Throttle (a.k.a. the Gas Pedal)

October 2004

The gas pedal no longer control fuel flowing into the engine. It will be converted to control a potentiometer which is wired into the drive control unit to control the amount of energy flowing into the drive.

Here is a picture of the Bosch EV potentiometer which is supplied with the Siemens system:

Basically, all that is required is to manufacture a mounting plate which will hold the throttle pot and the pedal cable. The design is similar to Victor's throttle pot mounting plate design at Metric Mind.

Version one of the throttle plate. Not enough room for the adjuster.

Version two of the throttle plate. However, when mounted in the engine compartment, the mounting surface is on an upward angle, which will allow water and debris to accumulate on the plate.

Version three of the throttle plate. This should work just fine. It has a slanted back so when attached to the vehicle, the pot plate will have a slight tilt for water run-off. A modification or a newer version may still be built to ensure the cable travels straight as possible.

Here is the final version of the throttle pot installed. A slight twist was put in the plate where the cable attaches. This allows for the cable to run as straight as possible.

Final adjustments

The throttle cable and pot runs excellent. The pedal movement is very smooth. One adjustment needs to be made: The pedal can travel further than the throttle pot. Either the pedal travel will be limited or the throttle pot arm will have to be lengthened. It is important to have the pedal move its full travel so that a driver with a "heavy foot" will not put undo stress on the potentiometer.

NOTE: If there are any concerns about drivers with a "heavy foot", the Siemens controller has a special option to govern the power of the system (made just for these kind of people!).