precision sheet metal processing and assembly work. The clever design leaves enough space for a second storage compartment above the engine, which takes up less space than a combustion engine. New indicators appeared on the dashboard, such as an ammeter and a voltmeter, as well as a current current range indicator.
From the first talk about the creation of such a machine to the completion of the most important tests and road registration, a year and a half passed.
See also: Beware of this error when changing tires.
Electric bike
The electric motor in this vehicle has an output of 10 kW (13 hp) but can deliver up to 20 kW (26 hp) for a short time. Electric Fiat 126 "crazy" engineer accelerates to 95 km/h. The battery with a capacity of 11,2 kWh allows you to drive about 100 kilometers on a full charge. When using a 230 V (16 A) household outlet, a 3,2 kW charger will charge this battery to 100%. after 3,5 hours.
When asked about the purpose of the whole enterprise, Slawomir Vysmyk briefly explains: this is a hobby that filled his time, which he now has more than when he was professional. Many years ago, car rallies were his passion. For several years, he competed in races, including "Toddler Walking". He has always been interested in the automotive industry, so now he is pursuing his dreams, if only in such a way that he built a small electric Fiat from scratch.
The car still needs a few minor tweaks, but Ing. Wysmyk has already made several trips with it. One of them was a visit to a car dealership in Nadarzyn. Visitors to the event, Richard Hammond and The Stig from the iconic Top Gear program, left their autographs on the body after a short trip.y.
How much does it cost?
The car is registered and has a valid technical inspection. By the way, this was possible, because only one diagnostician Leszek Vesolovsky, also an enthusiast of this type of vehicle, dared to take on the inspection of an electric Fiat 126p.
Finally, a few words about costs. There were many of them, because Slavomir Vysmyk estimates them at about 30 10 people. zloty. That's how much the parts cost, because work doesn't count. An engine with a controller and a gas pedal cost about 15 PLN. A lithium-ion battery with a controller costs about XNUMX thousand. zlotys and smaller items from a few tens to several hundred zlotys. From an economic point of view, building this car did not make sense, but that was not the point.
The Volkswagen ID.3 is produced here.
