Electric Car Conversion Guide - How To Do It Yourself The Smart Way

Make Your Electric Car Conversion Successful From Step One

You don’t have to be an expert to build your own electric car, honestly speaking most people enjoy doing it and you can consider this electric car conversion ebook to easily do it yourself.

By the way did you know that most of the electric cars on road today are built at home and this should give you some motivation to move on. With right information at their fingertips anybody can do this effortlessly, don’t worry the entire process is broken down into smaller and easy to follow action plans.

We are here to do our electric car conversion so let’s avoid the noise and get to work. Below is a list of important parts that you need to grab.

Batteries
Electric DC motor
Chargers
Adapter plate
Motor Controller

By now you should have chosen a car for the conversion and usually it is termed as a “donor car”. Well the first doubt in your mind might be, which car should I go with? Preferably a light weight vehicle with manual transmission would do good because you need to add up extra power as the weight of the car increases but it is totally up to your individual desire. It really does not matter whether it is a diesel or petrol car, just choose a small car. You can buy a cheap car that suits your need or the one you would like to convert, if you already have a car to start with then thumps up you are one step closer. Do not break your head too much over the condition of engine because any how it has to be replaced by an electric motor.

If you are still uncertain over this step, then pick a model that most people have successfully converted in the past.

When it comes to batteries the most commonly used are the AGM or absorption glass mat batteries (a type of lead acid batteries), these are more reliable than the alternative lithium ion battery. AGM batteries can last longer and sustain even at lower temperature conditions and they are sealed meaning they do not spill electrolyte, also they do not need any maintenance at all and they are much safer for the environment. There are other types of lead acid batteries like gel and flooded batteries which you can consider.

Next it is the electric motor, a series wound dc motor works best for electric car conversions. An important note while choosing the motor make sure it’s weight and power is equivalent to the gasoline engine which existed previously. The motor controller, which powers up the motor and also controls the voltage. The controller should be made water proof to protect itself from water during rainy season or when you wash it. Care should be taken while selecting connecting wires it should bear the heat and high current used to drive the motor.

The battery chargers you can go for the one that best addresses your requirements, if you need a low cost charger then you need to monitor the charging but there are better chargers built by companies that are bit expensive but they are pre-programmed and it requires very less attention from your side they prevent from over charging the car batteries.

After deciding on all the components required for your electric car conversion start with your work.

First step remove the gasoline engine, fuel supply lines, fuel tank, exhaust system, radiator and other unwanted parts from the car which is of no use to an electric vehicle. But do remember that some parts might be reused so do not remove them let it be in it’s respective location. After this process fix the adapter plate that was custom built for mounting the motor and transmission together with the help of a shaft coupler.
image electric car conversion

Install the motor make sure they are fixed rigidly and it should not vibrate which might damage the transmission.Later batteries, organize these batteries in a box to hold them all in one place and put it in place where the fuel tank existed. Then install the motor controller in place and now add a dc-dc converter that will power the auxiliary equipments of the vehicle like headlight, air conditioner etc. Now to the power brakes most cars today have them without them one has to press the brakes really hard to get them working and if your donor car needs one then you need to add a vacuum pump that gives some power to the brake when applied.

By now all of the wiring work and installation of parts in their appropriate places should be finished. Congrats you have successfully finished your electric car conversion. Now test carefully whether your electric car is working fine as intended and enjoy a ride.

You are doing a favor to the environment by considering car conversion, as result there will be less pollution from your vehicle into air. And also you are saving money on gasoline wait let us not forget the tax credit that the government offers on electric vehicles.

More information on electric car conversion parts.

Decide on the number of electric batteries that your vehicle might require (more the batteries more will the range you can drive).
Then about the electric motor for car conversion, read what type of motors are well suited for your requirement.
You can get these from your local hardware market or get them from suppliers online.

A Brief Note on Solar Powered Cars

Solar powered cars the idea to develop one of these came up way back in the 70′s. Even today an affordable and efficient car is yet to be made but a good news is that since the idea sprung up there have been numerous improvements over the years.

Working of a solar powered car

The car is driven completely by solar energy meaning it uses the light energy from sun which is converted into electricity that powers all the components of the car. The system consists of photovoltaic cells that does the conversion job, that is light into electricity, this is stored in batteries and then used when required to power the electric motors. The solar panels cover the maximum portion on the surface of the car, so that it collects more sunlight that means more current. Previously these solar panels had a very high cost but due to the advancement in the semiconductor industry the costs have gone down significantly.

