Your decision to convert your gas powered car into an electric car is a smart one. You will not only be doing the nature a favor but will also be reducing the cost of driving your car.

Before you embark on your electric car conversion project, it is necessary to decide what motor you are going to install on your electric car. An electric car can have either an AC motor or a DC motor.

AC motor works on alternating current while a DC motor uses electricity stored in batteries. There are both advantages and disadvantages in using Ac Motor and DC motor for your electric car. The power input for an AC motor is more.

An AC motor needs volts in between 48 and 96 whereas a DC motor needs only 6 or 9 volts. Since an AC motor uses more volts, additional safety features must be incorporated into an electric car’s design.

AC motors are preferred over DC motors on two counts; they are lighter in weight and a mechanism that produces power while you apply the brake can be installed. The power thus produced is used to recharge the batteries of the car. Because of these advantages, most commercially produced electric cars use AC motors.

The main disadvantages of an AC motor are its high cost and the difficulty in installation. Only skilled technicians can install an AC motor on an electric car. If an AC motor is used in the car, there has to be a converter to convert AC into DC.

While AC is converted into DC, there will be some current loss too. DC motors are cheaper than AC motors and it is easy to install them. There is no need of invertors and there is no loss of power. A DC motor lasts longer than an AC motor.

To reduce the cost of converting your car into an electric car, you can use a second hand DC motor which you can get from the local scrap dealer at a very low price. If proper care is taken, a second hand DC motor will last throughout the life of your electric car. An ideal DC motor for your electric car should measure between 9 and 13 inches in diameter.

A DC motor of this size will not be too heavy and it will be powerful enough to propel the car. Taking all the advantages of a DC motor into consideration, car conversion using a DC motor is the best option. The only things where you need to pay special attention are the size of the motor and its voltage input.

A DC motor just needs connection to the batteries through the control unit which is again connected to the accelerator of the car. The accelerator cable of an electric car is similar in function to the carburetor which controls the amount of fuel that goes into the engine of a gas powered car.

Depending on the size and voltage input of the DC motor, the battery size has to be changed. As a general rule, a bigger sized and more powerful motor will need more voltage and therefore the battery has to be a bigger one.

A gas-guzzler normally refers to a vehicle that consumes fuel inefficiently. Those who have decided to convert their fuel inefficient cars to pollution-free efficient electric vehicles will find the job of conversion quite interesting. In addition, EV conversion saves them a lot of money over the years.

However, one of the first issues to be resolved before taking up conversion is the selection of a suitable electric motor for the vehicle. The questions that normally arise are what is the best motor for an electric vehicle and where do we get it.

Firstly, there are two alternatives for this; either opt for Alternating Current (AC) motor or Direct Current (DC) motor. While electricity distributed to homes is Alternating Current, the type of electric power used in torches and most radio controlled cars run on Direct Current.

The requirement of voltage for electric vehicle motors is 48, 60, 96 volt and above. However, toys and remote controlled cars use only 6 or 9 volts. In this respect, certain safety aspects should also be taken into account.

Most of the electric vehicles produced these days use AC motors because of several advantages. The main advantage is that they are lighter for the level of power they generate. The “regenerative braking system” built in electric cars helps in recharging the batteries whenever brakes are applied.

On the other hand, the major disadvantage with AC motor is that it is costlier than a DC motor. In addition, certain proficiency is needed to install an AC motor in a vehicle. The complex installation process is because of an inverter, which is required for conversion of DC electric power to AC, whereas there is no need to convert a DC motor.

DC motors are ideal for homemade electric car conversions as they are much simpler to install than AC motors. What is required is to hook them up to the batteries through the control unit, which is controlled by the accelerator cable, just as a carburetor controls the flow of fuel into the gasoline engine.

A common DC electric motor lasts a couple of conversions depending upon how it is maintained. A reconditioned DC motor is sometimes a good option, particularly for initial conversion. It will be comparatively much cheaper and it will last long if it is maintained properly. A local scrap-yard is the best place to locate a used DC motor.

DC motors are classified based on their diameter and for conversion of a vehicle to an electric car, a motor with a diameter ranging from 9 to 13 inches would be adequate. These types of motors are not that heavy and their Power Factor is quite high.

The best option for those who have an aptitude for do-it-yourself (DIY) conversion of a gasoline-powered car to an electric vehicle is go in for DC motor.

Size Of The Electric Motor

The next step is to decide on the size and voltage of the motor. The size of the motor depends upon the power of the motor, which, in turn, should correspond with voltage of the battery packs.

In general, if the size of the motor is larger, the bigger battery pack, adding up to higher voltage, would be required in the system. Electrical vehicle admirers and manufacturers are doing their best to assist those who are trying to make the atmosphere pollution-free and save the earth from the effects of global warming.

A person has many assessments to make when deciding whether to use an AC or DC motor when doing an electric vehicle conversion. Both have features and issues to consider when choosing. Which will fit the bill better for you? Here are some points to assist in the decision.

What are the meanings of AC and DC?

The meaning of AC is alternating current and the meaning of DC is direct current. The majority of commercially manufactured hybrid or electric vehicles make use of an AC motor, which has the advantage of being lighter than a DC motor.

Additionally, an AC motor has the capability of providing a charge to the battery, as the vehicle slows down, if it is fitted with the proper equipment. It does this by generating a current, as it spins, and passes that current back to the battery pack.

When an AC motor takes advantage of this function it is called regenerative braking, the very motor that powers the car can be utilized to reduce its speed. AC motors are very expensive to purchase, which is the reason most builders choose DC motors.

Some additional cost reducing, considerations are:

- Because electric motors only have a single moving part, opposed to a gas or diesel engine that has 100’s, they can remain in good working order for a very long time.

- Another feature that contributes to their long life is that they generate almost no heat, so they do not need any cooling, and since no parts rub or scrape together, it does not require any lubrication.

These are some of the reasons DC motors allow builders to save considerable amounts of money, if they are purchased used. A very compelling variable when choosing these motors is, that since there is so little that can go wrong, there is a much higher probability of getting many years of worry free use.

In regards to motor size, take weight into consideration, the lighter the better. A completed vehicle has a higher degree of practicality and usability if it is lighter.

Overcapacity is one thing that contributes heavily to the potential weight of the motor, exercise care when considering if this is something that would add enough value to make it worth the extra weight. In addition, the size of the motor has a direct correlation to the amount of batteries required in the storage bank.

Batteries add weight as well. The equilibrium between range and performance, versus weight of the motor, is a decision that deserves a considerable amount of thought. To make the proper calculations read the conversion plans for the required information. The right decision will save a lot of anguish down the road.

Deficiencies in speed and range are very difficult to rectify after completing the build, so spend the time to focus on an ideally balanced motor selection. Do it yourself (DIY) electric vehicle conversion projects offer a great degree of fulfillment.

Especially when a person uses the best motor for the job. All in all, it helps the environment, pays much less than they would if they bought off the showroom floor, and motoring costs, in the long term, are much lower.