Bricklin EV-1 Owner's Manual
It would be a possible to add a second motor and controller and double the power potential, but this
vehicle is being built as a daily-driver, so some restraint must come into play. Additionally, the
weakest link must always be considered, and dual controllers might require a stronger battery pack
then the one being used, and it is unlikely the rear differential could withstand 830+ ft. lbs of torque.
Controller Selection
The selection of the high power motor controller was made based upon a number of design criteria.
Since the controller is being used in an automotive environment it must be of automotive quality and
support CANbus as well as OBD-II. OBD-II was not required in vehicles until 1996 and since the
1975 Bricklin did not require OBD-II, this is a significant upgrade to the vehicle. This automotive
quality requirement significantly narrowed the search for viable controllers.
As the controller will be placed under the hood of the vehicle it must be able to withstand a potentially
harsh environment - it must also be as watertight as possible.
All high power connections must be protected from the environment, as well from anyone who
decides to poke around under the hood. The WarP-Drive Industrial motor controller is the only
controller on the market that provides these features. Additionally, the gland nuts used to pass all
cables into the inside of the controller provide stress relief, as well as being watertight.
An additional feature required is the ability to “idle” the electric motor when the vehicle is in a “run
state”. This is necessary to power automatic transmissions, as well as running some “appliances”
such as a power steering pump, air conditioning or even an alternator to keep the 12-Volt battery
system charged.
DRAFT Page 10 of 31 DRAFT
Illustration 5: WarP-Drive Industrial - Motor Controller
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