Multispace Electrique

[Grumpy-b]

I have now had my Multispace on the road for a couple of weeks. Still a few details to resolve, but its on the road. The last hurdle has been the requirement by my insurance company (NFU) for an Engineers report. This should now be with me. They have allowed me to use it for two weeks pending the report, so I could get it anywhere I needed to sort the ER out. They have been very helpful.
Being heavier its not doing as well as my van for distance per charge but its really great. With a full interior its so quiet. I dont use any service like Flickr etc so I cant post any images. Any easy solutions?
The paint still needs a final compound, it was painted outside so its not perfect, but its more than OK .
Its been a long haul, but the interest had been great since using it. SO many people see the sense of it, especially the family usability.
The 2003 batteries have been sitting for a couple of years but still got me 5 miles home. Now watered and charged a dozen times they are improving.
So its gone from new shell (Thanks Tim for bringing it down), lots of separate parts a slightly bent W reg Doner van and lots of time, to a great family usable EV in just over two years.
Grumpy-b

Other images to follow

[ChrisB]

Well done, you can post pictures direct to the forum using the "Upload attachment" at the bottom of the reply box

Do keep the pictures around 800x600 or take some in a fairly low res, or when you upload them you will find they will be MASSIVE and you end up having to scroll left and right to see the picture.

Amuses me that you have had to mess about with the insurance company with an engineers report must admit I'd have been tempted to take the reg and chassis number from the van and just apply it to the new vehicle, change the reg docs to show its a multispace and job done done that in the past with a few other vehicles ................then again I suspect these days some little jobs worth at DVLA would spot it



ChrisB

[timpootle]

Nice work Grumpy-B

I only wonder why Citroen didn't offer this.

[ChrisB]

OMG Grumps , thats just soooooo cool....I WANT your wheels are they standard multispace ones ?? and would you say they are lighter or similar weight to the orginal steels ??

Tim , I dont think they ever made one as they never really intended the Berlingo to make it into private hands, they only ever really went to companies, utilites, and councils

ChrisB

[Grumpy-b]

The registration change went like this
Deal with local DVLA, total disater making un reasonable demands while being unwilling to meet face to face or talk over the phone, let alone inspect the shell to see that it was unused.. It was a true insult. So I subsequently changed the colour and seats. No problem. Then canged the motor number and body type to MPV. Problems. Swansea (including a telephone number and a Persons name) asked for more deatils, so I sent a very full document, hid nothing and hoped for the best. They responded by changing the motor number and declaring the vehicle to be a "Van with side windows" Faith in oficialdom restored. No inspection etc required.
As for insurance, the changes ar big, so being expected to provide an engineers report was not a surprise.

The wheels are a Peugeot Part, (set of 4 new from a main dealers via ebay for £40) and are 6 x14 . They do stretch the 165 70s a bit but that size is listed in the user guide for the part as an Ok size for them.

It looks like the empty weight is about 200kg over an empty van. not surprising the doors are v heavy as are the seats.

I managed to get 39miles of spirited driving at 40mph or more with the power meter down to 12% average cell voltage of 5.75V Fully charged they are giving 6.7V so nothing un toward on that front.
My van will do 40miles including a stint of the A12 and the Orwell bridge and some local hillsand end up at between 25 and 30%.
I have yet to wire in the thermostat for the radiator bypass circuit, its not so cold at night so its not som important yet.

Im still looking for a set of Peugeot Combi side rubbing strips including the wing parts. These are nicer (Narrower )than the bulky Multispace items. I still need a mk2 grill I have lost the one I got 18 months ago.

Citroen did do some of these but as prototypes. The one they did as a Dynawatt with a range extender, was a multispace I think. The various prototypes that Ricardo have done over the last 4 years have also been Multispaces. But none officially in quantities.They would have had difficulty in getting sufficient range with the extra weight, so maybe thats the reason.
I feel a long term Lithium conversion coming on. And a change in income to pay for it.
Grumpy-b

[ChrisB]

Citroen did do some of these but as prototypes. The one they did as a Dynawatt with a range extender, was a multispace I think. The various prototypes that Ricardo have done over the last 4 years have also been Multispaces. But none officially in quantities.They would have had difficulty in getting sufficient range with the extra weight, so maybe thats the reason.
I feel a long term Lithium conversion coming on. And a change in income to pay for it.
Grumpy-b

Didnt realise Citroen had some done as Prototypes !!
I was aware of the few that Ricardo's had been playing with (use to work there as a contractor in a different life ) but thought they where all scrapped after testing. Terrible waste I thought

I may have to look out for those wheels, you didnt say if you felt they weighed more or less than the stock steel rims ?

ChrisB

[Grumpy-b]

Images finally uploaded

[timpootle]

Wow! Like the photies! Great work, Grumpy-B. I hope mine will look as good as that when finished.