Vanagon EV, aerodynamic hightop (VW Vanabolt)

[yabert]

Hi

I have a Vanabolt (a 1980 vanagon with a 2017 Bolt EV powertrain) since 5 years now.
Everything work great and it's a blast to drive this van with 150 kW and 60 kW of regen. We enjoy it.
Details here: TheSamba.com :: Vanagon - View topic - Vanagon 100% electric with Chevy Bolt drivetrain

Now we would like to dish the old and scrap pop-top and build an aerodynamic hightop.
The thing is I want to design it correctly before build something wrong.
My goal is to have the same range (or better range) despide having a higher front area.
In pictures, some 3D design done at the moment.
Is there some aerodynamic guru here who can help? Or do you have some software/book/etc to suggest?

Many thanks

 

[neptronix]

Awesome project, man.

If you don't get sufficient help here, i'd check out julian edgar on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/julianedgar

He also has a book ( i own it, it's good ):
https://www.amazon.com/Modifying-Aerodynamics-Your-Road-SpeedPro-ebook/dp/B09PVDTZ7T

 

[PaPaSteve]

Adding more frontal area by making the pop top bigger may end up costing higher power consumption.
Having experience building, street riding and racing streamlined human powered vehicles I know the underbody is often an overlooked area of efficiency.
Most of my testing used the coast down method on an accurately measured public road.
If possible clean up the underside by making it continuous, smooth and flat.
Internal flow is another energy costly area to look at.
Is the front grill still open to flow ?
Can the mirrors, headlights, turn signals, front bumper be smoothed in any way ?
Smooth the wheels (Moon hubcaps) and wheel skirts.
The Vixen RV was a good study example of a small frontal area vehicle sporting high fuel efficiency.

To go opposite of the smooth underbody, a front air dam to redirect the airflow around the vehicle can help.
This approach I applied to a Chevy class C Van conversion to gain 10% in fuel mileage.
The dam was so low it often brushed the ground.

Also study hypermiling, ecomodder

Our current RV is a 1995 VW powered Rialta . . . I dream of an electric version.
I'll be browsing your Samba thread.
Cheers


FLUIDS6.17 - Fluid Flow Simulator simple CFD

OpenFOAM CFD

Simulation Software | Engineering in the Cloud | SimScale CFD

 

[PaPaSteve]

Browsed your Samba thread this morning.
I must commend and admire your enormous, ongoing love for the van.
Rust repair is tough work.
Having more headroom inside the vehicle will be a welcomed addition when camping.
Again . . . you have done what I dream about doing to our RV.
Bravo !
If you ever are going down the Southern Oregon coast please look us up.

 

[Warren]

Hi,

I have a Vanabolt (a 1980 vanagon with a 2017 Bolt EV powertrain) since 5 years now.

Absolutely love your van. I followed you online, when you did your trip through the US. Did you ever get the DC fast charging to work?

 

[yabert]

Wow! Many thanks for the comments and tips guys.
The book julian edgar seem good, but it is like impossible to find a real paper version.
I think I would try Fluids6.17. If I can do proper set up that will at least give me the best hightop design.

 

[yabert]

Did you ever get the DC fast charging to work?

Yes, it work since 3 years now.
Still, the Bolt is the slower EV at fast charge station. Sometime in the cold, despite driving 100-150 km before stopping to charge, the power is reduce to 15-20 kW. GM have done a terrible job on programing of fast charge/battery heating.
So we enjoy slow traveling. Let say it's a different mind set than most people are used to do... no way we will drive 1000 km/620 miles in a day rushing to reach destination.