One-Stop Shop

KTA Services offers a multitude of services to its customers. KTA creates the opportunity for individual and professional converters to find the products and services in one unique place, making the purchasing experience convenient and efficient at the same time.Compared to visiting a separate institution for each area of need, the "one-stop shop" concept saves our customers a lot of time, effort and money.

Sample Kit

KTA is a distributor of new, competitively priced, parts and components that come with full manufacturers' warranties. We stock and sell the largest variety of the very best components and parts manufactured by the industry's most well known names.

To name some of our products, we carry controllers from Curtis Instruments, Evnetics and Alltrax; Motors from Advance Motors & Drives, Netgain and Hi-Performance; Battery Management Sysyem (BMS) from Elithion; Battery Pack Kits (Lithium and Lead Acid) and many other products that can be viewed in our Web-Store. We can tailor our  kits to fit the most diverse needs, in terms of power and price, to save your customers time and money.  Or, we could also help you to find a specific product or distributor using our extensive network and knowledge of the market .

KTA Vacuum System

Become a Preferred Partner

We provide free personalized Technical Support from beginning to the end of our client’s project. For established Conversion Shops, our Customer Service provides the support and peace of mind necessary to see your project come to a successful end. For those considering starting a new conversion business, we have the means to provide a more comprehensive support package including, but not limited to, business start-up consulting and marketing strategies. We are in a position to provide our partners with leads of customers looking for a shop to do their actual conversion project.

For those business partners interested in increasing their internet traffic to their websites, we can provide a link from our web-store. At the same time we can give some important pointers in how to increase your web ranking.

We also have developed for our preferred converters, a discount scale tied to the volume of sales in a determined period of time. This system allows small businesses to achieve its financial goals in an efficient and productive manner. Again, we are here to support your venture from beginning to end in every aspect of your business.

Overview of the Soliton1 & Soliton Jr Motor Controllers by Evnetics

The Soliton1 and Soliton Jr are motor controllers specifically designed to drive brushed DC motors (more specifically, series field) in electric vehicle applications. These motor controllers employ cutting edge technology and have a vast array of unique features: the main contactor with automatic precharge is built-in, a heatsink with both liquid and fan cooling, a state-of-the-art film capacitor on the input rated for the full ripple current (one-half to as little as one-fifth is typical!), and an ethernet interface that continuously streams live performance data and allows configuring the controller with an ordinary web browser! You run Linux or MacOS? No problem. Don't have a serial port on your computer? No problem. Despite the fearsome level of technology inside the controller, it is even easier to install and use than the venerable Curtis 1231C!

There are lots of details to consider and specs to compare when choosing a motor controller for your EV, but one of the most important considerations is how long you can get peak motor current and how often? Unlike the typical “shoe-box” style controller with little intrinsic ability to shed heat, Evnetics controllers have a massive machined aluminum, fan-cooled heatsink which give them unparalleled continuous power capability even before liquid cooling – which they also feature – is used. Other controllers may deliver a higher peak current for some brief (and usually unspecified) amount of time, but none can deliver the same amount of current for as long as the Soliton1. Period.

Raw power might be great at the drag strip, but without the ability to precisely and safely control that power, everyday driving situations like rush-hour congestion or pulling into a parking space quickly turn tedious. The throttle input to Evnetics' controllers directly controls motor current for an exceptionally smooth and natural driving feel, even at low currents and 0 RPM, and without emitting an annoying whine through the use of random pulse skipping, rather than an abrupt change in switching frequency.

Unlike other companies making EV-related products, Evnetics is comprised of a core development team with interlocking and complementary expertise in mechanical engineering, power electronics and embedded software design. To put it simply: we make better products not only because we want to, but because we can...

The Evnetics Core Development Team

Sebastien Bourgeois – Management/Mechanical Design

Jeffrey Jenkins – Hardware Design

Martin Persson – Software Design

Soliton1/Soliton Jr Specs and Features

•        9V-340V battery voltage range (output current reduced above 310V).

•        1000A max current (battery or motor) for the Soliton1; 600A max current (battery or motor) for the Soliton Jr.

•        Thermal derating smoothly reduces allowed current with temperature.

•        Main contactor and precharge/discharge control built-in!

•        Splash-proof (approx. IP55 rated) nickel plated aluminum enclosure.

•        Rugged design based on 600V industrial IGBT modules.

•        High reliability 600V film capacitors in the power stage – no electrolytics!

•        1.5V max voltage drop at max output current (0.8V is typical).

