Nowadays, we have to spend a huge amount on fuel for driving our vehicle on the road. Time has come now, when you can drive a distance for over 80 miles, at a speed of 90 km/h, without the trouble of stopping at a gas station and without causing any environment pollution.

All these have become possible with the arrival of electric cars that are now becoming more and more user-friendly and widely favored in the United States and all over the countries in the world.

By use of electric cars, a lot of money can be saved on fuel in everyday life. Another great advantage is that the carbons emissions from internal combustion engines that seriously contribute to atmospheric pollution, can be curbed to a considerable extend, if electric cars are favored over the conventional ones.

If you have no definite idea about converting your car into a fuel saving pure electric vehicle (EV), it is better that you get necessary guidance from a step-to-step manual released for the purpose.

You should never attempt to convert your car without getting properly guidance with the help of a manual meant for the purpose. As a preliminary step, you have to remove the entire internal combustion engine or modify the conventional internal combustion engine of your vehicle into electric propulsion.

This will indeed make your automobile feel almost like a plug-in hybrid electric car. The truth is that thousands of people around the world have taken over EV conversion as a hobby to get their conventional cars converted into an electric one. If you want to identify yourself as one amongst them, it is advisable to get familiarized with the process of substitution of engines with a high torque electric motor.

Most DIY EV enthusiasts now prefer to use an electric car conversion kit that helps them go through various steps of conversion without many hurdles. This tool is very much helpful for installation and going through the entire process.

A person who is aiming at reduction of fuel expenses by installation of electric motor should first try to familiarize himself with the so-called electrical car kit or seek expert opinion on making use of each tool in the tool package, so as to facilitate the transformation process with ease.

You should keep in mind that there are two major types of conversion kits in use, the customs type and the universal type. The difference is that the customs type is specifically designed for particular types of vehicles, while the universal types can be applied for many vehicles in common.

What you should know is that by possession of a guide that enlightens on conversion of a conventional car into electric one with minute details, the entire process would become much easier and hassle-free. Practically everyone can afford to have it and what is important is to get the right type of manual for the EV conversion project.

A general opinion of the experts is that any new attempt for conversion of a vehicle into electrical one, should begin on light vehicles like Nissan Sentra or Honda Civic. Light trucks are also usually ideal for electric conversion for the reason that the transmission of electrical impulses becomes more effective on them than the heavier ones.

If you ever seriously consider reducing your gasoline expenses by usual means, better abandon the idea and go straight for transforming of your vehicle into an electrical one.

If you are environment friendly and mindful of your cost of driving a gasoline powered car, you will surely be planning to buy an electric car. Electric cars cost a lot but if you can convert a gasoline car into an electric car yourself, it will cost only a fraction of what a new electric car would cost.

Since an electric car uses only electricity to run, cost of driving an electric car is very negligible when compared to the cost of driving a gasoline car. The following are the steps involved in converting a car into an electric car.

1. Choose a suitable donor car.

The car you are selecting for conversion into an electric car must be very light. Light electric cars can run more miles than heavy cars. They can also attain higher speeds than heavy ones.

However, if you choose a very small car, you will find it difficult to accommodate the battery and the motor in it. A pickup truck is the ideal donor vehicle for conversion.

2. Avoid a car that has automatic transmission.

Converting a car that has manual transmission system is much easier than converting a car that has automatic transmission system. You don’t have to worry about the transmission because your electric car will not have a gear box.

3. Check the condition of the donor car.

Check the donor car very thoroughly to ensure that the car is in good working condition. If you aren’t able to do it yourself, take a mechanic with you who will check the car for you. If the car doesn’t function well, whatever expenses you are incurring on converting the car will be futile. The life of the donor car should match the life of electric components you are going to mount on the car.

4. Search for a used car.

To bring the cost of your electric car down, find a used car for conversion. There are cars whose engine is badly damaged and the owners of such cars will be willing to sell the damaged cars at throw away prices. Possible places where you will find them are local junk car dealerships and advertisements on the internet. An engineless car is of no use to the owner but of great value for your car conversion project.

