Test-Driving the Tesla S

September 27, 2013

Wooooo-Hoooo! The Tesla S is a BLAST to drive! So how did I weasel my way into a test-drive? I had already seen the e-mail that there were going to be Tesla test drives in my area, but I dismissed it, knowing that I wouldn’t be available at those times. However, I got an e-mail […]

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eHonda CB750

September 18, 2013

This morning, I got a YouTube comment from another electric motorcycle builder. In it, he said that my electric motorcycle instructional videos were his main inspiration for him to build one. It always feels great to get those types of comments! To date, I know of at least a dozen cycles DIRECTLY attributed to my […]

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400 Watt Solar-Charger

September 7, 2013

Besides chipping away on the DIY Hybrid Truck lately, I’ve also been busy working on a solar charging system for the Electric Motorcycle and the Citicar. This summer, I attended the MREA, and was able to borrow a 48V solar panel to charge the cycle while there. I used a disconnect and charge controller I […]

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Electric Motorcycle at Harley 110th

September 1, 2013

Since I live a bit west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it’s hard not to notice an event like the Harley-Davidson 110th birthday bash. For the last week Milwaukee iron has been flooding into town from all over the country. Bearded and bandana’d bikers are here to have some fun. I didn’t really have any plans for […]

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Going Solar for EVs, Part 2

July 30, 2013

When I got home from work last night, I was happy to see that my MC-4 cable had arrived in the mail! The one thing I was missing from hooking up the solar panel to directly charge an electric vehicle is that fancy little cable. This morning, I pulled out my assorted pile of parts, […]

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Going Solar for EVs and more!

July 26, 2013

About a month ago, I was at the MREA – the Midwest Renewable Energy Association Fair – where I was showing off my electric motorcycle and giving presentations of DIY Clean Transportation. But probably my favorite thing of that weekend was my cobbled together Vehicle to Grid display! Ahead of time, I had talked to […]

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SuperTruck: Steering

July 21, 2013

So how DO you steer a DIY hybrid pickup truck without the engine on? That’s just one of the many challenges to figure out while working on a DIY project. In general, most cars nowadays use power steering. Power steering uses a hydraulic pump to assist turning the wheels, and that pump runs from a […]

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SuperTruck: Water Pump

July 21, 2013

Last week, my buddy Steve stopped by, and we were able to get the diesel running. The bad news was that the water pump was seized-up, and the priming pump leaked. So, I ordered a new water pump, which arrived by mail the other day. I’ve never done anything with a water pump before, but […]

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New favorite online car videos

July 20, 2013

I was taking a look through online videos to find a little basic instruction on installing a water pump, when I cam across this one: I like this guy’s style. Fun, but straight to the point. I took a look at another video or two of his. For any future car work, I might have […]

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SuperTruck: Firing up the Diesel

July 16, 2013

A few days ago, my friend Steve stopped over to help lend a hand on the DIY Open Source Plug-In Hybrid “SUPERTRUCK” project. At the heart of the project are two things, a diesel engine, and a big forklift motor. And while I’ve learned a thing or two about DC motors the last few years, […]

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