•        PID loop to idle the traction motor (for A/C, automatic transmissions, etc.).

•        State-of-the-art laminated bus structure extracts maximum performance from the IGBTs by ducing noise, ringing and spikes.

•        Full optical isolation between traction battery and 12V system.

•        Fully configurable with an ordinary web browser!

•        Performance data continuously streamed to the ethernet port.

•        Throttle directly controls motor current (torque) for a natural driving feel.

•        Motor current ramp rate can be set from 100A/s to 25kA/s.

•        Randomized pulse-skipping (“dithering”) maintains precise control of motor current all the way down to 0A for smooth starts and easy low speed driving without emitting an annoying whine.

•        Switching frequency selectable between 8kHz (Performance) and 14kHz (Quiet).

•        All low voltage connections protected against reverse polarity, spikes and treat 5V as maximum but tolerate up to 15V for convenience.

•        Tachometer input (1, 2, 3, 4, 6 pulses per revolution) for protecting against overspeed and idling automatic transmissions, a/c compressors, etc.

•        Brake input overrides throttle when active for added safety.

•        Reverse input reduces max throttle and motor voltage when active.

•        (3) programmable inputs (analog/digital) for reverse, throttle limit, start, etc.

•        (3) programmable outputs for driving analog meters, cooling pump control, etc.

•        Error light output can directly drive the “Check Engine” light in the dash.

•        3D CAD drawings of both controllers for planning installation ahead of time.

•        And, perhaps most importantly, we constantly strive to improve our products and add new features and functions!

Safety Recommendations for Electric Conversions by Wistar Rhoads & Ken Koch

INTEGRITY OF BODY, BRAKES & WHEEL BEARINGS

Most EV conversions wind up being from 400 to1200 pounds over stock weight. This represents additional strain on the body, wheel bearings, and brakes. Don't convert any vehicle that has cancer (road rust) because the additional strain could eventually cause structural failure of the body. It's mandatory that a conversion have the best brakes possible. When performing a conversion, always put on brand new brakes; use the best materials available. If the vehicle you're converting has power brakes, be sure to restore vacuum to the brake servo with a vacuum pump system. Also, check wheel bearings for signs of wear; if you have any doubts about them, replace them.

BATTERY PLACEMENT

Try to distribute battery weight throughout the vehicle for better handling as much as possible. Too much weight in the back of the car can cause over-steer with a sensation that the vehicle is too responsive to any change of steering wheel position. If there's too much weight over the front wheels, the under-steer created will make you feel like you're driving a snow plow. Also, try to place batteries as close as possible in the center of the car at a low position to lower the vehicle's center of gravity and to avoid the 'dumbbell' effect whereby the vehicle will yaw with each change of steering wheel position.

A vehicle is safer if batteries are kept out of the passenger compartment. If placement outside of the passenger compartment isn't possible, be sure to enclose and secure the batteries inside of a box structure.

SAFETY COMPONENTS AND SAFE TECHNIQUES

The power components in an electric vehicle propulsion system can be as simple as a motor, a motor controller, a set of batteries, and some cable to interconnect them. Using only these basic ingredients in the vehicle propulsion system will work. If you're lucky, you may never need additional components for safety.

This reminds me of the time a fellow was proof-testing components in a 2-seater dune buggy with no body. The propulsion system had no safe means of disconnecting battery power from the motor if a problem ever occurred. Sure enough, as Mr. Murphy might have it, the controller shorted out during a test run and the 'test mule' began to run away. Good thing that this fellow had a tool box sitting in the passenger's seat next to him. He was able to retrieve a hammer from the tool box, and after two well-placed swings he succeeded in knocking the post off of a nearby battery. This maneuver (at 50 MPH and climbing) interrupted power to the motor, and the vehicle was then brought to a stop. Brakes alone were not enough to stop the vehicle, and depressing the clutch would have caused the motor to blow. Fortunately, in this case, the only casualties were a battery with a broken-off post and some underwear that was badly in need of changing! The vehicle could have crashed or some part of the system could have caught fire.

This incident points to the fact that the more safety components you have in a propulsion system, the safer your vehicle will be in the event of some emergency condition, even if some seem redundant.

