Conversions

1.  Have you read Batson's
Nightmares?

2.  There are a number of good descriptions of a conversion.
Here are a few web sites:
Electric Auto Association - a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of Electric Vehicles (EV) and public awareness of EV use.
www.eaaev.org/
http://www.eaaev.org/Flyers/index.html#Conversions (brochure)

Electric Vehicle Association of DC 

http://www.evadc.org/build_an_ev.html
[Please recommend other pages]  under construction

3.  Components
As the owner of a converted vehicle, you should know what parts went into the EV.  You might not know the precise purpose of each part, but you should know that each part has been selected to work in harmony wiht other parts.  The system needs to be properly designed. 
Source of Reliable Components:
EV-America.com
EV America and other suppliers of components can evaluate a design for a standard evaluation fee. 

ElectroAuto.com has developed a reliable kit for Volkswagen RABBITS.

POTENTIAL EV Owners
4.  Do you want to buy a converted Electric Vehicle?

You want a safe, reliable vehicle.
There are kits on the market for $3,000 and less.
These kits often include surplus or pre-used parts.
These low-cost ways of converting a vehicle to run on battery power eventually lead to disappointments.
The people who supply information to this web site all agree: 
Let's put safe EVs on the road. 
Anyone who buys parts from
EV-america or kits from ElectroAuto.com or vehicles from recognized converters like AmpMobileConversions.com and GrassRoots EV will likely be satisfied.

POTENTIAL EV Converters
5.  Do you want to learn how to convert a vehicle to run on batteries?

a)  do you know about wiring?
b)  do you know about welding?
c)  are you mechanically inclined?
d)  do you have at least five years' experience with repairing, rebuilding and removing equipment from a car or truck?
c)  can you follow directions (without taking short cuts)?
f)  can you look at a problem as a challenge and as an opportunity?
g)  when you make a mistake, do you cover it up or do you admit the mistake and work to correct it?
The ideal candidate to join the AmpMobile Conversion team is someone who is already operating a business, so that car conversion does not need to be more than 10% of annual income.  There should be a stable flow of income from another type of business (body repair, car maintenance, etc.), because the first few years of running an EV conversion business will usually involve a time of learning and a gradual increase in business through referrals.
The EV conversion industry is ready to grow with you. 
More FAQs... go to EVPARTS.com
www.evparts.com/faq/show.php?id=18


WWFD Commendation

to Charlie Garlow and David Goldstein for sustaining an EVA (association) for more than fifteen years.

Bravo!

Their efforts have led to a more-informed public.

Recommended Converters
(Recommendation by Bob Batson)
Ampmobile Conversions LLC
P.O. Box 5106
Lake Wylie, S.C. 29710
1-866-831-1082
Email: info@ampmobiles.com
www.AmpmobileConversions.com

To get on this list of recommended converters, contact Bob Batson
EV-America.com
Do you have what it takes be become a CONVERTER of reliable EVs?
About Us        About Conversions                EVs For Sale              Batson's Nightmares   

     
Links                           Bottlenecks and You                         Videos

From page 104 Home Power #84 • August / September 2001
GoPower
Why Convert A Gas Car To Electric?

Mike Brown ©2001 Mike Brown

“I have an older compact car that just failed its
smog test. What are the benefits of converting it to
electric power instead of just scrapping it?”
A gentleman at an electric vehicle show asked me this
question last weekend. It’s one I get asked often, so I
thought it would be a good question to answer in detail
for Home Power readers as well.

The gentleman had owned the car—a 1989 Ford
Escort—since it was new, and he liked it. The car’s
body and interior were in good shape, and it was in
good mechanical condition. The car weighed less than
2,800 pounds (1,270 kg; which we consider to be the
maximum a car or truck can weigh and make a
successful conversion). It also had a manual
transmission, which is essential. In addition to these
things, we knew that the car was popular for
conversions because we had sold a lot of motor-totransmission
adaptors for it.

So given that the car would make a good conversion,
what are the benefits of converting it? Let’s look at the
benefits to the environment first.

