An Electric Fiat X1/9

For several years, there have been whispers that an electric X had been constructed in Tasmania's south.  However, no one seemed to know much about the car and how it had been built.

That's not to say that it was some kind of skunkworks project; it seems to have simply been an under-the-radar affair, quietly put together by a bloke in his shed.  It was actually so U-T-R that I'd seen it at least twice without me realising that it'd been electrified.

The car's since been sold but this is what I could glean from its current owner: 

- It's a 1980 model and, as such, was delivered to Australia as a "Series 1.5," meaning that it originally had the Series 1's 1300 cc / four-speed in a Series 2 body with impact-absorbing bumpers and the higher engine compartment lid, as well as the latter's interior;

- The motor is a 120 volt DC unit from US company Advanced Motors and Drives, rated at 10 HP / 7.355 kW (http://evalbum.com/advdc, accessed 03 JUN 24);

- The four-speed manual transmission has been retained, as has the clutch;

- There are two battery banks - one in the front boot ("frunk"), the other in the rear luggage compartment;

- As of the time of publishing, this gives the car a range of 40 kilometres* (yes, 40!);

- The system does not have regenerative braking, so, without any form of electronic or engine retardation, all stopping power is courtesy of the car's standard four-wheel disc brakes; and

- Unsurprisingly, range anxiety is a concern, so the owner uses it as a city car only.

It looks to be a simple but professional conversion, while the car itself is in reasonable condition, without obvious rust or major crash damage.  It's probably fair to say that as a practical vehicle, it's compromised by its meagre range and the lack of any real storage space, though.      

This isn't this UMPH's only X1/9- or Fiat-related content.  Far from it!  So, if you're a fan of either, please feel free to browse the rest of the site or use the search function to find specific cars.  You might be surprised what you can find!  And please do like, share and subscribe.

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

* Apparently, this figure was 80 km in 2012 when the attached information was listed online (http://www.evalbum.com/3210).  However, the current owner clearly states that the car's range is now only 40 km.