Inside an Electric Truck – Converting a Truck to Run On Electricity
Inside the Electric Truck
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.
DIY Electric Truck Conversion
Choosing a Truck as an Electric Donor Vehicle
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.