5. Remove the engine of the car.

Your electric car doesn’t need the gasoline engine. You can remove it with the help of a few of your friends and the basic tools. If you find it difficult for you, hire a mechanic. If you allow the mechanic to keep the engine for himself, he might do the engine removal free of cost.

6. Use a conversion guide.

This is the final and most important step. Since you are not a professional in car conversion, you need help at each and every stage and a good electric car conversion manual will be of great help in this regard. The manual will not only help you to fix the right parts at the right places but will also tell you where you can find the parts at cheap rates.

A conversion guide may cost $50 at the maximum and if you follow the instructions carefully, the cost of your DIY electric car will be around $4500.

Compare it with the cost of electric car conversion kits which cost around $6000. So, converting a car into an electric car is not as costly and as difficult as you might think.

These days there is more awareness about the overall health condition of the Earth, people are looking for various potions to reduce and eliminate the use of fossil fuels. This has even become more important due to the air pollution and noise pollution which is the result of our dependence on the fossil fuels.

One of the unique options is to get our gasoline powered vehicles converted into electric run vehicles. The gasoline powered vehicles emit carbon monoxide into the atmosphere and electric motors have nothing to emit, we will at least have some clean air to breath.

The total cost of converting the car into the electric car should between $5,000 to $10,000 which depends upon the car and the type of parts used in the conversion. There are many types of electric car conversion kits available in the market and more are in the pipeline.

Such new introductions will definitely bring the cost down and make it within the reach of the common man. There are two components in the electric conversion kit regardless of their cost, a DC controller and a DC motor, most of the components like motors and controllers come from forklift industry another point to note that most conversion kits are made for the cars with manual transmission rather than standard engines.

You must also decide about the level of voltage output when converting the gasoline powered vehicle to the electrical one. Most of the cars can operate between 96 and 192 volts, the voltage output determines the number of batteries and the type of the motor.

There are normally three types of batteries available for the conversion of the electric car, these are golf cart batteries, and high performance sealed batteries and marine deep-cycle lead acid batteries.

One of the major advantages with the marine deep-cycle battery is its cost and is available almost everywhere including the Walmarts. The electrolyte used in these batteries is usually gelled, absorbed glass mat or flooded.

The flooded are the cheapest ones but it has the tendency of losing power. The total number of steps are about seventeen; these can be easily followed if you have a reasonable knowledge of the engine. You have to start with removing the gas system, engine, exhaust system, clutch and sometimes radiator also.

The biggest task is the wiring when converting to the electric mode; this is the most complicated procedure. But once the conversion has taken place there is no external difference between the gas powered or electrical powered vehicle.

The only big difference is refueling and noise which is almost not there with electrical powered vehicle. There is no noise or air pollution with the electrical powered cars. It would really be amazing to see that when back from work, you charge your vehicle with solar power or wind power instead of going to pumps for gasoline. You will be thrilled when you feel that you have in fact become an environment savior by reducing the pollution level both air and noise and in fact contributing something to the Earth.

A Do It Yourself (DIY) electric car is a vehicle which needs to be maintained for their long service life. On this basis, the consideration on preventive maintenance of the batteries is essential on the value that is to be retrieved out of the amount spends for your EV.

Job maintenance for an electric car doesn’t end in just checking up the wheels and cleaning it. Since it is and electric vehicle, the importance of the battery determines the proper functioning of the electric motor.

There are three basic needs that are to be considered by the driver, they are, the trust upon the brand, reasonable rate and clear specification of the battery. In deciding a brand there is a must to consider on the suitable location, because there are certain brands which work good during cold season, and simultaneously there are other brands which work efficiently during the hot seasons too.

Interstate Batteries and Trojan are in the top list in selling high quality batteries and as per the name, the batteries also perform very well in all condition. When there is a comparison between the batteries of Exide against these two names, it is noted clearly that life span of the battery is less in Exide, all though the price is lower.

