E-Mobility Engineering 019 | In conversation: Stephen Lambert l WAE EVR l Battery case materials focus l Quality control insight l Clipper Automotive Clipper Cab digest l Optimising battery chemistries insight l Powertrain testing focus

52 May/June 2023 | E-Mobility Engineering This e-taxi, converted from the iconic London black cab, is set for real-world trials. Peter Donaldson explains how it’s being developed Hire ambition T he urban jungle is a natural environment for battery EVs, as they can take advantage of its stop-start traffic to recover energy through regenerative braking. The iconic black cab is therefore a natural target for conversion to a BEV, particularly as there are large fleets of these long-lived vehicles with diesel engines facing non-compliance with tightening emissions regulations. Furthermore, financial incentives are available from national and local governments keen to show their green credentials by supporting public transport options with no tailpipe emissions. Clipper Automotive intends to capture a substantial proportion of that market with its Clipper Cab, a conversion of the TX4 built by the London Taxi Company (now known as the Asia Cab Company). The prototypes use powertrain components from Nissan Leaf BEVs or E-NV vans, chosen for their technical maturity, proven longevity and availability at relatively low cost, explains Clipper Automotive EV engineer Harris Medwell. Early production examples will also retain those Nissan components, which include the battery modules, BMS, DC-DC converter, inverter and motor, along with a Tesla onboard charger and Clipper’s own ECU. Leaf recycling Most of the componentry is recovered fromwritten-off vehicles. “There is arguably some risk in that with some of the components, but with batteries you can test the state of health, so unless the pack has been impacted – which you can tell for yourself – the risk is easily mitigated,” Medwell says. “If it were a 100,000-mile car with a battery state of health at 70%, we wouldn’t touch it, but withmost newer Leafs, especially those with 40 kWh packs built from2018 onwards, the mileages are relatively low and the state of health percentages are in the high 90s. “When it comes to other components, Nissan has used exactly the same motor, for example, from the first-generation Leaf to the ones they build now. The motor is ‘bomb proof’ and would be the last thing to go wrong on a Leaf, so we are very confident when taking a motor out that it will run absolutely fine, and you can get them stripped and refurbished anyway.” Clipper tests each second-hand motor, inverter and so on using a rig that includes a ‘dummy’ battery (a 24 kWh pack the company assembled for the purpose) and the ECU it has developed

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