| Why Wait For Detroit? Drive a Converted Electric Vehicle Today |
| Batson's Nightmares Spend a few minutes on the telephone with Bob Batson and you'll come away feeling uneasy. He describes the difficulty of finding a reliable conversion. Here are the leading ways to identify a cheap or poorly designed conversion. NIGHTMARE: The batteries might not be sized properly for the operation. Bob heard of a guy who sells UPS batteries. A UPS battery cannot endure the 1000 cycles (charging and discharging) that a robust deep-discharge golf-cart battery is designed to deliver. NIGHTMARE: The power supply is not adequate. A 36 volt or 48-volt system will not adequately power a typical car (Ford Festiva, for example) for 40 miles at 45 miles per hour. The components don't match. The motor must be designed for the job it is intended. NIGHTMARE: Cheap conversion. If the components are cheap, this means they are probably purchased as a surplus item. Such parts were not designed for use in a vehicle. Any conversion costing under $5,000 for the components needs to be scrutinized carefully. NIGHTMARE: The batteries are not in a container. If a battery leaks, the fluid should be kept from the passengers. The box should be strong in case of an accident. A poor conversion does not have a battery box. NIGHTMARE: The batteries are NOT in the center of the vehicle. Bad conversions try to "find" space for extra batteries, tucking them over wheel wells or in the passenger compartment (without a strong battery box) or on the rear bumper. Note: I once was invited to test-drive a conversion in Central Florida and I was shocked to see the design of the vehicle. The wiring was loose, some wires were exposed, and the batteries were stored over the pickup truck's rear wheels leaving the pick up truck's bed open for cargo, the convertor told me. Nightmare! -- Steve McCrea NIGHTMARE: There are wires hanging loosely. In a good conversion, every wire has a place and is safely tucked out of the way of possible cutting. How can we avoid a nightmare? Make sure the parts are designed properly for the . Hire an EV parts distributor to check the components and the design. Check that the batteries are in a box. Pay for good parts -- we get what we pay for! Check the wiring around the vehicle! Get the right number and the right type of battery (deep-cycle, not UPS batteries) See STANDARDS Mike Moore of AmpMobileConversions.com has told me that he is dedicated to making sure every conversion is properly designed. "I don't want anybody to get hurt in an EV. Even if it isn't my conversion, I'd like to make sure that somebody's car has no obvious flaws." He will comment on a design at no charge (or for a standard evaluation fee if a timely reply is needed). He knows that the EV conversion industry will grow stronger if strong, reliable and safe designs are put on the road. 869 6607 Questions? Write to mistermath@comcast.net (webmaster) and the question will be directed to someone who can get you some answers. -- Steve McCrea, editor, Why Wait For Detroit? Are you an Economic Patriot? See the video... |
 |
 |
 |
| Special Thanks to Noel at EVFinder.com for proof reading this section. |
 |
| The VoltsRabbit design includes a battery box and By the way, has anyone tried or seen an "Auto Cool"? It keeps a car's interior cool using solar energy for a ventilating fan. "As seen on TV" 1-800-869-6607 autocooltv.com a way to keep your car cool |