Project Fig-Leaf
The Fig-Leaf at the 30th Figgiversary!
Kevin Fagan (head of the Figaro Owners Club) got in touch to Ask whether we would like to come along to the 30th Anniversary Event. Not...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Apr 10, 2021
- 1 min
Hot off the 3D Printing Press
With all of the customisations that were needed, it was time to get creative on how we were going to make everything fit and more...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Feb 13, 2021
- 1 min
CAD Design, Battery Boxes and 3D Scanning
With everything now working in the car, it was time to think about how the final design would look. This is when things started to get...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Dec 5, 2020
- 1 min
Going for a Spin
So now the Fig-Leaf was moving under its own power, it was time to take her out and about for the very first time! We were all a bit...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Oct 3, 2020
- 1 min
She’s Alive!
So far everything was working as hoped; the mounting system was complete, everything was performing well and nothing had caught fire. It...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Sep 30, 2020
- 1 min
Spinning the wheels
Okay, so the motor wasn’t yet in the car itself but I was determined to see our Figaro’s wheels spinning under electric power for the...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Aug 15, 2020
- 1 min
Leafing the Figaro
In my last post, I had completed fabricating the Fig-Leaf Test Stand and we had just received a well needed offer for help from Pedo at...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Jul 30, 2020
- 2 min
Standing Around
(As it has been a long time since I updated the blog, I decided to backdate these posts to show everyone how the design has developed) In...
Project Fig-Leaf
- May 4, 2020
- 1 min
Turning the motor for the first time
While working on controlling the pre-charge circuit using the VCU board, I decided to try things manually with some switches. I started...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Apr 4, 2020
- 2 min
What the HVJB is pre-charging?
Unless you have an electrical engineering degree, you might be forgiven for wondering what on earth terms like High Voltage Junction Box...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Mar 30, 2020
- 1 min
Building a battery
After being sent back to square one with the Prius battery, it was time to think outside the box. I should start by saying that a working...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Mar 4, 2020
- 1 min
Wiring the VCU
One of the most important parts of the Fig-Leaf is the vehicle control unit (VCU). This board communicates with the inverter in the same...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Feb 4, 2020
- 2 min
Problems with Prius
So In my last post I had just acquired the battery pack from a Gen 1 Toyota Prius. After gingerly testing the battery I discovered that...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Jan 10, 2020
- 1 min
Turning over a new Leaf - Part 2
You should not be working on high (or low) voltage electrical systems without proper training and safety equipment. Please refer to the...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Dec 29, 2019
- 1 min
Birthing a Battery
You should not be working on high (or low) voltage electrical systems without proper training and safety equipment. Please refer to the...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Dec 10, 2019
- 1 min
Board to Tears
I have previously covered the excellent EV Conversion Course run by Damien Maguire and Kevin Sharpe hosted by New Electric Ireland in...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Nov 21, 2019
- 1 min
Turning over a new Leaf - Part 1
After searching for weeks on several scrap car auction websites, I found a Nissan Leaf through Copart that had been written off but still...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Oct 31, 2019
- 2 min
Words of Wisdom in Wicklow
October, 2019 County Wicklow, Ireland After a short flight to Dublin and a quick drive the coast, Katie and I arrived at the oldest hotel...
Project Fig-Leaf
- Jun 9, 2019
- 1 min
Fully Charged and Ready To Go
For a bit of a birthday present, Katie took me to Fully Charged Live in Silverstone; one of the biggest electric car events in the world....
Project Fig-Leaf
- May 30, 2019
- 2 min
Automatically an issue?
Having decided to convert the Figaro to electric, I set out to research the topic and to learn more about past EV conversions. Several...