Cleaner Air
There are many reasons that converting a gas car to
electric makes environmental sense. An EV is cleaner
than a gas car, even if you include emissions from the
power plants. Of course, some of the cleanest power
comes from hydro plants. EVs charged from
hydropower produce 98 to 99.9 percent less
greenhouse gases, and 99.9 percent less of all the nongreenhouse
gases combined.

On the other end of the spectrum, the dirtiest power is
from coal. EVs charged from coal plants produce 55 to
59 percent less greenhouse gases, and 80 to 92
percent less non-greenhouses gases than a gas car.
Natural gas electricity falls in between these two
extremes.

EVs are also cleaner over time. The power companies
are required by law to continuously upgrade their plants
to meet tighter emission standards. This means that the
longer an EV is driven, the cleaner it gets. In contrast,
as a gas car ages, its mechanical condition deteriorates
and its emissions go up.

Also, most gas cars are driven 25 miles (40 km) or less
in a day, and spend most of their time idling and in stopand-
go traffic (which means they are not fully warmed
up). Their emissions are the highest in these conditions.
In contrast, the EV sitting at the stoplight is not
producing any emissions at all. Instead of idling, the
electric drive system simply turns off.

Cleaner Water & Earth
An EV reduces other types of pollution as well. Most
cars drip a little oil, coolant, and other fluids as they go
down the road. These things create the dark stains on
the parking lots and the black stripe down the center of
the roads. When it rains, these fluids are washed into
the storm drains and from there into the nearest river,
lake, ocean, or into the ground, and then into the water
supply.

In addition to being cleaner in use, the EV is also
cleaner to maintain. A gas car needs regular engine and
drive train maintenance, which produces hazardous
wastes in the form of used oil and oil filters. When the
coolant is replaced, the old coolant must be treated as a
hazardous waste if it cannot be recycled. Things like
fuel filters, air filters, spark plugs, and other tune-up
parts are not recyclable, so they end up in a landfill. An
EV doesn’t use any of these items, so there are no old
contaminated parts to create disposal problems.

In fact, the only things that are periodically replaced on
an EV are the batteries. This usually happens after
three or four years of use. Even then, there is very little
non-recyclable waste involved, since the batteries are
99 percent recyclable. This is not only good for the
environment, but also for the pocketbook. If new lead
were used to make batteries instead of the recycled
lead, batteries would cost much more than they do now.
EVs help reduce the waste stream in even more subtle
ways. When a gas car is sent to a wrecking yard, it is
stripped of its usable parts for resale, and all the
recyclable materials are reclaimed. But 30 percent of
the car—the glass, rubber, upholstery, and most of the
plastic—ends up in the landfill. In addition, when the
new cars that replace the scrapped ones are
manufactured, several tons of waste are generated in
the manufacturing process. Doesn’t it make more sense
to recycle a whole car that is in good shape except for
its tired or dead engine?

Save Energy
There are several energy-saving reasons that make
converting a gas car to electric power a practical idea.
The efficiency of an electric drive system is the first.
Let’s follow the energy trail from when the energy
source is removed from the ground—coal mined, oil
pumped etc.—to when the wheels turn and the car
moves down the road.

If the car is gas powered, 11 percent of the energy that
came from the ground remains to turn the wheels. If the
car is an EV, 17 percent is left to propel the car. These
U.S. Department of Energy figures take into account all
the energy used to produce the fuel and transport it to
the car, in the case of a gas car. In the case of an EV, the
transmission losses incurred in sending the electricity
from the power plant to your charger outlet are included.
This energy saving is true of all EVs, either factory built
or conversions. Recycling a used gas car by converting
it to electric power instead of replacing it with a new car
brings its own unique energy savings. Take all the
various types of energy used in the manufacture of a
new 2,500 pound (1,130 kg) car and convert them to a
common form of measurement (the British thermal unit,
or BTU) and total them up. It works out to about 120.7
million BTUs.

Next, use the number of BTUs in a gallon of gas
(125,000) to calculate the number of gallons of gas
(965) the total manufacturing energy represents. Divide
the 965 gallons of gas by the 506 gallons a year the
average driver uses.

