Gauges in EVs

by Dan
(Las Cruces, NM)

Gauges

What gauges are needed to monitor EV performance and exactly what do they do? How does the shunt work for the gauges? Can any automotive gauges be used?

Hi, Dan -
You'll need a "fuel gauge" for your batteries at the very minimum; this is simply a voltmeter, which you can get in digital or analog.

You'll also want an ammeter, which measures the battery amps.

Beyond this, there are all sorts of things to be measured - KW, temp, AH, that sort of thing - and if you're so inclined, there's a device called a Xantrex Link-10 battery bank monitor you can buy for about $250.

Northern Arizona Wind & Sun says this about the Link-10:

"You can display volts, amps, amp-hours, or Time of Operation Remaining. You may select automatic or smart sleep modes and scanning. The Link-10 also measures and reports kilowatt-hours and historical battery information such as: number of cycles, deepest discharge, and average depth of discharge. It automatically learns and displays Charging Efficiency."

Sounds very smart. And speaking of smart...

I popped over to the EVDL to see what the smart folks over there had to say on the matter of gauges, and I found a thread to read carefully called "Gauges for my EV?". The discussion covers voltmeters, ammeters, digital vs. analog, simple vs. complex, and where to hook all the little things up (the shunt question).

Regards,
Lynne