The just concluded International Electric Mobility Showcase held in KLCC had no shortage of displays centred around electrification, but none stood out quite like this one did, just because it looked quite misplaced amidst all the fashionable elements on call.
Your eyes don’t deceive you. That’s a 1994 Mitsubishi LO49 Pajero, and a public works department (JKR) unit at that. Decked out in a yellow and gray exterior scheme up to now, the vehicle was once a typical sight within the 90s. After all, greater than three many years on, it’s now nothing greater than a legacy, of a time passed by.
So why then was this particular vehicle on show on the National EV Pavilion area of the event? Well, that’s since it’s an electrical vehicle, or slightly one converted into an EV by the department. It’s actually the second such vehicle of the sort to undergo the conversion into an EV, the primary being a low-powered proof of concept exercise with a 1993 Pajero back in 2021, your entire project being accomplished in 41 days.
This one, often called the JKR EVC 2, scales the tech up, essentially commissioned to reply just a few questions, from gleaning in-depth knowledge about conversion features to taking a look at the viability of converting the federal government’s fleet of old internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric ones. Because it seems, the project has also helped to define policies, providing priceless information for the EV conversion (EVC) guidelines being drafted by the road transport department (JPJ).
Some notes in regards to the Pajero EV. Its diesel mill has been replaced by a 90 kW (120 hp) everlasting magnet synchronous reluctance motor which offers around 60 to 65 kW of maximum continuous output and 235 Nm of twist. With power sent to the rear wheels, the EVC 2 has a maximum speed of 120 km/h and accomplishes the 0-60 km/h run in 17 seconds.
The electrical motor is juiced by a 58.36 kWh LiFePo4 (lithium iron phosphate or LFP) battery, which offers the EVC 2 a maximum travel range of 200 km. Charging is via AC only, with a 6.6 kW onboard charger getting the battery from a zero to 90% state of charge in around eight hours.
The battery, which sits on the rear of the vehicle, weighs 400 kg, essentially making it a like for like alternative for the discarded engine and other hardware on the front, with the load being redistributed to the back of the automotive. There’s around 75 kg of additional weight, caused by electrical components (motor, inverter, DC-to-DC converter), and the suspension has been suitably modified.
Work on the automotive began on September 12 last yr, with the project involving numerous parties, including JKR’s mechanical and electrical department teams in addition to those from collaboration partners EMAR Technology, UniKL, BateriKu, Vector Labs and Celcom.
Initial work – from October to December – consisted of the removal of the Pajero’s engine and doing up the bodywork, including painting the automotive. Throughout the same period, procurement of hardware and layout design was undertaken, and from March to mid-June, component installation and system integration work was carried out, with running trials starting after that.
Incidentally, though it’s a prototype, WDP 4161 is fully road-legal, with the department being given a two-year approval to run the vehicle as a R&D testbed by the JPJ. Interestingly, the road tax – which is after all zero – for the EVC 2 is vaild all of the technique to 2027, suggesting that road legality for it could extend all of the technique to then. EV conversions are currently not legal but authorisation can given by the JPJ in special cases, akin to for demonstrators or testing.
While interesting, the initiative to convert the Pajero can be intriguing, on condition that the department is related to the development of roads and government infrastructure, and EV conversions are well off the scope for it. Why then, was the query posed to Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin, former engineering director of JKR, the person behind the electrical Pajero.
“Why is JKR making conversions? Everyone thinks JKR builds roads and government buildings and infrastructure. Yes, that’s our core business, but one in every of our roles can be maintaining the federal government fleet, and given the country’s aim of working towards a low-carbon footprint, it is barely natural to have a look at ways to impress the federal government’s vehicle fleet,” he said.
“Back in 2021, the department was asked to see the way it could assist with that aim. From the JKR perspective, I believed of how we could improve the infrastructure of providing EV chargers in government buildings or in areas involving public roads,” he said.
At that time, Megat said he needed an EV to grasp the necessities. “I didn’t have the budget to purchase a brand new automotive, but we found several partners, one in every of which was looking into EV conversions, and so we decided to explore that avenue,” he said. As for the selection of the Pajero, it was just about ordained. “After I requested a vehicle for conversion, the JKR workshop handed a listing of old Pajeros that it was willing to supply for the project,” he explained.
While it began off as an exercise to deliver an EV for determining infrastructure requirements, the project quickly became larger than the vehicle, evolving into an aim to make sure that that EV conversions were viable and feasible in Malaysia. “Even though it started off as an internal project, we’ve now been called to be a part of the national EV initiative as a member for process and procedure,” he said.
Besides aiding the establishment of conversion guidelines, he said it has also opened the road for brand spanking new opportunities, especially for the country. “One is that so as to perform conversions to required regulations, it’s obligatory to make sure that those that are doing that work are competent,” he stated.
As such, training becomes crucial, and so the thought is to eventually establish certification for workshops, starting with JKR’s own workshops. “This may provide a model or reference for any recent EVC workshops within the country, private or public,” he said. He added that conversions would also profit local component manufacturers, as parts will certainly be needed for the activity.
The associated fee of the Pajero conversion? Around RM150,000, which doesn’t make for an excellent business case, but with scale this may easily be halved and eventually trimmed further, Megat explained. “After all it has to have economies of scale. Doing one just isn’t feasible, but go into 1000’s and it would adjust. The larger picture is how it would profit local component manufacturers,” he said.
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This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