You’ll find that the 2,500 pound car can be driven for
almost two (1.91) years on the energy that it took to
build it. This is a very real reason to recycle a gas car
by converting it to electric power instead of replacing it.

Another smaller but satisfying energy savings comes
when the EV is sitting stopped in traffic. The only
energy it is using is the amount it takes to use the
accessories that you have on.

Save Money
While there are many good environmental reasons to
convert, there are equally good economical reasons.
Converting a gas car to electric power makes sense
economically in many ways. First, if you already own
the donor car, you don’t have to pay for 70 percent of
your “new” EV. Even if you have to buy a car or truck to
convert, it’s still cheaper. If you buy a vehicle with a
dead or tired engine, the cost should be lower than it
would be if you were buying a car that you needed to
get several years of reliable service out of.
Even if you have to pay more for your donor car
because the engine is in good shape, you can sell the
engine and some of the other parts. Selling these parts
takes some time and effort, but can put some money
back into the EV project. Selling the leftover parts also
contributes to the recycling benefit of converting.
Once you have converted the car, the real savings
begin. Gone are the periodic oil changes and the
expensive tune-ups and maintenance services. The
inevitable muffler replacement has vanished along with
the rest of the exhaust system. Cooling system failures,
which usually occur in the worst place at the most
inappropriate time, are a thing of the past. The
expensive carburetor replacement, or the fuel injection
problem that has the technician scratching his head and
saying things like “I’ve never seen a problem like this
before,” cease to exist when the fuel becomes
electricity.

The complexity of the new cars is putting their service
and repair more and more into the hands of dealerships
instead of independent repair shops. Even with longer
warranty periods and extended service intervals,
servicing a car is getting more expensive.
The service and maintenance of a conversion EV
requires a specialist who is very familiar with the EV.
The ideal service specialist is you—the person who did
the conversion. Since you wrote the documentation as
you did the conversion, you are the person best
qualified to repair and service your EV.

Don’t expect to put in too much time, though. The
simplicity of an EV drive system and the reliability of the
components will limit your service tasks to checking the
batteries for water level and cleanliness, and keeping
the tires at the right pressure. The front brake pads or
shoes should be checked frequently at first until you get
a feel for the effect of the additional battery weight on
their wear rate.

The only other parts of the car that require attention are
the wheel bearings, drive axles, suspension parts like
ball joints, and steering parts like tie rod ends. These
parts are usually checked and replaced at the time the
conversion is done, and have long service lives. Their
maintenance and repair could be left to a professional
mechanic if you desire.

The service that is best left to a professional is wheel
alignment. This is because of the need for very
specialized and expensive equipment. Correct wheel
alignment is a factor in the car’s rolling resistance,
which influences range. Your new EV conversion
should have its alignment set as soon as it is finished.
This will correct any errors introduced by the
suspension modifications made to compensate for the
additional weight involved in the conversion. The
alignment should be rechecked in about three months,
after things have settled in during driving.

Save Time & Worry
Some savings are not as tangible as drastically reduced
maintenance costs, or never again getting only coins
back in change from a $20 bill after filling your gas tank.

By the way, most EV drivers report not being able to
detect an increase in their electric bill when they start
driving an EV on a regular basis. The amount of
electricity the car uses is such a small fraction of the
overall household use, it disappears in normal
fluctuations. This may change somewhat because of
rate hikes brought on by the so-called energy crisis.
However, with gasoline prices also rising, fuel costs will
still be cheaper for an EV.

An EV saves you time. You don’t have to take time to
find a gas station and fill the gas car’s tank. You don’t
have to make an appointment to take the car in for
service as often. This involves arranging to be picked
up at the repair shop and taken back at the end of the
day to get the car back.

An EV also lowers stress produced by wondering
whether your faithful daily driver and grocery-getter will
pass its smog test, since EVs are exempt from testing.

