Converting Your Car to Electricity

With the recent hikes in gas prices everyone wants to know how to save at the pump. What many people fail to realize is how affordable it can be to convert your car to electricity; save 100% at the pump and pay only a fraction of that in electricity to power your vehicle.

When considering converting your car to electricity from gas however there are several important factors to consider. Remember this won't be an overnight project; for most people this conversion takes up to several weeks. But what else is there to remember in how to convert your car to electricity?

Ideally when doing this you will have a spare car; simply an old donor car from the junk yard will do fine. Several key points on converting a car to electricity however:
You must use a lightweight car for this. While heavier cars are possible using lightweight cars save on every end; less power needed to get them going and to stop as well. If you're stuck with a large old truck there's not much point in converting it. An old small car however will do the job just perfectly.
Room for the deep cycle batteries. Instead of a gas tank your car will now have batteries; while they must be accessible remember there will be alot of them, so it is imperative to not have these hidden, but to have room for them somewhere accessible. Small cars are great, but you need to be able to spread the load out so the car doesn't tip over.
Manual transmissions only! This point cannot be stressed enough; automatic transmissions simply will not work for conversion to electric cars.
You have to have room to do the conversion. Without the proper garage space, or room outside you're wasting your time considering to convert it to electricity.
You will need a DC motor. While AC motors are possible to use they are significantly more expensive and notoriously difficult to insert into your vehicle. A simple used but still in good condition DC battery can be acquired very inexpensively and can effectively power your own electric powered car.
Use a common donor car. If you use something too exotic or rare you quickly run the risk of not being able to find replacement parts, and this can be crucial. Parts break, and things happen; use a common car or you may not be able to find replacement parts.

When you're ready to start your conversion remember you won't be the only one to do this; use all resources available. Look online for help and advice on doing it. And most importantly remember it's not an overnight project; but when you have completed your conversion you will have a truly unique energy efficient and affordable car.

For more info on the subject; How to build an electric car.

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