Yes, it does save you money no need to go to gasoline station again. But solar cars are not available commercially to buy this is because of the costs involved and they are low end compared to the conventional gas cars. These cars are limited to certain groups like the researchers and students in their projects. And one feature that you should note is that solar cars are light weight and smaller in size this is to reduce the power required to run the vehicle. solar power cars information

Benefits are many to name and the best of them is the fact that solar cars run on renewable energy which is available abundantly from the sun. It is completely green because these cars do not emit harmful gases into the environment and hence no pollution at all. Solar power cars are easy to use and driving these low noise vehicle gives a pleasant feel to anyone using it, also they are similar to electric car but generate their own power on the go.

Now to the disadvantages, you can guess it – expensive. The initial cost is higher and for larger sized cars the price goes up but if maintained well these cars can save money over time. These cars cannot be used everywhere and in all seasons because solar cars get their energy from sun and in some seasons there will be minimal sunlight which means no power for your car.

Electric powered cars can gain popularity if the solar panels are made available at an affordable rate and many would do the conversion. Apart from the price factor there is not much drawbacks with the solar powered cars and moreover these vehicles are easy to maintain and offer more flexibility than other cars.

How Do Electric Cars Work? A Short Walkthrough

electric cars working Many of you might have come across an electric car on the streets, but do you know how do electric cars work? Well I have made a simple article explaining the working of the electric car enjoy it. But first let me introduce you to the regular gas cars and their working principle because it helps to understand how an electric car differs from these gasoline cars.

The electric car looks no different from a gas car on the outside but they have different parts and technologies inside. A regular gas car is made up of fuel tank, fuel injection and cooling system and the core of the car is the internal combustion engine. Where as an electric car is built with motors, batteries for powering the vehicle, motor controller, high current cables etc.

The basic idea behind a gas car is simple, ignite gasoline inside the engine and use that energy to move the vehicle. That is gasoline is compressed in an internal combustion engine and ignited this generates greater amount of energy that causes the pistons in the engine move which are responsible for the movement of the crankshaft and this is converted into rotational motion that rotates the car wheels. Now let us see the electric car working.

Unlike a gasoline car, the electric car gets its power from the electric motor. And this motor is powered by the batteries that are stored in the battery tank, not to forget that these batteries are rechargeable. A charger is used to recharge the batteries, the charger is plugged into the power socket like any other electronic appliances at home. An inverter provides electricity to all the electronic components and it supplies current in the suitable form to every component to operate efficiently and safely.

And finally the interconnection section, which delivers current to the target devices keeping the car moving flawlessly. It is more like a controller handling and monitoring current in and out to the components of the vehicle.

Now to the main section that is how does the electric car actually work?

When the driver applies force on the accelerator, it sends a signal to the motor controller which does the job of monitoring the speed of the motor (which also means vehicle speed). The braking is almost the same as in gas powered cars but the good thing about electric cars is that they convert the braking kinetic energy into electricity which is stored in the batteries (this is called reuse of energy) but this requires a special set of braking called regenerative brake, it costs a little more than the normal braking system.

Note that not all cars have the same technology, each company might have its own design but the overall basic concept is the same for all of the electric cars. When compared to a gas car the electric version contains a lot lesser parts. The industry is fast implementing the best technologies and improving the performance of the cars and it is here to stay. It has a lot of advantages to offer the users and environment, let us hope for the best. In the meanwhile you can try doing electric car conversion and have your own electric vehicle.

You might be interested in knowing the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars also, read below it’s worth reading.

Pros and Cons

These vehicles save a lot of money when compared to the regular gas cars.
When it comes to maintenance you don’t have to break your head over it. These vehicles require minimal maintenance but batteries are the biggest headache you need to take care of them.

There are some cons also.

Usually these electric vehicles require battery change after a few years which proves to be very expensive as of date. But the battery technology is evolving at a rapid pace so can hope for better batteries with longer life in the future.
Finding an electric vehicle charging station close to your place is again a big headache, but even this problem will be overcome in the coming days because there are developments in making these stations available to public at more places. Many apps help you find these stations today so expect to see more of this.
Not to forget the cost of the electric cars itself is high (in the future, improved technology can make things better).