Why Convert Instead of Buying New?
We have shown that EVs help the environment, aid in
energy conservation, and have economic advantages.
The question still remains, why convert? Why not just
buy an EV from a major manufacturer? They all have
them—you’ve seen them in all the magazines.
General Motors’ EV1 is the only one of the remaining
factory EVs available for lease to the general public at a
rate of from US$350 to US$500 per month depending
on battery type. Honda leased their EV+ to private
citizens initially, but quit after leasing 300 of them. The
other manufacturers only lease their EVs to fleets.

This indicates reluctance on the part of the world’s
major automakers to put EVs into the hands of the
general public. In fact, John Wallace, the executive
director of Ford’s TH!NK group, which oversees electric
and alternative vehicles, said, “God doesn’t want us to
have full-function electric vehicles. The laws of nature
don’t allow this.” This kind of attitude is prevalent in the
rest of the auto industry.

There are two strategies the major manufacturers are
using to keep from producing a low-cost, practical EV.
The first is the introduction of the high mileage, low
emission electrically assisted gas cars that they are
calling hybrids (see HP82 and HP83 for an explanation
of these cars). The second EV avoidance strategy is the
promise of fuel cell cars.

Automakers are making a big show of their research on
fuel cells to provide the electricity for EVs instead of
those limited-range batteries. However, there is much
work to be done before there is a fuel cell powered car
in the average person’s driveway. In the meantime,
there is little research being done on batteries, and no
freeway-capable pure EVs are being built.

We have talked about the environmental and
economical reasons to convert, and in doing so have
come to the third reason to convert a car to electric
power. That reason is that doing a conversion is the
only way an average person can get his hands on an
affordable EV.

“How do I . . .?” Ask Me!
This column turned out to be a long answer to a short
question, and it’s the same answer I gave to the man
who asked the question at the show. I don’t know yet
what he will do with his car, but I hope I gave him some
things to think about. Please send me some more
technical questions, and get me off the soapbox and
back into the shop!

Access

Mike Brown, Electro Automotive, PO Box 1113-HP,
Felton, CA 95018 • 831-429-1989 • Fax: 831-429-1907
mike.brown@homepower.com • www.electroauto.com
Do It Yourself
Page 100 Home Power #70 • April / May 1999

There are many reasons people choose to build their own electric vehicles. Some people can’t afford to buy a turnkey car. Others can’t find what they want for sale. Some are particularly
attached to a certain chassis, or want to
do something a little different from the usual conversion. And some people really enjoy the challenge and sense of accomplishment of building an EV with their own hands.

Half the Fun is Getting There

For some people, the journey is more important than the destination. They may spend months or years building and lovingly refining their electric car. Then, when they just can’t think of any other way to improve it, they sell it and start building a different one.  The disadvantage of building your own car is, of course, all the effort and time it requires. However, if you find the process itself to be fun, then that becomes a positive aspect instead of a negative one.
One obvious advantage is that you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. Another is that you make every design decision, so you can get exactly what you want. If, after driving the car a while, you find that something about it is inconvenient or irritating, you can re-design and change it.

A final advantage is the intimate knowledge you will have of the finished product. You will thoroughly understand how your car is put together, because you  screwed in every bolt yourself. If you need to troubleshoot a problem someday, at least you’ll know where to look.

Choosing a Model
If you don’t already own the car you want to convert, you will have to find one. This is true whether you are building the conversion yourself, or having it built for you by a mechanic. You should spend some time talking with someone knowledgeable about EVs in order to choose a model suitable for your needs.
Last time we talked about examining your priorities for the car. Speed, range, and passenger capacity are some things to consider. Some models will be fine for one person and completely wrong for another, because their priorities differ. If you start out with the wrong chassis for your purposes, nothing you can do in the conversion process will make it right.

As we mentioned in the last issue, there are two
general types of conversion kits available: the bolt-in
custom kit and the more generic universal kit. Just as
the type of kit might sway a mechanic to take on the
project (or not), it might also affect your choice of
chassis. If you or your mechanic want the easier
prefabricated custom kit, you should do some advance
research. Find out which models have these kits
available, then you won’t waste time looking at the
wrong cars.

