The current electric and hybrid car batteries, whilst they are fit for purpose, they do not last as long as they should. It is thought that a Lithium-Ion Battery would last twice as long. No figures have been released as of yet, but plans are being pursued to manufacture electronic chips that may serve to help these new batteries work for longer.

Linear’s LTC6802 is it’s name, and it will be able to accurately monitor the power output of up to 12 individual Lithium-Ion battery cells when installed in electric and hybrid cars. The production of the chips is going to be expensive, however work has already commenced, with prototypes nearing completion.

The system has already been purchased by Toyota, to use with it’s third generation hybrid cars which are going to run on Lithium-Ion batteries. More and more companies are placing bids each week, but no other information has been released as of yet. Lithium-Ion batteries are prone to ‘catastrophic failure’, as stated by the company that produces these new technologies. The new chips will eliminate over charging and over discharging damage, making the driving safer and keeping the car in good ‘health’ for longer.

You now have chosen a car to convert to electric. You have removed the internal combustion (IC) engine and all the related parts and transmission, radiator, exhaust, etc.

NEXT STEP:

Choose an electric motor to electrically down the road. This can give you a lot of choices. Size of the motor ( smaller motor won’t go fast, about 50 MPH but will go farther)

1. Front, rear, 4 wheel drive. The best is the Hub motor in wheel drive, however, the most expensive because you have to buy 2 or 4 motors (for 4WD).

The most economical is to buy 1 electric motor. (these are readily available on the internet.

2. Choose the distance and speed you want to travel. The distance is about 75 miles maximum because lead acid batteries run down fast and need recharging. The electric motor you choose determines the speed of the car and battery usage speed.

3. The type of batteries to use and how many. currently you can only purchase lead acid. Lead acid weight 30 to 55 lbs, heaviest and most expensive is the deep cycle. The prices run between $50 and $100.

Lithium-ion batteries weigh less and can take you up to twice as far and, if you can get them and will cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000

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Here is a little post to help you become inspired to build your own electric car.

Ken Albright built his own electric car in less than 100 hours.

The cost: Approximately $8000
Sounds steep, but in reality he will will pay that price tag in the next 4 years. At 3 cents per mile to operate his car he can drive wherever he wants without having to worry about the cost.

His design included 5 cars in the front under the hood and 10 in the back to power his electric vehicle. He chose to run his car on a 40 mile capacity because he has a 12 mile commute. Now he can drive to work and back for pennies rather than dollars.

And who knows, the way gas prices are skyrocketing these days he might get a return on his investment in less time than he expected.

My town car – 40 MPG

My selection for a retro-fit E.V.

MID ENGINE TRANS AXELS

You say “I want to make myself an electric vehicle but don’t know where to start.”
There is an Oriental saying: “The longest journey starts with the first step.”

STEP ONE: CHOOSE A CAR OR PICKUP.
There are a many things to consider when you pick the vehicle for your project.

1. Weight of the vehicle:
Choosing a SUV is not too bright. They generally weigh between 2,000 to 8,000 pounds. Give considerable thought to this and to find out the weight of a vehicle, check your computer. My car weighs just, under, 1,500 pounds and when I remove the motor- transmission radiator, gas, gas tank, miscellaneous items, like fuel pump and oil, my starting weight will be under 1,000 Pounds.

If you don’t have a car in mind you can go to a wrecking yard and ask them for a car that has a car with the motor and transmission not working. You can dicker and can pick up a vehicle for around $ 100 or $200.depending on the year. Another place to check is your local towing companies. They generally have a lot of abandon cars in their storage yard and are willing to deal, sometimes just for the towing price and will take it to where you want it.

2. Remove the engine, transmission, radiator, gas tank, etc.

If you want to do this yourself and don’t have a motor hoist, you can rent one locally. If you want someone to do this you can generally find some one who is converting cars to electric. They know where you can purchase the electrical parts and will give you an estimate. If you ask some of the car mechanics in your area they should know who does this sort of work. Remember, this type of auto has only a range of about 50 miles on lead acid batteries. This is great for driving to the store and back. The national average is under 48 miles per day. This is a good car for around town.

In order to compare the cost of electricity to gasoline we have to re-think from miles per gallon to cost per mile. A car that gets 20 miles per gallon at $ 4.00 equals 20 cents per mile. That compares to 2 to 9 cents per mile for an electric car. That’s a savings of $ 70 to $ 140 per month and quickly pay for the conversion costs.

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