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So You Want to Build an Electric Car

Last Updated: 12/30/05

Okay, you think you are ready for the big plunge, building an electric car. So, of course, you
have a few questions. I collected a list of questions I have been asked. I think this about
covers it all, but if I missed one, just ask.

(click on the question to go to the answer)

What is the best car to convert?

What kind of motor should I use?
What kind of batteries do I use?
Where can I buy the parts?
Are there any books on how to do a conversion?
How far can I go on a charge?
How fast will it go?
How much will it cost?
Is there anyway to make it recharge itself while driving?
How about solar panels?
How about adding a lawnmower engine driving a generator?

What is the best car to convert?

There is no "best car" to convert. The vehicle of choice depends on what you want it to do.
Porsche 914 conversions tend to be quick and have excellent range, but they aren't much
good for hauling a couple of kids to school. Volkswagen Rabbits have room for passengers,
but can lack pizzazz. (Not all though, check out Bill Dube's Wabbit) Mini pickups can
handle a lot of battery weight, but tend to be rather heavy. Basically, what works for me
may not work for you. There are a few general rules. Look for something lightweight with
plenty of room inside. Try to avoid anything over 10 years old, because parts availability
starts to drop off. Just because a vehicle is free or inexpensive, doesn't make it an ideal
conversion. If it was a junky gas car it will be a junky EV too. If you check out the EV
Discussion List Photo Album, you will find over 700 of the most more varied conversions
you can imagine.

What kind of motor should I use?

The most commonly used motors in EV conversions are series wound DC motors. Most
new parts suppliers carry the Advanced DC or Warp lines of motors. There are also quite a
few folks using older General Electric, Baldor, and Prestolite motors. Many older
conversions were based on surplus starter/generators. While these are still available, they
are difficult to mount, inefficient, and generally incompatible with modern controllers. A
conversion based on one of these might be functional, but it would ultimately be

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disappointing. There are a few decent surplus motors available from time to time. Forklift
and elevator motors are usually much to heavy to use, while golf cart motors are too small.
Recently, AC drive motors have become available, and it is likely that more conversions
will be using them. One current source for AC drive systems is Metric Mind.

What kind of batteries should I use?

At the moment there are really only three choices for EV batteries.

The first is flooded lead acid batteries, such as golf cart and trolling motor type batteries.
While these are reasonably priced, they do require periodic water level checks and
cleaning. Dollar for dollar they are the least expensive way to power an EV. For high
performance EVs however, they are a poor choice, because of the weight, and inability to
handle high current loads (over 600 amps) without losing service life.

The second is VRLA, (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat). These
are often used in computer backup (UPS) power systems. They are considered sealed, so
there is no fluid level to check, and they stay clean, because they don't vent under normal
charging. They are able to deliver astonishingly high currents without failing. They do tend
to be a bit more expensive, and require more sophisticated charging systems than the
flooded batteries. They also usually have a shorter service life.

The third is nickel-cadmium batteries. Only recently have these become available to the
hobbyist market, but a number of folks are using them. The tend to be considerably more
expensive than conventional batteries, but their extraordinarily long service life make them
actually less expensive over the life of the vehicle. Currently I am only aware of one
company supplying these batteries to the general public, SAFT.

You may have heard about other types of batteries, such as nickel-metal, zinc-air,
lithium-polymer, and many others. When they become available to the general public I will
add them here, however, at the moment they are not available outside of test programs.

This link will take you to the MAEAA Links page, where you will find a section called EV
Battery Manufacturers.

Where can I buy the parts?

There are a number of EV parts suppliers listed on the MAEAA Links page. Just follow
this link to EV Parts Suppliers. Batteries are usually available locally almost anywhere.

Are there any books on how to do a conversion?

Yes, I have several favorites. They include:

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"Convert It" An excellent "dirty hands turning the

by Mike P. Brown wrenches" kind of guide to building and
(Future Books 1993) maintaining a reliable electric car.

