EV Conversion: Electric Reverse

by Brian
(Topeka)




I've noticed with EV conversions there is mention of "electric reverse" being used. Doesn't the manual transmission have reverse gear already? Am I missing something?

Hi, Brian -
There are two ways to do reverse.
OEM electric vehicles - cars built to be electric cars from the beginning - don't have transmissions and use the electric motor in reverse to back up. The motor directly turns the drive shaft backwards.

Conversions, however, usually keep the original transmission and use the existing reverse gear to back up. This means the motor will keep turning in the "forward" direction, and the transmission will intervene to turn the drive shaft backwards.

Some higher-end conversions use a combination of both: they keep the original transmission as their gear reduction by locking the tranny into second or third gear and removing the shift lever. They are then basically a single speed direct drive setup. They would then use electric reverse.

- Randy Holmquist from Canadian Electric Vehicles conversion shop in BC).

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