What car is good for converting to an electric car?
I’m interested in a car that is lightweight, has a manual transmission, and has room for batteries. I’m trying to convert a gas car to an electric car, and I need one that is light, has manual transmission, room for batteries, etc, etc. Has anyone done that and has advice/know a good car for it? I have a limited price range, and I need a relatively cheap car for it. Any suggestions? Thanks.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:49 am
LOL
This is not a project for someone without money and engineering expertise.
Your question shows that you don’t have enough of either, e.g., you would not use an existing transmission because the torque and power characteristics of electric motors are totally different than those of internal combustion engines.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:32 am
A lifetime of gas would be cheaper than trying to convert a car.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Get a Toyota RAV4. Several consumers I saw on TV have converted this model to an electric vehicle in New York using off-the-shelf parts. Go for a 2 to 3 year old model which would be asy on your budget. The parts are widely available for this brand.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Don’t be discouraged by the negative answers. I suggest trying your local chapter of the Electric Automobile Association. You can find it at http://www.eaaev.org Last month I went to a meeting of the Minnesota chapter. There were many people there who are in various stages of the process of converting cars to electric power, and they are willing to share their knowledge.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:38 am
I suggest you look for a car that has a kit available. It cuts down on the engineering and fabricating you have to do.
Basically you have a good handle on the parameters that will provide a good result.
I’ve seen Geo Metros, Volkswagen Rabbits, Porsche 914, Chevrolet S10 pick-up all of which have kits available.
Check out: http://www.evalbum.com