Finding A Donor Car
Ideally, you want a car with a good body but dead
engine. You can peruse the classified ads, of course,
but you can also be more aggressive in your search.
Look for local independent garages and parts stores
that specialize in the make you want. Some of them
may have bulletin boards with cars for sale, and you
could put a “Car Wanted” notice there. Often, these
places will know of a customer with such a car that isn’t
listed in the newspaper. Or, if they know what you want,
they can keep an eye open for you.

Used car dealers have special access to private auto
auctions. Perhaps one would be willing to shop for you
if you give your requirements and pay for the help.
Towing companies also sometimes have cars on their
lots that will be lien-saled. These have been abandoned
by their owners. Salvage yards get cars to strip and
crush, and might be happy to sell you one whole.

Salvage Yard Savvy

If you get your chassis from a salvage yard, do not let
them “do you the favor” of stripping out the engine and
internal combustion parts. These guys aren’t into
finesse. Wires will be hacked off wherever it’s easy to
do so. You may spend quite a bit of time with a factory
manual’s wiring diagram, trying to identify the
amputated stumps and locate the ones you need to
use.
They will throw away hardware that you need, like the
flywheel bolts, which are special order items available
only through the dealer at high cost. They will also
discard all kinds of brackets and little bits that you might
have been able to adapt to another use. Without them,
you will be designing and fabricating all your
component mounts from scratch, when you could have
had a head start by re-using original parts.
Be careful that things like trim pieces and door handles
have not been cannibalized. This happens in salvage
yards. It’s not a catastrophe, but if you have to chase
too many of these little things, the cost can add up, and
it’s really irritating.

Straight And Sound
Make sure that your donor chassis does not have any
structural rust, especially in less than obvious places
where it will come as a rude surprise later. Go over it (or
have a mechanic go over it) with a fine toothed comb.
You do not want a car that has been in a collision,
either, even if it has been “straightened” and looks fine.
A very subtle misalignment, not apparent to the eye,
can cause fit problems with your components. One of
our customers built a nice battery box with true square
corners to fit in the bed of a pickup truck. When she
tried to install it, it wouldn’t fit. She discovered that the
truck bed was twisted just slightly out of square, and
had to spend some time and effort shaving the corners
of her battery box to make it fit.

A chassis that is out of true can also increase the rolling
resistance as it goes down the road, which will cause it
to have less range than it should. There are a few clues
that will give away a car that has been hit and repaired.
Look for slightly mismatched paint on different panels of
the car, or seams for hoods or doors that don’t line up
right. Is one bumper shiny and the other dull? If you get
Above: A custom kit will have all the parts you need, but
will only fit in a specific model of chassis.

Documentation
There are a few pieces of paper you should pay serious
attention to. One important document is the title of the
car. If the car has already been “salvaged,” you will
need to go to some extra effort to get it re-titled as a
streetworthy car. This will probably include some
inspections, such as brakes and lights. This isn’t a
major obstacle, but it is an extra bit of hassle and
expense. This is most likely to happen if you buy your
car from a salvage yard.

The second piece of paper to look at is the registration.
If the car has a dead engine and has been sitting for
some time, the registration may have been allowed to
expire. To get current license plate stickers might entail
some substantial fees.

For example, it used to be a simple matter to revive a
dead car with expired tags in California. You simply
signed a form asserting that the car had been out of
service on private property for such-and-such a span of
time. However, the law was very quietly changed. Now,
when the dead car comes due for renewal, you are
required to send in $5 and a form stating that the car
will be out of service. If you don’t do this by the due
date, then full registration costs (and late penalties)
apply, even if the car isn’t running.

Many people put cars out of service before the law
changed, and were unaware of the change. When the
car was sold, and the new owners attempted to get
current tags, they found themselves stuck with several
hundred dollars of back registration and penalties to
pay.
The third type of documentation you need to address is
your own conversion notes. One of the advantages of
building your own car is the intimate understanding of it
you will acquire. However, this only applies if you
document your work. Make wiring diagrams. Keep a
conversion diary. Take pictures or videos. Someday
years from now, when you are staring at a handful of
wires that disappear into the dash, you can look at your
notes and identify just the one you need. You will thank
yourself.