In buying a suitable battery for your electric car, there is also a decision to be considered, that is “price factor”. The minimum price for buying a deep cycle battery is $75. But you should remember on the price of the product, moreover which are technical in nature, relates to the reasonable price.

This is price range for the batteries, which are offered by the local brands, but they don’t work for the long run. The price range also fluctuates on the basis of the size of the electric motor. For heavy EV, the price range of a battery goes on to $300 to $400, and the buyer should also be aware of the warranty of the battery.

The other specification to be considered is the size of the battery, the working hours of the electric car and the loads added on the vehicle. Before purchasing the battery, you should know on the size of the battery that will fit in to the car easily.

If the working hours of the EV are high and heavily loaded, then you should decide upon purchasing a high power battery. When you bought an electric car conversion kit, there will be a manual attachment which gives all the information about the battery maintenance. So the first thing to consider is to read the manual on basis of do’s and don’ts with regard to battery.

The driver must also inspect weekly or monthly basis, whether the battery has some leakages, any loose connections or any damages. If any damage is found on the battery, there is no need to use it anymore. Even if it is still in working condition, replace it immediate because it will affect the performance of the entire battery bank.

Cleaning the terminals, body and metal ports are the maintenance job for a homemade electric vehicle. While cleaning, all the connections should be detached. The cleaner should be aware in not wearing any ornaments.

Proper charging of a battery determines good health of a battery. Excess charging of the battery affects its lifespan. In order to stop the charger at the required time, automatic timers and LED indicators are attached. These are the right basic tips on maintaining the right battery for an electric car.

Normally the cost of an automobile in the United States is around $30,000 and if your car is on a bank loan, it will cost you around $430 a month payment for six long years.

With the addition of taxes, fee and insurance, the monthly installment rate goes up to as if you are paying for home mortgage. Even though so much money goes into the funding of cars, people who own one do not bother to take proper care of their vehicles. It doesn’t make any sense, does it?

Proper maintenance of a car is absolutely a must as it increases the longevity of your investment. If people simply ignore and neglect their cars, it is only a matter of time before rust sets in and corrodes the internal and external metal sections of the vehicle. It is as if you’ve bought an expensive house and letting it get infested with termite, roaches, rats and other pests.

You can prevent your car from rusting by using simple measures of applying rust removal products. Rust is a common problem and all vehicle owners hate it, but it is quite surprising that despite this problem, people do not bother to prevent it.

It has been proven that rust is a common problem in the areas where the proportion of salt and salty ocean air is present. The places which have high humidity often help in accelerating this issue.

Rust can also be seen in places which are highly industrialized. Though all cars sold by the car manufacturers are properly protected by paints and primers, this is not a fool proof solution. Due to wear and tear and scratches, sooner or later, the metal will come into contact with the salt and water and rust will begin to form.

The salt and water combination is mostly responsible for causing harm and weakening the car external finish as it helps the metal to lose its electrons. This causes the metal to rust and erosion begins.

Proper polishing of the paint finish every two weeks can get rid of such a nuisance and strengthen the paint from the inside out. Regular cleaning of the salt underneath your car will ensure that it does not get accumulated on the car body. This will go long way to reduce the recurrence of rust and corrosion.

There are many such paint maintenance options available in the market like car polish and wax which act as a lubricant. This not only gives your car a new look but simultaneously takes care of the rust problem also. These lubricants seal the surface and do not allow moisture to get deposited on your car.

For best results, clean and wax your car 2 – 3 times on a weekly basis. Those who use car wax and polish regularly have less problems of rust on their cars. Even small scratches on your cars should also be taken care of immediately.

You must buy a small quantity of the same color paint and apply it on the affected area with a small brush or a small toothpick. Ensure that you cover the entire scratched area to prevent the base metal from being exposed to air, salt and water.

The combination of these 3 elements is the perfect condition for rust to set in. A stitch in time saves nine, just a small maintenance task will increase the life and look of your car.

