[valerun]

Hi Guys - apologies if this has been discussed before (pls point me to the right thread if possible).

Have anyone tried / thought about removing the generator etc and adding more batteries to the Karma?

Does any of the experts here know what the car will do if all the engine harnesses get disconnected? Perhaps in stealth mode the car doesn't expect much input from the engine sensors etc?

Just a crazy idea...

Thanks,
valery

 

[Nin ja]

I wonder the same thing and wondered why it was never discussed - ie adding a battery pack by removing the ice and generator - how much battery capacity can be packed into that space - I assume the weight has to be equal or less??

 

[SoCalGuy]

The genset weighs about 650 lbs roughly the same weight as existing battery. To be weight neutral you could probably add another 20kwh of A123 cells and double EV range from EPA 33/RW 40 miles to 66/80 miles total. As a practical matter, for safety reasons you probably couldn't put a big block of batteries right in the crash zone of the car.

 

[8AVGMPG]

Hi Guys - apologies if this has been discussed before (pls point me to the right thread if possible).

Have anyone tried / thought about removing the generator etc and adding more batteries to the Karma?

Does any of the experts here know what the car will do if all the engine harnesses get disconnected? Perhaps in stealth mode the car doesn't expect much input from the engine sensors etc?

Just a crazy idea...

Thanks,
valery

Its definitely possible to do but its not by any means a simple "take the genset out & swap it with an additional battery," so to speak.

If you were to separate & remove engine harness, or more specifically anything wired to the ECM; the biggest issue is that you'll be removing the terminating resistor in the powertrain can bus, which can cause other issues.

But if you were to resolve that then you shouldn't have any propulsion issues other than a lot of a fault codes.

By removing HV components such as the generator and gen inverter then you've got to deal with HVIL circuit & HV isolation faults that will set battery dtcs and prevent propulsion.

 

[Antonin]

Ever since start of FA problems there have been ideas how to modify the existing Karma. None of them ever happened - not even putting LS7 engine in the car (Destino). This is due to very complex way the car is assembled and how each module speaks to another. It is not even possible to swap TPMS sensors without reprogramming the receivers. So we have to accept that unless there is restart of production and factory sanctioned modification, we are stuck with what we have. We can theorize until sun comes up, but without very serious investment into reverse-engineering the car and its electronics, no modification is possible. My two cents...

 

[Stefan]

....So we have to accept ....and... we are stuck with what we have....

I really love to be stuck, with what I have!
Why should I exchange the ICE with a battery, risking to get stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere???




Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[8AVGMPG]

Ever since start of FA problems there have been ideas how to modify the existing Karma. None of them ever happened - not even putting LS7 engine in the car (Destino). This is due to very complex way the car is assembled and how each module speaks to another. It is not even possible to swap TPMS sensors without reprogramming the receivers. So we have to accept that unless there is restart of production and factory sanctioned modification, we are stuck with what we have. We can theorize until sun comes up, but without very serious investment into reverse-engineering the car and its electronics, no modification is possible. My two cents...

These things take up a lot of time to go through development and the complexity of the project can add to that. I'd also venture a guess that a lot of these projects get scrapped due to high costs and fairly low demand. I'm sure owners would love more performance/EV range out of their Karma but how much will they be willing to pay for it?

The TPMS sensors aren't complex, they are just low tech

 

[Lormax]

I'm sure owners would love more performance/EV range out of their Karma but how much will they be willing to pay for it?

That's the $30 million dollar question, isn't it?

 

[valerun]

Ever since start of FA problems there have been ideas how to modify the existing Karma. None of them ever happened - not even putting LS7 engine in the car (Destino). This is due to very complex way the car is assembled and how each module speaks to another. It is not even possible to swap TPMS sensors without reprogramming the receivers. So we have to accept that unless there is restart of production and factory sanctioned modification, we are stuck with what we have. We can theorize until sun comes up, but without very serious investment into reverse-engineering the car and its electronics, no modification is possible. My two cents...

Right.

Well, I *know* we can do a conversion of Karma relatively simply by just removing entire drivetrain except inverters and RDM. We know how to control the inverters from the gas pedal. We have done it many times with our BMW conversions. And it will be *much* easier to do than what Destino guys want to do.

The benefit of this approach is that we don't have to reverse-engineer a thing (well, just inverter control which is a simple set of CANbus messages).

However, ideally we would not want to go that far unless we have to. Ideally we'd figure out how to spoof the HCU to think the engine is still there. I am willing to hire whoever has the requisite knowledge around this topic.

PM me.

Valery