Gasoline-powered cars are perhaps the most inefficient devices that many of us use daily. The internal combustion engine is inefficient in term of pollution, gas costs and maintenance costs. Electric motors are comparatively simple devices that do not require much maintenance at all. But, as you may know, it’s difficult to obtain an commercial electric car today. One option is to buy a used vehicle that somebody else has converted to an electric vehicle.
You can search for use electric vehicles on sites like Craig’s List, eBay, or EVFinder. For more advice on buying an used electric car, I would refer you to Shari Prange’s recent article “Finding and Buying A Used Electric Vehicle” (PDF FIle) in Home Power Magazine No 119.
But these used electric cars are certainly limited in their availability, especially if you don’t live on the West Coast. So may wish to take a plunge and do an electric conversion yourself.
Basically, electric conversion involves removing the entire internal combustion engine from a vehicle, installing an electric motor in its place, and also adding a large bank of batteries. A conversion will cost you about $6000 in parts, and about $1000-$3000 for batteries and installation. But, for this up-front expense, you’ll get a zero-emissions vehicle that costs only a few cents per mile to run. Your electric car will also be more reliable and require much less maintenance that a gas-powered one. Remember that gas-powered cars cost the owner about $1800 per year on average for fuel costs alone, and there is the additional expense of engine maintenance and oil changes. Electric cars have a better resell values, and are more reliable overall because there are fewer parts to fail. Most of the components are solid-state electronics with no moving parts. The engine of an electric car has a virtually infinite lifespan — the components will probably outlast the chassis. The only recurring expense is the batteries, which will need to be replaced about every 3 to 4 years.
You can expect your converted vehicle to have a range of 60-80 miles, a top speed of 50-90 MPH, and good acceleration capabilities. It will take about 6-12 hours to completely recharge the car. All of these factors will vary, based on the weight of the car you convert, and the type of engine and batteries you install.
So, what type of car is the best candidate for an electric conversion? A light car (2000-3000 lbs. curb weight) with a manual transmission.You want a light vehicle, because heavy ones severely restrict the range of the electric engine. Automatic transmissions use up too much power because they require the engine to be constantly idling. As far as body style, you need something that can hold all the batteries you’ll be installing. Michael Brown, author of <Convert It!
For electric cars, the best type of driving is an area that is not too hilly and not too cold. Hills obviously put a larger burden on the engine, and thus reduce its range.Cold weather will also reduce performance, but there are many happy electric car owners who live in Canada and Alaska.
There are two types of electric conversions kits available: custom kits that are tailored to a specific vehicles models, and universal kits that can be installed in a variety of vehicles. Universal kits contain all the essential drive-system components but rely on the builder to create custom parts like battery racks or boxes. Custom kits include the entire drive system and battery racks and boxes, customized to suit a particular model. For example, a company called Canadian Electric Vehicles provides kits to convert Chevy S10 trucks, Geo Metros and Dodge Neons. Another company, Electro Automotive, provides kits to convert Volkswagen Rabbits and Porsche 914s.
Here’s a brief history of electric cars.
Here are some online forums about electric conversions: Electric Vehicle Discussion List, DIY Electric Car Forums, EVWorld.
Photso via Russ, Jerry B, GPS Head on Flickr.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great information, thanks.
I’ve been looking on some good info on EVs to replace my gasoline car. Along with a windmill or some photovoltaics this would be perfect
My question(s) would be this:
-How much is my electric bill going to go up if I have my car plugged in for 6-12 hours?
-What if there is some sort of emergency that springs up out of nowhere and I need to use my car?
Gasoline powered cars don’t need 6-12 hours of in-activity to be used. Furthermore, Gas is expensive only for the fact that people have this misguided notion that carbon-monoxide (CO2) is “killing” the planet. It’s not. It’s what trees and other plants breath in. It takes up less than 1% of the atmosphere.
Meaning, in order for gas prices to go down, we need to drill for more, build new refineries, (the technology has indeed advanced enough for them not to create tons of pollution) and reduce the amount of restriction placed on the oil companies by the EPA (we don’t need to refine gas 28 different ways for 28 different sections of the United States)
Electric car’s are more reliable car’s.
does anyone know if there is a class , or course that i and other people can take to learn the fundamentales on electric conversion ? People should accept the electric . you can still use combustion on long distances
Being a Mechanical Engineer I am interested in developing a electric car but not a conversion because DMV will get in the middle and screw things up w/ their BS.
We need to develop one that will meet all the FED’L STD’s and have a range of about 300-400 miles to be of any significance.
I have a lot of ideas but I am not going to devolge at this forum. Suffice it to say that the Automotive companies (for one of which I used to design) are playing the field game to keep on sucking the customer’s $$$$$.
I need some serious investors and engineers of various disciplines to design a simple functional Electric Car .
Let’s Get America Moving Again !!!!!!
Love this Country OR Leave !!!!!
John Kanterakis
James is misinformed. Carbon monoxide is poisen (CO), Carbon dioxide (CO2) is what the plants take in to make oxygen. The cost to run an electric car is 2 cents a mile. (thats what your electric bill will go up.) There is a place in Lehi, Utah that sells conversion kits. e-volks.com. They are very helpful and have lots of info.
I have a 1963 Mercedes, 190SL and I would like to convert it to electric. Can you recomend someone who would do it for me?
James, it is correct that trees and plants “breath in” carbon dioxide. However, they only store the carbon dioxide temporarily. When the plants die and decompose or are burned, they release the stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere again. Fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – contain carbon dioxide that is stored in them. When these fuels are burned, they release their carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. There is no way to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Or has someone invented an efficient way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in the earth?
is this possible,,, just replace the combustion system with a powerful electric motor? and no need to charge the battery in our houses, because there is enough power from alternator to recharge the batteries while we are using that car? or if the alternator can sustain to charge all the batteries we can use solar panel as back-up.
Electric cars are the future – believe it or not.
The best to ‘Stick it to the man’ is to build a complete EV, not a hybrid, (where you still have to go the filling station). Made from an old donar car, (so no new pieces of plastic fibreglass trash), that is both light weight (compared to todays heavy weights ultra-safe eco-boxes) and is realtivly an areodynamic shape, (not like todays boxes on wheels…think hummers)
Then drive for cents per mile quietly on the highway whilst everyone else breathes in their own poisonous car fumes.
Stick it to the G O V and the O I L multi-nationals.
Life with an electric car is just not what you think. Very few drivers need a range of 300-400 miles. That would require you to “fill up” every day in your gasoline car and few people do that. Statistically, in the U.S. the average daily mileage per driver is 39.4 miles and over half drive less than 20 miles per day.
I use LiFePo4 batteries, which are more expensive, but last the life of the car and I get a 75 mile range easily. 1957 Porsche Model 356 Speedster Electric
Emergencies? Unplug it and drive away. It’ s no big deal. They’re a LOT more fun to drive, you don’t go to the gas station, and if you can plug in a toaster you can recharge one. The only reason everyone isn’t driving one is they don’t know about them.
Jack Rickard
James is not misinformed; James is ignorant and misinformed. Thankfully, knowledgable Americans are taking matters into their own hands. This is great news.