The demand for electric cars has been small but vocal for a number of years. Since major automakers are only now beginning to fill that demand with hybrid and electric vehicles, many people have gone down the path of converting vehicles to electric on their own.
The first step in the process of converting a car from gas to electric is to get the car you want to convert. This might seem simple, but there are a few important things to consider when you choose your car that will make the rest of the process easier.
First and foremost amongst your decisions are shape and weight. Whatever car you choose, you should try to ensure that it is light while still being secure and safe. There are many factors, from temperature to road conditions that affect your energy efficiency and are beyond your control. However, the weight of your car is something you can control. Aerodynamics are also something you can control, so be sure to pick something that won’t waste a lot of energy fighting wind resistance.
Secondly, you should consider the age of your car and the ease in finding replacement parts. Even common cars can become difficult to find replacement parts for when they are a decade or more old. If you’re going through the trouble to convert your car to electric, be sure to choose a car that will be easy and convenient to repair as necessary.
Third, we come to the question of quality. Just because you can get a cheap “donor car” doesn’t mean it will make a good electric car. Also, if you wouldn’t want to drive it as a gas car, why would you spend the time and money to convert it to electric? Also, why convert it if it’s a rustbucket?
Lastly, you need to have a car that can support the batteries necessary to run an electric vehicle while keeping them accessible.
So, you’ve got some guidelines on how to choose a car to start with. Most of all, be sure to search the web and ask for assistance. The electric car community is a very supportive one, and many people are willing to share (or already have shared in online posts) their experience with converting different model types.
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What Do You Want To Learn About? |
| How To Get A Cheap Electric Car | |
| How To Build Your Own Electric Car | |
| What The Best Electric Car Parts Are | |
| How to Get The Most Miles Out of Your Electric Car | |
| Guide to Buying one (all cars makes and models listed) | |
| Something else (leave a comment on the blog) | |
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October 10th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Hi Alexc. Great post! Just thought I’d add something here. You are going to want to be careful about picking up a car which shows any sign of rust! Be attentive to where the rust is located and be sure that it’s nowhere near where you will be placing you batterypacks! Batteries are VERY heavy, and a weakspot is all it needs for the weight to tear out a panel, fall onto the road and leave you coasting for 100m! On that note, you may want to be sure that the donor car you are considering has enough space for the battries, as in many cases this is what takes up the most space!