I like this one..
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Could you make a few versions with the middle part in white?
The plastic which is covering the battery needs to be as heat-reflective as possible, for the sake of the battery. Heat kills it, and the stock cover gets easily over 70degC hot in the sun.
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
Certainly, good point.
The lines of the bike give plenty opportunity to play with contrast.
But painting the black plastic white (or light silver,...) will be harder to do.
And harder to keep nice and clean too :-)
Honestly, Mik, I thought you would mention visibility :-)
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
I have some white paint on order - "It's so cool" heat reflective paint. Visibility is of course a concern, how could I forget that? ;-)
Painting the middle section white should worsen the visibility of my already white Vectux due to less contrast. Every time I get caught out by a blizzard it will get scary!
After the Vectux middle mid-section, I'll paint the roof and bonnet of my (dark blue) MK1 Prius. It has the same NiMH heat problems as the Vectrix.
I already have this point (in it's "membrane" form) on my house roof. It works very well - in full sun the metal roof does not even get too hot to touch!
Yesterday I bought two white Prius MK1's, I will then be able to compare the effectiveness of the "It's so cool" to standard white colour.
Work colleagues told me yesterday that a black or dark car is much harder to keep looking clean than a white one. I'm not sure, mine very rarely look clean no matter what the colour is! :-)
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I'm planning to protect the dark battery cover with a thin layer of gold, hi reflective material, similar to the gold shelters which cover some satelites. You can buy it as thermal shelters for injured people, very cheap material...
![Manta-termica[1].gif](/sites/default/files/u3848/Manta-termica%5B1%5D.gif)
I have a metal-film covered bubble-wrap underneath the black plastic, but I am not entirely comfortable with the fact that it is electrically conductive.
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I found another good material for that:
softmetalfilm
I guess it would be more scratch-resistant, easier to clean and more appealing.
I found a local hardware store, they have it and its very cheap:
brico film
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
OR one could cover the cover with something like this and gain extra storage
Not that I live in a (very) sunny country, but sometimes, I can't avoid parking in the blazing sun.
Earlier in this post, I thought about a reflective self-adhesive foil as Mr Mik suggested to keep the batteries cool.
I thought: if it doesn't keep the heat out, it doesn't harm either..
I put myself at work:
It's not perfectly done, there are some typical small air pockets in the foil, but it's ok-ish.
It actually feels very cool in the sun. Waaaaay cooler than the black stuff!
Happy I did it..
Turok
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
Very nice!
What is this foil?
I am still procrastinating about applying the heat reflective paint I bought ("It's so cool").
But eventually I have to do it. My parking spot at work is now in the full sun, and even in "Winter" the black plastic gets very hot. I run the impellers non-stop when it's parked at work.
The foil might be a bit easier to apply.
Why did you leave the middle part uncovered?
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I found it in a DIY franchise shop,
this is the stuff:
http://softmetalfilm.com/gallery.html
It's easy to work with, you can easily stick it on en pull it off again.
It's very flexible in two dimensions, but it stretches very little (so it's not suited for rounded surfaces)
I like the appearance of this particular foil, it really looks like brushed metal:
There must be metal in it, because it feels really cold to the touch, almost like bare metal.
But there's another clear layer of protection over it that tends to rip if you try to strech the material.
I didn't try to cover that middle part, because it's finish is dotted, the foil wouldn't stick well to that.
But as I live about half way between the north pole and the equator, the sun rarely hits our heads in a vertical angle, IF it hits us at all.. So I guess for me, it will do.
But one thing is certain: the solar heatwaves just completely bounce back from it, I bet it'll be a difference of a dozen degrees or more.
I'm sure this foil would help all you guys a LOT, there in Aussie and other hot parts of the world!
An other question: you say you leave your impellers on all day, I remember you supplied them directly, but was that from the mains or from the battery? and if it's from the battery, does it affect its charge a lot?
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
It's from the mains to a 12V DC power supply, then to the impellers.
Charging is not at all affected by it due to a relay. I call it the ABCool (Auxiliary Battery Cooling): http://visforvoltage.org/forum/7471-abcool-40-vectrix-auxiliary-battery-cooling-system
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/9446-when-vectrix-charging-3a-cc-mode-3amps-going-battery-or-3a-minus-battery-impellers#comment-5...
