I never really posted an update after Moab. It's been over a month already. I guess I'll provide a rundown of how the EV80 performed.
I showed up to CM with my wife, Jasmin, and the 80 in tow behind my 100 and we set up camp. I did the night run and Gold Bar Rim in my 100. I only planned on doing one run in my EV80 but in hindsight I should have done more. On Friday I did Wipe Out Hill which was the Gamiviti sponsored run so of course the Gamiviti EV80 had to run it. It was the perfect maiden voyage for the truck with a good mix of challenging obstacles and also easy going trail and sandy roads. The truck really performed awesome, I was really impressed.
The Good:
-Suspension, brakes, steering were all excellent. I was not wanting for more steering power which was a pleasant surprise.
-The truck climbed everything, no shortage of torque in Lo-Lo. It can start from a stop on steep incline with no problem at all.
-Nothing broke!
-Nothing got hot. Blackbox doubler got warm but could still hold a hand on it. Motor and inverter were practically ambient.
The Bad:
-Offroad range was less than anticipated, only about 30 miles. Might be different on a hard packed CO trail vs. UT sand.
-CDL was not engaging. My last minute jerry rigged wiring didn't work. As a result I had a lot of wheelspin on the front axle but was still able to climb up most obstacles on the first try. Front weight bias probably helped.
-Battery mounts (old 1FZ motor mounts) cracked and came apart. I think this is the only damage.
The Chademo fast-charger plug didn't fit through my grill
First time I tried to test it was in Moab.
I ended up driving around the town of Moab in the EV80 at least once per day and probably put 70-80 miles on it. On Monday I did Baby Lions Back a couple times because I've never done it. Honestly, it was a good test and gave me confidence in the ability to start from a stop on a very steep incline with high stakes. It is a really good match to Moab and I was able to charge at public charge stations and go walk to lunch or the car show or whatever and the whole week in Moab I spend less than $5 on charging at the hotel! All other charging was free. If my truck had more striking range it would be such a perfect fit for Moab or other 4x4 towns like it. I definitely think this concept has tons of potential. I can't wait to expand this truck's capabilities. I've already got some big things planned.
Here are some more photos of the EV80 including some really great shots at Wipe Out Hill by
@bh4rnnr
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