Kits

Next, you need to find the parts you will use for the
conversion. If you are going with a custom bolt-in kit,
you have probably already settled this issue. If not, you
will be doing some comparison shopping.
Talk to suppliers and get their recommendations for a
parts package for your project. Have they had
customers convert this model before? They may
recommend different motors, controllers, system
voltage, and battery types, depending on your particular
needs. Get an idea of what to expect as far as range
and speed from the recommended package.
Ask for a complete list of what the kit or package
includes, and the price. If you are comparing kits from
different dealers, be sure you are comparing apples to
apples. Does one kit include parts that the other doesn’t
have? Do the components have different ratings? Is
there a difference in finish and quality? This last
situation is most likely to apply to the
motor/transmission adaptor. You might ask to buy the
installation instructions separately in advance. Looking
these over for completeness and clarity could affect
your decision.

Overall, you want a group of parts that will do the job for you, fit your budget, and come with clear instructions.

Choose a supplier willing to spend some time giving
you advice and assistance before the sale, during
installation, and after the car is running.

Paint By Number Or Freehand?
If you buy a custom bolt-in kit, you will have everything
you need in one package, and you won’t need to make
any decisions or locate sources for other parts. This is
the “insert tab A into slot B” type of kit. With a little close attention to directions, you can’t go far wrong.
If you are using a more universal kit, you will have to do
some design, fabrication, and part finding yourself. You
can expect to design the overall component layout, with
attention to weight distribution. You will need to design
and fabricate mounts for various components, as well
as racks and boxes for the batteries. You will also
design and install all the wiring, and make necessary
modifications to the suspension.

Your supplier may be able to assist you with some of this. At the very least, you should receive a generic wiring diagram to follow. However, you will need to exercise more care with this type of kit. Weight distribution, battery containment, wiring, and suspension and handling are all critical safety issues. If you are at all unsure of your skills or knowledge base, consult an expert.

In general, it is more economical to buy your
components as a kit, since there is usually a package discount built into the kit price. Another advantage to a kit from a single supplier is the assurance that all the parts are compatible with each other.

Cheap But Still Good
Sometimes a person really wants an electric car, and
has a very limited budget. There are alternatives, but
they require some serious homework in advance. You
need to study the different types of motors, controllers,
chargers, batteries, etc. You need to learn which are
compatible with each other, which are good deals, and
which are disasters.

For example, there were some motors used in the early
days of conversions that were very inefficient or fragile.
In those days, there weren’t many choices available.
Today, there is no reason to use one of these when
there are better options. If someone offers you an
aircraft starter/generator or a Baldor motor, thank them
kindly and say no. On the other hand, a used Prestolite
is a very suitable bargain.

Use a parts list from a good quality kit as your checklist.
This will tell you what components you need for a good
working EV. Then you can substitute a good quality
earlier generation motor or controller (or whatever) for
the current production models in the kit.
One way to get components cheaply is to buy a dead
used EV for its parts. If you can get a good motor,
controller, and charger out of it, you’ve got the three
most expensive components of a conversion. Then you
can afford to buy some of the small pieces new to fill in
the blanks.

If you are buying used parts, you may get some good
quality pieces that are now out of production, with no
factory support. If you are buying from private parties,
you also won’t have dealer support. It’s very important
to do some research about the parts before you
purchase them. You are trading low price for lack of
technical support, so you need to become your own
technical support base. You may also find one or more
experienced EV owners in clubs or on the internet who
can help guide you along.

Building Components
Sometimes people want to build their own components,
especially chargers and speed controllers. This is not
really cost effective. Unless you are an electrical or
electronics engineer, what you save in money you will
sacrifice in performance and safety. These parts are so
critical to the success and safety of the vehicle that it’s
poor economy to build them yourself.
The only reason to build your own components is to
have an educational experience. If you really want to
understand how a speed control system works at the schematic level, you can do this. However, you should be prepared to spend a lot of time on the project, and you probably won’t match the performance of even older model production components. Also, when amateurs design and build components that will be carrying high current, the risk of shock or fire goes up.