"Build Your Own Lots of technical information, including

Electric Vehicle" details on how all the components actually
by Bob Brant work.
(TAB Books 1995)

"The New Electric Wonderful and inspirational pictures, with

Vehicles" great details on specific conversions and
by Michael Hackleman custom EVs, including solar cars, boats and
(Home Power Publishing even airplanes.
1996)

"The Complete Book of A little bit dated, but an excellent history of

Electric Vehicles" electric vehicles up to 1980. Includes an
by Sheldon R Shacket interesting look at several older
(Domus Books 1981) conversions.

"How To Convert To An This is an older book, now out of print,

Electric Car" which details a Renault Caravelle
by Ted Lucas conversion, using a surplus generator as a
drive motor. Included is information on
building an SCR type controller, and a 72
volt battery charger. It is a good look at
what EV conversions used to be like.

Clicking on these books will take you to Amazon.com, with a direct link to the book, or
you can click here.

You can also find these at your local library or book seller.

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How far can I go on a charge?

This depends on many many factors including terrain, speed, temperature, driving style,
and of course the design of the car. Most conversions average around 50 miles, with some
less and some much more. A recent pickup conversion was able to handle over 120 miles of
highway driving on one charge.

How fast will it go?

Again this depends a lot on the design. Most conversions are fast enough to get a speeding
ticket on any highway in the U.S. Acceleration does tend to be slower than the average gas
car, with few conversions able to reach 60 in less than 20 seconds, kind of like driving a
mini van. On the other hand, some conversions are wickedly quick, and have far more
horsepower than they did as gas cars. An electric drag car recently managed 8.801 seconds
and 137.65 mph in the quarter mile! That is quick! If your curious about high performance
EVs, check out the National Electric Drag Racing Association.

How much will it cost?

The least expensive conversion I know of was done for $1,500. This was a 72 volt, 12
horsepower, Yugo conversion, and many would say, a poor example. While it is certainly a
reasonable commuter car, it would never be considered a performance car. Most
conversions are done for $4,000 to $6,000. When more "goodies" are added, the more the
cost goes up. It also depends on how much repair work the donor car needs.

Is there anyway to make it recharge itself while driving?

In a word, NO. Driving generators off the wheels, adding a windmill on top and similar
ideas are often suggested. The problem is the increased drag from such items would be
several times greater than the added power they would generate. It is a nice idea, but it
won't work. There have been some folks working with pusher trailers to allow the EV to
become a hybrid for highway use. You can find some info on one on JB's webpage.

How about solar panels?

Solar panels will work, but not are unlikely to supply enough power for a full charge. The
problem is the very small amount of power they generate. If the top of a car were covered
with solar panels, and it were parked in direct sunlight for 8 hours, it would only generate
enough power to go only a few miles. There have been some folks who have built truck
conversions with large solar arrays who have reported being able to cover ten miles or more
per day on the power from the solar panels. A scratch built, very light EV with a large solar
array might be able to do even better. At the moment the cost of solar panels might make
this a fairly expensive project.

How about adding a lawnmower engine driving a generator?

This would make it a hybrid electric. Yes it will work, but not a well as you might think. To
drive a conventional size car at freeway speeds requires about 10 to 14 horsepower. An
on-board generator would have to be able to deliver 15 to 18 kilowatts of power to drive it.

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This would require a gas engine of about 30 to 35 horsepower to drive the generator, way
bigger than a lawnmower engine. Several universities have built hybrid cars, usually using
small car engines to drive the generators. You can check them out on the MAEAA Links
page, just look for High School and University EVs, and then go to the Hybrid section.

If you have any more questions, feel free to email me.

Thanks.

Miniature Stepper Motors 0.00072° Stepper Motors

Motors, gearboxes, drive electronic For you motion Nano-Step Exceeds Micro-Step. 5 & 2 PH to 500,000
control needs Steps/Rev. Hi-Torque.
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