WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:05.000 I’m Andreas Deschka. I am studying mechanical engineering 2 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.000 at the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. 3 00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:11.000 My name is Alexej Tkacenko. I’m studying a mechanical engineering 4 00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:15.000 at Faculty Two at Hanover University, currently in my sixth semester. 5 00:00:16.500 --> 00:00:22.000 The initial idea was to turn a regular car into an electric car. 6 00:00:22.040 --> 00:00:26.000 We wanted to replace the combustion engine with an electric engine. 7 00:00:26.040 --> 00:00:29.000 The goal was to create a purely electrically driven car 8 00:00:29.040 --> 00:00:33.000 which could be driven in normal traffic without any problems. 9 00:00:33.500 --> 00:00:38.000 First we had to find a suitable car to convert. 10 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:44.000 We opted for the VW T3, as it provides enough room for 34 batteries. 11 00:00:44.040 --> 00:00:49.000 The van meets our space requirements. The electric motor and power electronics 12 00:00:49.040 --> 00:00:52.000 can be easily and safely fitted into the engine compartment. 13 00:00:52.500 --> 00:00:55.000 That’s why the T3 was the perfect choice. 14 00:00:55.040 --> 00:00:59.000 The project has been running for 4 semesters now. 15 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:05.000 We started on a half-finished car handed down by previous teams. 16 00:01:05.500 --> 00:01:11.000 Many components were already on site, some of them even installed. 17 00:01:11.500 --> 00:01:16.000 The first challenge was getting acquainted with the project’s current 18 00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:22.000 status which is crucial in the installation phase. 19 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:27.000 Another challenge was integrating all these components in the van to ensure 20 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:33.000 it had a purely electrical drive and was properly running on electrical power. 21 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:46.000 Professor Gusig and my company are the founding fathers of this project. 22 00:01:46.500 --> 00:01:53.000 I was just curious to find out how complex the topic of electric mobility really is. 23 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:57.000 He approached us, asking if it was possible to turn a 24 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:02.000 combustion engine vehicle into an electric car. 25 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:03.500 This is definitely an exceptional project. 26 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:09.000 It challenges students to put their knowledge into practice on a vehicle 27 00:02:09.040 --> 00:02:11.000 in an expensive project and to just give it a try. 28 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:34.000 We’ve come a great deal closer to our goal. 29 00:02:34.040 --> 00:02:37.000 We’ve managed to run the van solely on electric power. 30 00:02:37.500 --> 00:02:42.000 Yes, it’s amazing. I’ve got an old VW van, myself. 31 00:02:42.040 --> 00:02:47.000 This new electric drive is definitely faster than my old diesel engine. It’s quite speedy. 32 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:56.000 Currently, it’s still equipped with a small 44kW motor that provides sufficient acceleration 33 00:02:56.040 --> 00:02:58.500 on this parking lot to ensure we’re not holding up traffic. 34 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:05.000 Driving the van on the streets was fun. 35 00:03:05.500 --> 00:03:09.000 It’s great to know that the project will be continued successfully. 36 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 Most components have been installed by now, 37 00:03:15.040 --> 00:03:18.500 even if to some extent only in a makeshift manner. 38 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:26.000 The next step is getting a road approval. So our challenge 39 00:03:26.040 --> 00:03:31.000 is making this van safe and technically sound. 40 00:03:32.040 --> 00:03:35.000 I’m really proud of the students’ accomplishments. 41 00:03:35.040 --> 00:03:39.000 Achieving this objective is a big deal. We weren’t sure 42 00:03:39.040 --> 00:03:41.000 it would actually work out. But I’m glad that it did.