(1) FUSES. Fuses provide an instantaneous automatic interruption of power in event of a malfunction or short-circuit. No fuse is any good unless it is rated at the voltage/current/time characteristics appropriate to its application. Use at least one safety fuse in the main battery pack to protect system power components. An enclosed safety fuse such as the Ferraz-Shawmut is best because the fuse element is enclosed in a fire-retardant powder. A fuse link is usable, but with its open construction it can spew molten balls of metal when it blows. If a fuse link is mounted in the open over the top of a battery and it blows, molten balls of metal can burn through a battery case--causing a potential fire or explosion--or, at the minimum, a ruined battery. If using a fuse link, please enclose it in a piece of high temperature insulated tubing such as phenolic. Also, for maximum safety, any instrumentation line that ties into any part of the propulsion system should be protected with a small fuse of 1-amp or less that is mounted close to the propulsion system tie-in point. This will protect small gauge wiring from catching on fire if a short ever occurs within the instrumentation circuit.

(2) CIRCUIT BREAKERS. Whereas a safety fuse provides instantaneous automatic interruption of propulsion battery power in event of a malfunction, optional use of a circuit breaker can provide a fail-safe manual and/or automatic interruption of battery power in the event of a drive system malfunction. It also can be used to shut-off battery power during routine servicing of the system. A circuit breaker is no good unless it is rated at the voltage/current/time characteristics appropriate to its application. Use of a double-pole circuit breaker offers an advantage over a single pole unit by allowing both sides of a battery pack to be interrupted instead of just one. The circuit breaker should be mounted within easy reach of the EV driver for maximum safety.

(3) CONTACTORS. A contactor is used to switch high power remotely by means of a low-level control voltage--such as 12-volts DC supplied from a key-switch. In an EV propulsion system, high voltage, inductive loads, and extremely high current levels are encountered. A contactor should be correctly rated for the high voltage and current characteristics appropriate to its application. Even though a contactor's primary function in most EV systems is to carry current, the type used should be capable of breaking current to an inductive load (motor) In case of a shorted controller condition. This means that the contactor used should be fitted with magnetic blowouts which extinguish arcing--otherwise, a contactor could weld into a shorted condition if it can't break the arc. Magnetic blowouts work on the principle of Fleming's Left-Hand Rule. At least one main contactor should be used in a propulsion system to apply and remove main battery power to the motor and controller. Contactors used for electrical reversing should be fitted with magnetic blowouts as well.

(4) WIRE, CABLE, AND TERMINALS. Wire and cable used in an EV should be sized to safely handle the current being carried without overheating. Undersized wire can get hot or even catch fire. Manufacturers' amp capacity tables should be referred to when deciding which size wire to use. Use wire that has thicker insulation to maximize abrasion resistance in EV applications. When running heavy-duty cable underneath a vehicle, add abrasion resistance to the cable by enclosing it in PVC conduit or rubber heater hose. Put extra covering on wires that are routed through sheet metal with potentially sharp edges. Use copper wire, never aluminum. The debate on whether to crimp or solder terminal lugs onto heavy-duty cable ends may go on forever. Basically speaking, all lugs should be crimped onto wire ends using a proper crimping tool. Solder them too, if you like, but do crimp them. If a cable lug secured to a battery terminal ever becomes loose, it can become hot enough to melt the solder and separate. A crimped lug will hold to the cable because of its mechanical bond. Check all battery terminal hardware at least once per month and retighten as required.

(5) BATTERIES. Batteries, of course, should be securely fastened from moving around in an EV. The most common type used today for EV applications is the flooded-cell lead-acid battery. These have a liquid electrolyte and are unsealed. During approximately the last 20% of their recharge cycle they will produce a significant amount of hydrogen gas. Allow adequate ventilation for the hydrogen so that it doesn't collect and present an explosion hazard. Hydrogen ventilation can be assisted by using small fans. Never use a DC brush type fan in this application because commutation sparks can ignite the hydrogen. Always use brushless DC or AC fans. Also, when handling or working around batteries, always: (a) wear heavy-duty shoes to protect your feet and heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands and fingers (b) wear a face shield to protect your face and eyes in the event of an explosion (c) tape the unused ends of wrenches which are to be used for removing, installing, and/or tightening battery terminal bolts and nuts (d) place an insulating cover over all batteries which are adjacent to others being installed, removed, or serviced. A sheet of plywood will work fine.

(6) MOTORS AND MOTOR INSULATION. Use motors that are heavy-duty enough for your application. Don't try to use a 4 HP motor when a 10 HP unit is required, Motors that are undersized for an application will overheat and can eventually burn-up. Never use a motor that has an inferior insulation system or is constructed from inferior materials. Insulation systems are rated by 'letter' according to their temperature value. Use motors that are rated class 'F' (155 deg. C), or 'H' (180 deg. C). Better materials may cost more money but the added price is worth it.

