Mary asks…
About how much would it cost to convert my gas-guzzling 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo to an electric car?
I understand one can buy electric conversion “kits”, but I have no idea how much they cost or how much it is to install, does anyone know?
admin answers:
Hello there! I understand electric cars are specifically designed to carry a set of high performance batteries (similar to the ones found on cell phones, only lots of them!) and basically all the mechanism is different compared to conventional cars. Although it is possible to “turn” your car into an HO burning unit (you may want to google “water4gas”), thus reducing your gas bills to half or better, I believe the best choice to make in your case is to sell the car and start saving for a new electric car, if that’s what you really want. Moreover, I understand it is possible to get some kind of financial aid from the government if you buy a “green” car. Good luck on your quest!
Betty asks…
How hard is it to make/convert a car to pure electric? Does anyone know of any conversion kits?
I’ve been looking at the things to convert a car to pure electric and it doesn’t seem that hard. I have a old 1994 oldsmobile sitting in my garage doing nothing cause the motor is bad and I think it would be pretty cool to make a electric car out of it to just get around town with. If any one know where I can buy conversion kits or anything let me know. If you know anything that you think might help please answer. I also heard they can be fast is that true? I also heard they only go 20 miles till there dead is that true?
Alright let me make this clear. Simply put I work on cars I understand them however I know nothing about well I know some things of how a electric works and I want to know where I can get conversion kits and good detailed directions. I’m not stupid with cars. I understand the 3 main components to electric are gonna be batteries, tranny, and electric motor. So yes I know I will have to replace the whole drivetrain.
I also I’m not trying to be “cool” or “green” because truth is I don’t care I’m the kinda guy blowing black smoke with his diesel. I’m looking for a side project and I figure my granny could drive it around town since she goes not even 10 miles from the house and getting gas is becoming a problem for her.
admin answers:
I hope you have a garage full of cash, a few years worth of spare time and an engineering degree as that’s what you’re going to need to convert that beast to electric and yes the range is very limited.
John asks…
What is the best way to convert my mustang to a ‘green car’?
It’s gasoline, right now and I’ve been wanting to convert it to a more greener car. What method would be best? Electric? I’ve looked at electric conversion kits, which seems best for me as I could more easily raise money for that then a whole new car. But I don’t have the know how to put the kit in my car, and I don’t know of anyone else around here that would know either. I live in Oklahoma, is there a place nearby that could do this for me, and if so, how much would cost?
admin answers:
Maybe 9 grand if you do it yourself (but you might be able to get a $4000 credit back). Don’t know who does them for you. I would start with the Electric Auto Association
http://www.eaaev.org/ and see if there are any local clubs as well.
There is a ton of stuff online, like this rabbit conversion kit: http://www.electroauto.com/catalog/kits.shtml#voltsrabbit and a lot of people are converting their own vehicles these days since they can get back and forth to work and recharge overnight, and they usually have a second gas car for longer trips anyway.
You can scan ebay for current electrics but they are not cheap (40 grand for a rav4?!?) and the batteries will have been used:
http://motors.listings.ebay.com/_Cars-Trucks_Electric_W0QQa10239ZQ2d24QQa10244ZQ2d24QQa39ZQ2d24QQa39705Z39826QQalistZa39Q2ca41Q2ca38v1yQ2ca38v2yQ2ca10239Q2ca3801Q2ca85Q2ca10246Q2ca33512Q2ca10241Q2ca10244Q2ca39705QQcurcatZtrueQQfromZr4QQgcsZ13QQpfZShowQ20ItemsQQpfidZ2473QQsacatZ6001QQsatitleZQQsocmdZListingItemList
Let me know if you kick (or reduce) the gas habit.
Susan asks…
How do I convert my car to electric?
I have a 2002 Daewoo Lanos. It currently has cylinder head problems. The repairs would cost $1500. How would it be possible to convert my car to an electric car? Do you know anyone or anyplace I could contact to get information on where or how to obtain a conversion kit?
Thanks!
admin answers:
The other answers that talk of this being expensive are correct the largest cost is usually the batteries your looking at thousands of dollars just for them even more if you want Lithium which are the ones used by cars like the Tesla. Your never going to be able to beat ‘mass production’ of car companies and there are several cars coming that are going to bring the price way down.
From Nissan
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/index
And Mitsubishi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_i_MiEV
These both seem to be very similar in specs and price, mid 25k sounds expensive but factor in that it costs cents to refuel compared to 30-40 dollars per tankful and you get the difference back pretty quickly. If these two car makers have cars about to be launched you can guarantee the others have something similar in the works, which will only reduce the price further.
I’m not sure what Nata is talking about as recharging an electric car costs very little your talking less than a dollar, yes an electric car has a shorter range than a petrol car something like the Nissan can cover 100 miles so it would take three charges to match most petrol cars, but I can’t think of any petrol car that can fill it’s tank for 3 dollars. While you would have to get new batteries eventually another saving is that electric motors are maintenance free, no service, no oil, no water are needed another saving of hundreds of dollars a years.
