For those who are planning to start an electric truck conversion project, it is best you get to know the humble electric golf carts. Golf carts have undergone up-gradation in technology like most other utility items; the improvements brought about are to raise the efficiency, reduce hassles of maintenance or introduce some added feature for better functionality.

Just like any homemade electric vehicle, the golf carts, among other things, need battery replacement but far less frequently. In certain models, there is no replacement needed during the working life of the cart!

Those who are not well acquainted with the inbuilt modifications for such a significant change of a vital maintenance feature are not too sure when they find it necessary to change the battery; some senior golfers still tend to believe that the old type batteries were much easier to maintain and cheaper to replace.

A bit of clarity on this may help settle the issue. No doubt, the batteries being used to power the new models of golf carts are costlier; but then they have a much longer life too. Proper maintenance surely increases the usable life span of the battery. It cannot however be assured that modern day golf carts would never need replacement of battery.

When such a need does arise, it’s a good idea to replace the existing battery with a battery of exactly the same specifications; even with the same brand unless there are concrete reasons not to do so. This will ensure continuity of power supply needed by the cart system.

Another point well worth keeping in mind while going in for change of battery is the type of terminal set up; it is easily missed, so be extra careful. The fact is that there are several types of terminal set up that are available in the market.

A different type of terminal set up may not quite suit the cart electric motor; it may even not run with it! It is not at all advisable to try to somehow use a battery with a different terminal set up by re-arranging cables. Such an effort, unless done by an expert technician, may cause irreparable damage to the motor; so such an idea is better given up before execution.

Keep in mind that the golf cart has been designed with high level of manufacturers’ expertise and should not be fiddled with just to make a wrong terminal design fit it. Such a mismatch may even result in electrical explosion that can cause not only damage to the vehicle but serious injuries to persons around.

Every battery has a specific power rating i.e. voltage that it supplies. In case a battery of 48 volts specification came as original with the golf cart, the replacement has to be with the same voltage piece.

Don’t be under a wrong impression that you can enhance the vehicle power by replacing the existing battery with a battery of higher voltage. Such a misadventure is sure to raise current amperage through the cables and give rise to overheating; this again can lead to fire with consequences that need no elaboration here.

Yes, comparing prices offered by different battery vendors is your legitimate right; do it for sure, more so in today’s times of financial distress.

By understanding the internal workings of an electric golf cart, you will also understanding how a DIY electric pickup truck works. Generally, a homemade EV is a pimped up golf cart on the road.

When you are planning to start your own electric car conversion project, one of the types of donor car you should look into is a pickup truck. A truck has many advantages compared to a normal sedan especially for EV conversion projects.

However, there a few things you should take into account when choosing a donor pickup truck. Firstly, you have to determine if the new electric motor will fit into the truck.

To do that, you have to determine the maximum diameter of the motor before it comes into contact with other transmission components, driveshaft and the bodywork of the truck.

Here’s a simple rule of thumb. Any electric motor with a diameter of less than 7 inches would be too small for the truck. In the opposite scale, any motor over 11 inches would be too big to fit into the front of the truck. Apart from the size of the motor, you also have to determine how long the motor is and the types of clear mountings required.

The next thing you should consider is the voltage you want to run your truck on. The power output from the battery pack can be from 72 volts to 144 volts or more. You can run your electric truck on a lower voltage but you’ll end up with poor performance.

When choosing the electric motor, go with 48 volts or higher. Higher voltage means you’ll get higher speed for your electric vehicle. Since the pickup has a back bed which can be used to store the deep cycle batteries, space would not be an issue.

Finally, for an electric truck, find an electric motor with a large brush area. Preferably, look for com bars that are about 2 inches or more long.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Electric Vehicle Guide

Do you want to know how to convert a car to run on electric power? If you do, check out Les Oke’s Convert2EV e-book.

Les is a Canadian and lives a green lifestyle with his family. To move around, Les and his wife use pure electric cars.

Throughout the years, Les has completed numerous electric car conversion projects. The Convert2EV guide is a collection of his experience working on EVs.

==> Click here to visit Convert2EV now!

Most Comprehensive Electric Truck Conversion

I found the video above on electric truck conversion on Youtube. Based on the View Counter, not a lot of people have seen it. It is a video walk through of a 1987 Chevy S10 pickup truck converted into a Pure Electric Vehicle.

To generate torque, the electric truck was fitted with a Warp 9 electric motor. It uses 29 unit of 6V deep cycle battery (7 in the front and 22 in the back of the truck). It has a top speed is 70+ mph and has an around town range of about 50 miles at 35 mph.

This is one of the most comprehensively built electric truck that I have seen so far. It has everything! From liquid cooling system for the electric controller to a power regenerative system.

