What you need to get startedThere is a lot of confusing information out there about building an electric car, but the bottom line is that there aren't that many choices.
I'll be expanding on the issues as time progresses, but first things first. You need to determine:
- What is your mechanical ability? - You need feel comfortable working on a car and be willing to learn - especially if you're not confident in your electrical skills.
- What's your budget? - Be realistic and expect to exceed it. You should expect a minimum of $10,000 for a conversion with reasonable performance.
- Choosing the vehicle - Any vehicle can be converted to electric power. Choose a car (or truck) that you like; you're going to be spending a lot of time and money on it. Avoid high mileage vehicles unless you know the history - fixing something not related to the conversion may lead to a lot of unnecessary frustration.
- Battery type - One of your big ticket items. If this is a new venture for you, go with lead-acid. They must be deep-cycle batteries. Absorbed Glass Mat is a good choice.
- Motor type - Another big expense. The main choices are AC or DC Series. Unless you're really skilled and have money to burn, the easy choice is DC Series.
- Desired performance - Performance can be broken into three categories:
- Range between recharging
- Acceleration
- Top speed