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
eyeinthesky
I like what you have done here with your bike it looks very good, I could imagine using this space under the cover as extra battery space thus making the bike go a lot further with other options open as well.
In fact this makes very good sense to do what you have suggested and I’m surprised vectrix didn’t do it.
Hi
Remember this post?
My warranty is over, and the first little mods/tweaks have already been done :-)
But, as said, I am going to apply a different color to the V. Paint is already ordered, and I'm preparing my garage for the job.
Here-under a quick Photo-shop. Mik, you were right all along...again :-)
how it is now:
how it is in my head:
:-)
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
Hi Guys,
I've seen hell this weekend, as I had underestimated the amount of work getting it done, but it's done, and I'm absolutely happy with the result.
First, I "undressed" her, that was done in little more than an hour:
Then I sanded, primed, sanded again, primed again, more sanding, first layer of white, even more sanding, and second layer of white. Then sanded again + polished.
Then put it back together (took me about 2 hours, didn't have any screws left over :-))
total time spent: 3 full days, and here is the result:
I'm not the only one who likes it, apparently, there were more people interested in the bike today, than in the whole 2 years of ownership all together!!
oh yea, I'm not sure if I'm going to add the stickers I had in mind earlier, just because it's beatifull as it is now.
cheers!
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
superb. beautilul. Don't add stickers, please!
Well done!
I still have not had time or a chance to spray the step-through with heat-reflective white. The tin of paint is maturing in my garage while the weather remains rainy all summer and autumn....
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
thanks..
okay okay, no stickers! :-)
@ Mik, mine used to be out in the sun a lot, but since I moved, I can always park in the shadow.
I considered painting that part in white too, but I think it would be difficult to get it right because part of the surface is dotted. And it would get dirty too..
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
Gorgeous! Well done.
Vectrix might make it a standard colour when they see this :-)
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
I thought that Vectrix did have pearl white bike on their color list. At least it used to have. Doesn't Mik have one like it?
Yes you are right they selled white ones regulary. When I had the testdrive I was pending between the green and blue.
Then I saw the white one and new it ;-)
Greetings
Found this one...Gulf livery I think?
I love the irony in that.
I hope they also did a BP and Shell :-)
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
Hey, did you consider instead the softmetal foil, just painting the batteries black plastic covers?
Very nice- (why not just painting it with plated spray color?)
Just a side note, I did some nice vinyl artwork, and came up with a set of Vectrix stickers that brings it up-to-date, new looking. Under the seat, I have a "cell propelled", and one of the same, smaller, under the tail in that little space. For the front, I have a nice large "DYNAMIC ENERGY" JOLT", that tilts and is in chrome (or white) heavy vinyl. I drive this to Walmarts, and all the large shopping malls, park in front,......and let the jaws dribble and the mind squeeze with wonder!!!! oh,...that part is mostly because I've also added a GREAT "OEM" looking sticker across the windshield, that reads "CAUTION TEST MARKET VEHICLE" toooooo funny!!! With all the stickers added, people went nuts, so talking to my wife I went on line, and found OEM "FORD" emblems,.....now what do you think happens when I drive the "BLUEDEVIL"!!!!!!People now see me at the stores, asking and asking, saying they can't find anything on the web about a "FORD SECRET VEHICLE"!! I just say that I had ben chosen in a lottery for this test vehicle, and I am not at liberty to discuss it,....then drive away with the biggest grin and as much fun as I can take without and adult beverages in moderate levels.
Here is the "CELL PROPELLED"
Sorry, for some reason, my computer burped and then I lost my side view of the "JOLT". I post it later, I hope you all like these.
Sure I considered it.
But since I moved, my V is virtually never out in the sun anymore (except on my way to work//home of course)
And I was scared that paint over there would deteriorate fast when encountering rubbing feet.
And I like the B&W contrast. So much that I don't even consider the softmetal foil anymore (the last one I put on, lost its grip in a matter of months, luckily it had left no trace at all.)
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment
say it ain't pretty :-)
(yes I did add stickers, but they're not too prominent I think)
"doing nothin = doing nothing wrong" is invalid when the subject is environment