From the video, you know the electric truck owner has put a lot of love and passion into his vehicle. The video above shows if you have the time and dedication, you can convert a conventional pickup truck using an internal combustion engine (ICE) into a pure electric vehicle.

DIY Electric Truck Conversion Guide

Do you want to know how to convert a truck into an electric vehicle? If you do, check out Gavin Shoebridge’s Electric Conversion Made Easy guide.

Gavin is from New Zealand and is known as the EV Guy. He has personally converted his Mitsubishi Treadia into an electric car in his home garage.

For tips and tricks on how to save money in your EV conversion project, check out Gavin’s web site.

== > Click here to visit Gavin’s web site now!

If you were to look at DIY electric car conversion projects, one of the best donor car you can choose is a pickup truck.

Why is it so?

There is one advantage a gasoline driven truck has that other normal sedan cars doesn’t. It is the flat bed storage space at the back. The ample storage space of a truck is great to keep all the deep cycle batteries needed to power the electric motor.

An average homemade electric vehicle (EV) would need about 15 to 20 units of deep cycle batteries to supply to power needed to run the electric motor. On a full charge, the batteries would be able to provide sufficient power to the electric motor to cover a range of approximately 50 miles.

Obviously, by adding more batteries, it will increase the mileage of your electric truck. More batteries also means more weight and space required.

What is the best way to convert a truck to run on pure electricity? If you are well versed with the internal workings of an automobile and you are good with hand tools, you can start by purchasing electric truck conversion kits.

Most of the electric truck conversion kits in the market are not the same. Make sure you have the correct kit made for your truck model.

The key components of the kit is the joining plate. The function of the plate is to hold the electric motor in place. The electric motor shaft has to be perfectly aligned with the center core of the transmission.

Any misalignment will cause vibration and reduce the efficiency of the motor. That in effect will reduce the net mileage of your electric truck.

The steel joining plates are custom made to fit the transmission housing for the specific truck model. Therefore, choosing the right electric truck conversion kit is very important.

DIY Electric Car Conversion Guide

Do you want to convert a conventional truck to run on electric power? If you do, first, find out what is involved in an electric vehicle conversion project.

One of the top EV conversion guide is the Electric Conversion Made Easy by Gavin Shoebridge from New Zealand. Gavin is known as the “EV Guy” by DIY electric car enthusiasts and he has personally converted an old Mitsubishi Treadia into a pure EV in his garage.

The entire conversion process was documented and recorded on video. Gavin’s manual was written based on his experience retrofitting the Treadia. His work was also featured on New Zealand local news report.

For more information on Gavin’s DIY electric vehicle conversion guide, click on the link below.

==> Click here to visit Gavin’s web site now!

Have you ever wonder what is inside an electric truck? The science behind any electric vehicle is no difference. You will need an electric motor as a power source to generate the torque required to move the vehicle forward. You will need a motor controller to control the speed of the motor. You will also need batteries to supply power to the motor and you will need lots of it. 20 units of deep cycle batteries minimum.

If you are planning to start a DIY electric vehicle conversion project from your home garage, a truck donor vehicle would be quite suitable. The flatbed of any pickup truck has ample space to store all the batteries needed for your daily driving.

If you are searching for a donor truck, you can start by identifying one which has a faulty internal combustion engine. A truck with a busted engine is cheaper for the obvious reason…you need to spend money to repair it! The seller has no idea that you will be removing the engine and install an electric motor. Make sure the truck has good suspension, transmission and brakes. These components are important for your EV truck after the conversion. Check out the video below on a Ford Ranger converted to run purely on electricity.

One thing that I realized from doing my research on Do It Yourself (DIY) electric car conversion is the space needed to put all the deep cycle batteries. For an average electric vehicle, you will need a minimum of 20 units of batteries. On the full charge, the car will be able to go about 150 miles. The actual mileage will depend on the driving condition, the speed of the car, the net weight of the car and also the condition of the batteries.

If you have not noticed, stuffing a sedan with 20 batteries can be quite challenging. Most probably you have to use all the space in the booth and maybe remove the back seat to hold the batteries. You may also have to construct multiple batteries rack on different places in the car. If you want more mileage from your electric vehicle, you would have to put in more batteries.

If space is one of the primary concerns of an electric car conversion project, why not use a pickup truck as a donor car. With a flatbed at the back, a truck has no space issue storing 20 or more units of battery packs. All the batteries can also be placed relatively close to each other making your wiring job neater and easier. If you are thinking of doing an electric car conversion, start by considering a truck to be retrofitted. Check out the video below on a converted Ford Ranger electric truck.