Steven asks…
anyone know where i can find some converion kits for and electric car?
i want to convert a gas car to electric and i was wondering where i can find some conversion kits
i dont really need to know how to built it just where to find the parts
also if they have a catalog that i can order it would be vry helpful
and plzz if you dont know wat your talking about plzz dont answer
i know i have to replace the engine
and the trans stays
i am going to buy a car with a good trans and in need of a engine
plus it cost more to buy one than if you just wanna build it yourself if yopu know how to do it
you can buy a car with a bad engine for less than $500 here (with a good body interior and trans)
then you put about 4 grand in it at most for electric
why would i buy a 10 grand electric car??
plzz just answer my question and not leave comments
admin answers:
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There’s a bunch of used EVs, hobbyist-built EVs, and converted gas vehicles for sale at places like this:
http://www.grassrootsev.com/convert.htm
and http://www.austinev.org/evtradinpost
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Conversions of gas vehicles are done by GrassRootsEV above, and also by:
http://www.leftcoastconversions.com/index.php
and http://labshelf.com/electric-car-conversion.html
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A guide to doing it yourself is here:
http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/build
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You can also look on eBay. I bought a used EV on eBay for about $2000, and spent another $4000 to fix it up. These are old technology EVs, which means a 50-mile range, not a 100-mile range. But I still drive mine almost everywhere. My electricity cost is just a little over 1 cent per mile. Beat that!
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Ruth asks…
Is there any electric hybrid kits for a normal car?
If not where would the application be the most feasible?
A special rim that just bolts on any wheel thats an electric motor that charges as well as produces power at low speeds.
That costs under 3000 bux and uses flexable gel cells to store anywhere.
Give me a great hybrid conversion kit idea for 10 points…
admin answers:
This has been done before. If you do a little research, I’m sure you can find enough information about the how to.
This would be a good idea for a business.
Sandy asks…
Anyone know of a good li-ion electric vehicle conversion kit?
I’m not sure if anyone has been able to use lithium ion batteries for converting petro cars yet or not, and being that I am a college student, I am no where near being able to afford shelling out 20 grand for the Ford Focus Electric, or heaven forbid, the much more expensive Nissan Leaf.
However, with a bit of smart student loan spending, I am looking into converting an old frame from a junk yard to run on electricity. Ideally, I would like something that can reach highway speeds, because I would like to go into town more often (it’s an hour and a half drive to the major city from where I live.)
Anyone have any good conversion kits to recommend on a budget of, let’s say, around $3000 dollars?
admin answers:
Well check it below. Http://yourcares.info/427607/electric-vehicle
Donna asks…
Can you add a generator to an electric vehicle to create regeneration?
We have been fooled into depenency on fossil fuels. Take the fuel motor out of a hybrid and replace it with an electric motor the vehicle becomes regenerative. Add a generator to an electric car or conversion kit. Add regenerative braking(already on some hybrids)and solar panels for optimum efficiency. Take the fuel motor off a home generation system and add an electric motor then you have regeneration without the use of fuels. Run power plants with electric drive sysytems. Yes it is that easy. Tesla knew this that is why some of his work is classified. This information is free to all.
admin answers:
If you take the gasoline engine out of a hybrid and replace it with an electric motor what is going to power the electric motor? Regenerative braking? I don’t think so.
The question you should ask yourself is: What’s going to power these electric motors you talk about?
Remember all machines (motors are machines) have losses. They are not now nor will they ever be 100% efficient.
Think of machines as a black box.
(Energy out) = (Energy in) – (losses)
The energy in may be in the form of steam and the energy out may be in the form of electricity but there will always be losses in the conversion process.
Jenny asks…
Is anyone making an affordable electric car besides Zap? Anyone doing conversions for a reasonable price?
I read that conventional cars and trucks can be converted to electric power. I understand kits can be purchased and instructions obtained, but I’m not a mechanic or an engineer. Is there anyone doing this for others?
admin answers:
Yes, you can absolutely get an affordable, freeway-capable electric vehicle conversion, in some cases for as little as $5000. Link:
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http://squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car
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This is the kind of car I drive, and it is an indescribable sensation to drive past gas stations and wave at all the angry people there. Do you know what it costs me for electricity? Only a penny or two per mile!
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As for the person here claiming an electric vehicle has a larger carbon footprint than a gas vehicle, how about some proof? I will prove the opposite. Here is not one, not two, but a collection of several well-to-wheel studies which all show that electric vehicles create much less pollution over their lifetimes:
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http://sherryboschert.com/Downloads/Emissions%5B9%5D.pdf
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And here is a document from Dept of Environmental Quality showing that Li-Ion batteries (used in modern EVs) are not considered hazardous waste: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/pubs/factsheets/hw/OnToTechnology.pdf
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