AC Propulsion AC-150: Two Years, 50,000 Miles

AC Propulsion AC-150: Two Years, 50,000 Miles

August 23, 1996
San Dimas, CA

AC Propulsion's electric vehicle, equipped with the very first AC-150 200 hp drive system, clocked its 50,000th mile today almost two years to the day since it first drove, silently, from the AC Propulsion shops. Every one of those miles has been under electric power.

The entire AC-150 power electronics unit, which includes AC Propulsion's 150 kW motor drive and patented 20 kW integrated onboard charger, has had zero component failures or replacements over the entire 50,000 miles. In daily use, and sometimes with several plug-ins per day, the charger has logged over 750 charge cycles without difficulty. This achievement validates the AC Propulsion design approach combining high performance with integrated fast charge function by demonstrating dependability required to compete in the automotive marketplace.

The 50,000 mile plateau represents an impressive achievement for an electric vehicle. All of the mileage was accumulated in daily use on public roads and highways, not in artificial test track mileage accumulation runs. AC Propulsion president, Alan Cocconi, who drove many of the miles himself observed that, "Driving EVs is the only way to really understand what they can and cannot do. By putting our car in everyday use, for commuting, running errands, weekend excursions and two cross-country round trips, we've shown that a well-engineered EV is capable of satisfying the transportation needs of a large segment of the driving population"

The onboard fast charger extends the useful range of the EV by allowing it to plug in anywhere rather than necessitating a return to a specific charging site before battery energy is low. "Without the onboard charger" said Cocconi," we never would have been able to accumulate over 2000 miles per month in our EV"

Although the motor and power electronics unit have been trouble free for 50,000 miles, the rest of the drive system has been undergoing continual improvement. The transmission was upgraded with stronger gears when the originals proved unable to cope with the 200 hp and 6.2 sec 0-60 accelerations. A new generation of Optima spiral-wound lead-acid batteries was installed at 40,000 miles, and these increased range by 20% allowing the EV to set a new range record of 145 miles over the Pomona Loop, Southern California Edison's test course for EV driving range. Just 2000 miles ago, the transmission was upgraded once again. An internal modification reduced gear whine to almost undetectable levels solving a problem unique to EVs - their silent operation amplifies the effect of noise from other vehicle components.

The AC-150 electric drivetrain is a 150 kilowatt (200 horsepower) electric motor and controller for vehicles in the 2500-4000 pound weight range. It embodies advanced motor control, battery charging, and driver interface circuitry and control logic to provide high performance, high efficiency, recharging, and battery management functions in an integrated package. The AC-150 is manufactured in California by AC Propulsion Inc.