A Car Is Born
So there you have it. As I mentioned last time, there is a
pretty consistent inverse relationship between the
amount of money you spend to get an EV, and the
amount of your own time and effort you invest in it. On
one end of the spectrum, you can walk into a dealership
and lease a production car from a major manufacturer.
On the other end, for a lot less money but more time and effort, you can build your car with your own hands.  Choices in the middle of this spectrum include buying a used electric car, and having a mechanic build one for you.

If your driving patterns fit the capabilities of an EV, then one of these techniques can put one in your garage.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
What are you
waiting for?

Access
Shari Prange, Electro Automotive, PO Box 1113-HP, Felton, CA 95018-1113 • 831-429-1989
electro@cruzio.com •
www.electroauto.com



These articles by Shari Prange and Michael Brown appear here through the authors' generosity of spirit to provide content to this web site.
Why Wait For Detroit?
Drive a Converted Electric Vehicle Today
A $20 CD
for just $5
This disclaimer appears on EVFinder.com

I reprint it here because it makes sense.


The information contained in this web site is based on information I have received about the availability of vehicles both new and used.  I attempt to keep the information here as current as possible but I would appreciate being notified of any inaccuracies you may find. 
The appearance of a vehicle on this site does not imply any endorsement of that vehicle, or any implication that the vehicle will be suitable for your needs.  You should investigate the vehicle and the seller before shelling out your hard-earned money.  


A list of EV Converters

I have the car conversion listed in
evfinder.com but they are a little hard to find.  They are listed under EV Parts and accessories in my links page.

http://evfinder.com/evsites.htm#EV%20parts

I have good intentions to re-design the page but while the mind thinks it's a good thing, finding the time is a totally different matter.  In the end, I will probably morph to the new design over time.  
--- many thanks to EV Finder
The famous VoltsRabbit

Over 100 VW Rabbits have been given a longer life of operation, thanks to battery power.



Other Converters and sources of parts

Electric Vehicle Converters from EV Finder.com
Noel's EV page contains a good list of EV parts suppliers

Electro Automotive sells EV conversion kits
electro@cruzio.com    
electroauto.com

EV America sells EV conversion Kits and Parts

KTA Services Inc. sells EV Conversion Kits and Parts   kta-ev.com

Electric Auto Association catalog of EV accessories
www.eaaev.org


Grass Roots Electric Vehicles based in Florida sells EV conversions grassrootsev.com/convert.htm
1918 South 34th St
Fort Pierce FL 34947     Ph#:772 971-0533
Nevada location coming soon
Ph#:702 277-7544


Arizona Ranch and Resort Cars does EV conversions   www.azranchresort.com/

EV Parts sells EV parts and accessories with an easy-to-read FAQ list.

Left Coast Conversions sells EV Converison kits and will do Custom Conversions

API-Assembled sells manuals and spare parts for the Citicar and Commutacar
www.api-assembled.com/electric/main.html
Glen Stevens is planning to convert the 1995 edition of
Why Wait For Detroit  to an eBook.   Contact him to find out when the ebook will be ready.
Yes, Why Wait For Detroit will be back in "digital" print...thanks to API-Assembled. 
256-247-7338
Contact Glen Stevens  glen@api-assembled.com
Technical Support    tech@api-assembled.com
Snail Mail Address: 331 Tracey Lane
Rogersville, Alabama 35652



ScooterWerks is a Maryland company that does repair work on electric scooters
List of Pre-Owned Scooters www.scooterwerks.com/for_sale.html


What about Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV)?

In Fort Lauderdale, there are dozens of people who commute to work in NEVs.  The wife of our current mayor rides an EV with a maximum speed of 25 mph on local roads.  A Neighborhood EV is legal on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph.

"So you want to build an EV"
www.austinev.org/evalbum/build
.html
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About Us      About Conversions       EVs For Sale       Batson's Nightmares       Links        Bottlenecks and You     Videos    HOME    Economic Patriot