All Electric SUV Eco-Friendly Power Car

Electric suv vehicles are here, yes finally some of the top auto makers have done it most of you might be waiting to drive one of these and they are fully electric now. Below is a list of companies that have released their first electric suvs to the public, read and enjoy.

Toyota has launched its new electric car called rav4 which is an suv and seems to have loads of features superior to other electric vehicles out there. Some of the notable features are ipod connectivity, music streaming and hands free phone with the help of bluetooth technology and they come with high solar energy absorbing glass which should filter out any ultra violet radiation from entering into the vehicle, great feature for those care more about their skin. Then all other features are same as in a standard suv. electric suv

This new toyota rav4 electric suv comes with added safety features like the star safety system for more details check the toyota website. The mileage is estimated to be 22mpg in city and 28mpg on highway roads according to toyota. They can reach a top speed upto (160 km/h) 100 m/h. Toyota has successfully launched many hybrid cars and this time they are up with electric suv.

Next on the list is the nissan electric suv which should be announced shortly and they hope to make it completely electric which brings smiles on environmentalists. Well nissan still have not released an electric suv but they do manufacture a cent percent small electric car called leaf which again is a good car in its range.

Tesla is also in the race, they have their new electric suv name model x with all those facilities of a mini van. Only the prototype was revealed in february 2012 but the model x will be available only in 2014 to public guess many have to wait. You can check out their official website at teslamotors.com for any additional details. And if you are passionate about electric vehicle conversion then why don’t you learn how to build an electric car yourself with some locally available parts in the market. In the meanwhile watch the video below which should give some idea how these vehicles appear and perform.

The electric cars will be the future of transport and it is here to stay. Hope to see more of these electric suv’s on road for cleaner and greener environment. It is good that we are now able to see some electric sports car also getting a huge push on the back. If we encourage such vehicles we can expect to see some change in the transportation altogether.

The Forgotten Story of Natural Gas Cars

natural gas car Well the world is now looking at varied ways to power vehicles and in this effort natural gas seems promising, it is now believed to be used widely in cars and large trucks and some countries are even implementing public transport to run purely on natural gas. The main reason for such a transformation is due to heavy amount of carbon emission let out by petrol powered cars so in order to reduce carbon footprint and to protect our planet such smaller decisions mean a huge difference in the long run.

So what are natural gas cars and how does it work.

Briefly describing natural gas cars, it belongs to a class of vehicles that utilizes liquefied or compressed natural gas to power the engine instead of using the traditional fuels like gasoline. Usually these type of cars are bi-fueled that is they use gas as well as gasoline, but it is entirely different from the known hybrid vehicles concept. In the current day scenario many car manufacturers are designing their automobile to work with natural gas also this is good news for people who want to buy a new car. If you already own a car then don’t be disappointed because you can convert your existing car into a natural gas car with some tiny amount of work from your side.

Well now let us discuss about the working, it is not different from gasoline powered cars they work the same way with some small modifications. The gas is compressed with air and ignited with a spark plug. The burned mixture of natural gas and air will power the engine by giving the piston the energy it requires to function.

There are both pros and cons about natural gas, the following section will brief it up.

Advantages of natural gas cars.

It is renewable form of energy, did you know that it can also be created using organic material available in our daily life. Then it gives out very less carbon emission and lowers global warming, does not pollute the air like petrol or diesel vehicles. It is not has toxic as other gases and they come with a odor agent that will help people to detect any leaks if any.

There are also drawbacks about these cars that we should know. First and main concern is the natural gas fueling station there are very few number of stations so finding one is a hectic job in some places. The gas tank is huge in size which makes it heavy and consumes some car space.

In this context, there have been many successful projects that have used natural gas in public buses, cars, vans, trucks. With domination of hybrid cars and electric car these natural gas cars are losing it’s shine lately but some find gas cars are more suitable for heavy duty compared to the latter.

Ultimately, it is all up to the individual like or dislike to go with natural gas powered cars, but the trends of automobile is strongly moving towards alternate fuel powered cars and this might be the best time to switch. In the upcoming post you can know more about diy gas to electric car conversion and what it takes to get it done right from the basics.

Electric Car Conversion