One formerly-popular motor manufacturer used class 'B' (130 deg. C) insulation in his motors to save money. Because of inferior insulation, the armatures in nearly all of his motors eventually overheated and shorted out in electric car applications.

(7) FLOATING GROUND SYSTEM. For maximum safety, no part of the propulsion system should be connected to any part of the vehicle frame. Isolating the propulsion system from the frame will minimize the possibility of being shocked when touching a connection point such as a battery terminal and any part of the body or frame. It also minimizes the chance of having a short circuit to the frame if wire insulation becomes frayed and touches metal.

(8) FRAME GROUNDING AND BATTERY CHARGERS. In most EV-conversions, the frame and metallic body structure of the vehicle will carry the circuit return path for the 12-volt auxiliary power system (for lights, horn, radio, etc.). As mentioned in step (7) above, the frame shouldn't be connected to the propulsion system--but it can and should be used as part of the 12-volt auxiliary system. However, the frame and body should also be connected to the third-wire mechanical ground of the AC input power (green wire) whenever battery charger power is connected to the vehicle. Battery charger power connected to the vehicle can be DC, in the case of off-board chargers, or it can be AC, as in the case of on-board chargers. Making this third-wire mechanical ground connection will prevent potential shock hazards when the vehicle frame or body are touching and while the batteries are being charged. Transformer-type chargers, in and of themselves, do not always insure against frame and body shock hazards. Chargers without transformers should always have a ground fault interrupter (GFI) installed on their AC inputs, preferably ones that are UL listed or approved.

This is Our First Blog!

KTA Services has been in business for 24 years, and still hanging in there. From humblebeginnings in 1984 when our charter was to supply a small handful of hard-to-get EV components such as controllers, contractors, and fuses -- to our present lineup in 2008 -- we now stock more than 500 components and publications. KTA's very first catalog was a mere 11 pages, listing only about 25 parts and books. We tried to give free copies of that first catalog away, but nobody seemed to want it. We surmised that folks didn't put much value on something that was free, so we began to charge $3.00 for it, and suddenly our catalog was in demand! About 1987 we began our quest to someday become a full-time business which supplies all EV conversion parts -- everything but the batteries. That goal was realized in 1991 when we became a distributor for Advanced DC Motors. Today our parts lineup includes more than 300 items. Dozens of other components such as motor brushes and springs, headbands, and extreme high-performance motors for racing, to name just a few, are also available. If you need a particular component, please ask and we'll try to provide it for you. You never know, it may even be in stock.

While KTA Services basically is an EV components business, we take great pride and joy in doing applications engineering for our customers and potential new clients. In other words, we get to solve other people's EV problems and challenges using our parts. What could be more interesting or gratifying? The scope of our customers' projects goes way beyond electric cars, bikes and trikes, go karts, and Electrathon type vehicles. It also includes electric dragsters, battlebots, pirouetting parade vehicles, special effects apparatus for the movie industry, and some pretty wild amusement park rides. We especially enjoy designing systems and providing parts for high-performance EVs.

What's New

What about component prices at KTA? Well, some have gone up, and some remained the same. All motors have increased slightly in price due to the demand on worldwide supplies of steel, iron, copper and aluminum. The majority of KTA prices remained the same as they were previously.

What else is up at KTA Services?

As of April 15^th, 2008, KTA Services is under new ownership. The founder, Ken Koch has decided to retire from the EV hardware business after more than 23 years. Ken's retirement will give him the time to build his dream, a 1932 Ford EV street roadster. You can follow his projects at "The Founder's Page" link on the KTA Services Home Page. He will continue to provide consulting to EV builders while I come up to speed on the hardware side of the business. You can reach his consulting business at the "EV-Consulting" link on the KTA Services Home Page.

My name is Wistar Rhoads. I look forward to building on Ken's reputation for quality components, timely service, and expert knowledge. My goal is to do everything I can to make it easier, cheaper, and more rewarding for you, the EV builder. I have 27 years of experience as a mechanical research and development, manufacturing, and process engineer, with a handfull of years in management to round me out. I will use the skills and knowledge I have gained over the years to work with the component manufacturers to improve their products and to provide a full range of services for you. Ken has a big pair of shoes to fill. I will do my best to meet his standard. Please let me know what KTA Services can do to meet these goals.