I bought the best Tesla Model 3 rival you'll get for £400...
Discussion
OK, the similarities with end at "electric powered" and "has four wheels" but I bring to you the £400 electric car.
It's a 2008 Aixam Mega City+ Electric!
Much more at home with a 400cc Kubota diesel engine fitted, this little Aixam has 12 lead acid batteries powering an electric motor. I'm lead to believe the top speed is around 30mph and the range around 30 miles, although it's a little too buggered at the moment to find that out for sure.....
The front bumper not being fitted tells a tale - it's an abandoned project that tested the resolve of the previous owner until his breaking point.
I believe the main problem lies with the battery charger - previous owner tried to hook up an alternative aftermarket unit for charging but this didn't succeed, leading him to consider that there may be an issue with one or more of the batteries. I intend to do some diagnosis of the condition of the batteries and try to restore the factory charging circuit to full health rather than going further down the aftermarket route (although I am also having naughty thoughts about some modern lithium batteries from something like a Leaf..... but that's an expensive route)
Instruments are inoperative at the moment however it had 8,000 miles on the clock at it's last MOT.
Video overview here:
Can't wait to get stuck into it - first foray into EV and boy, what a terrible one to start with
It's a 2008 Aixam Mega City+ Electric!
Much more at home with a 400cc Kubota diesel engine fitted, this little Aixam has 12 lead acid batteries powering an electric motor. I'm lead to believe the top speed is around 30mph and the range around 30 miles, although it's a little too buggered at the moment to find that out for sure.....
The front bumper not being fitted tells a tale - it's an abandoned project that tested the resolve of the previous owner until his breaking point.
I believe the main problem lies with the battery charger - previous owner tried to hook up an alternative aftermarket unit for charging but this didn't succeed, leading him to consider that there may be an issue with one or more of the batteries. I intend to do some diagnosis of the condition of the batteries and try to restore the factory charging circuit to full health rather than going further down the aftermarket route (although I am also having naughty thoughts about some modern lithium batteries from something like a Leaf..... but that's an expensive route)
Instruments are inoperative at the moment however it had 8,000 miles on the clock at it's last MOT.
Video overview here:
Can't wait to get stuck into it - first foray into EV and boy, what a terrible one to start with
Edited by Toaster Pilot on Tuesday 11th May 23:00
The Dictator said:
Appropriate user name :-)
What are your plans if/when you get it up and running? 30mph is going to be a bit dangerous, unless it is only to be used in a city perhaps?
I’ll try to commute in it but I’ll need to go the long way round to avoid dual carriageways What are your plans if/when you get it up and running? 30mph is going to be a bit dangerous, unless it is only to be used in a city perhaps?
I would love to modernise the drivetrain but you’ll spend many times the initial £400 doing that!
Day off today so I got torn into this
Accessing the batteries wasn’t actually as bad as I’d feared
Each battery is reading around 12.4v. Low on charge but not faulty by any means. They were all replaced in 2015 for a whopping £1200!!
Restored the original Aixam battery charger and wiring today - it starts charging but cuts out. Think I’ll need to send the charger unit to someone for inspection and repair because they’re utterly unobtainable.
Hoping that refurbishing the charger will make it usable again - there are a couple of minor bits it’d need for a MoT but getting it charging properly again is vital to make it even slightly resemble a usable “car”
Accessing the batteries wasn’t actually as bad as I’d feared
Each battery is reading around 12.4v. Low on charge but not faulty by any means. They were all replaced in 2015 for a whopping £1200!!
Restored the original Aixam battery charger and wiring today - it starts charging but cuts out. Think I’ll need to send the charger unit to someone for inspection and repair because they’re utterly unobtainable.
Hoping that refurbishing the charger will make it usable again - there are a couple of minor bits it’d need for a MoT but getting it charging properly again is vital to make it even slightly resemble a usable “car”
brough74 said:
Ive had a look toaster and it must of finished but when i saw it last, it was at £470 so you maybe started something with your project.
Tends to be the kind of money they fetch with knackered batteries it seems. Think I’ve done reasonably well with this one even though it’s a pile of arse. Urgh. Not much to report with this.
Charger unit came back refurbished after a long time. Had been extensively tested and seemed to be doing its thing well before it was shipped back to me
Stuck it in and connected it up last weekend - it powered up and then almost instantly.... let the smoke out!
It’s heading back for inspection shortly. Balls.
Charger unit came back refurbished after a long time. Had been extensively tested and seemed to be doing its thing well before it was shipped back to me
Stuck it in and connected it up last weekend - it powered up and then almost instantly.... let the smoke out!
It’s heading back for inspection shortly. Balls.
It's no longer a pile of bits on the floor of my unit!
Charger came back after another crack at refurbishing it and it runs well now - fans are on constantly but that's no bad thing given heat was what killed it before.
It's only roughly assembled at the moment - bumper is held on mostly with cable ties and prayers... still better panel gaps than a Tesla mind
Cambs_Stuart said:
One for the "i never knew they existed" bucket. Good work in getting it going. How much did the charger refurb cost? And how is commuting in it?
Not quite there yet - but getting there hopefully. Charger refurb was sorted for a couple of crates of beer (hence it taking forever - it was well down the priority list!)
RC1807 said:
Good work, OP!
(Watched a recording of Vintage Voltage last night, the 1602 restoration with a ~120hp electric motor and TONS of batteries installed. That cost a small fortune by conmparison!)
I’d love to put a modern motor and battery setup into it but the cost definitely makes it prohibitive. (Watched a recording of Vintage Voltage last night, the 1602 restoration with a ~120hp electric motor and TONS of batteries installed. That cost a small fortune by conmparison!)
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