If you are in the market to buy a second hand car, here are a few reasons why you should consider buying it online rather than offline from a dealer. All you need is to learn how to finalize a deal online and you will end up with very good benefits.

Usually people who wish to buy a used car approach a used car dealer to get what they want because this is the tried and tested method of going about it. In spite of all the headache and paper work involved, we find that people still prefer an offline old car dealer to an online purchase.

This is essentially due to two major reasons. One is the fact that people have no idea of the market availability online as well as the fear that visiting an online store may be difficult and complex and beyond their reckoning.

Secondly, we tend to hear more and more about internet scams and so many people who find themselves in a dilemma about what to believe would just like to stay clear of such a situation. Basically, there are two things that you need to take cognizance of: One is the fact that if you are familiar with the internet, it is not at all difficult for you to approach a good online store, verify about its credibility and make a successful deal.

If you are not familiar with the online market and are planning to get a used car online, here are some tips to help you along. To ensure that you get a very good deal, your first step should be to make a thorough online research.

No beginner can afford to bypass this very essential step of making an online research. Reading up reviews by car experts and going through the popular web portals thrown up by your search engine will quickly provide you with all the necessary information that you need.

Many online classified websites carry the advertisements of people wanting to sell their used cars. Based on your requirements, you could consider replying to those ads. Make sure that all the necessary information about the car have been provided and don’t rush to make the deal until you get everything that you need to know about it.

Once you have the relevant facts about the car, check to see if the price quoted by the owner is reasonable by doing another online research about it. If you feel that the price factor is alright, you can come to the final stage.

The last and final step in buying a used car is to take it for a test drive to find out whether it functions as promised by the owner. Drive it on all kinds of road surfaces and observe its road worthiness carefully. Take other factors into consideration such as the efficiency of the engine, smoke, noise, etc.

If the car meets all these criteria and is priced reasonably, you can close the deal and make your purchase. Looking for a donor car for your homemade electric car project is now much easier with the help of the internet.

Converting your gas powered automobile into an electric car is not as difficult as you think. If you have some basic knowledge about car maintenance and the necessary materials, you can finish the work within a few weeks.

You will also be saving a lot of money which otherwise you would have paid to the electric vehicle (EV) conversion technicians. The advantage of converting your car into an EV yourself is that your family members, by helping you in your conversion project, can spend their leisure time doing something creative.

In this blog post, I intended to help those who would like to embark on a DIY car conversion project. The conversion process is explained step by step here.

1) Prepare a detailed plan for your car conversion project.

If you have some prior experience in converting a gas powered car into an electric car, you already know the different steps involved in the conversion process.

But if you are trying to do it for the first time, an Electric Vehicle Conversion Guide will be of immense help to you. The guide will assist you to plan your project and collect materials necessary for the conversion.

By following the instructions in the guide, you will be able to complete the conversion work with minimum difficulties.

2) Find a suitable donor car for conversion.

You can, of course, convert the car you are presently using but that leaves you with no vehicle to travel around till the conversion process is complete. It is, therefore, better to use a donor car for your EV conversion project. The Electric Vehicle Conversion Guide will help you to find a suitable donor car at the right place.

3) Choose a convenient place to do your conversion work.

A car conversion project is going to take up some time. Therefore the place you choose to do your conversion work must be free from obstructions. The place should be spacious enough to move around and secure enough to keep your tools and other conversion materials at one place so that it will be easy for you to locate them when needed.

4) Get the right tools for your project.

A car conversion project doesn’t necessitate very sophisticated tools. Ordinary tools that are commonly found in all garages are sufficient to carry out the work. In case there is the need for a specialized tool, you can easily get it from the local tool hire store.

5) Collect necessary parts for your electric car.

The most expensive part for your homemade electric vehicle is the electric motor and the deep cycle batteries. To keep the cost of converting your car into a pure electric vehicle as low as possible, try to source for used of 2nd hand electric motor and batteries.

Though they are once used, most of them will be in good condition. You can get them from scrap dealers or dealers in second hand items. The EV conversion guide will provide information about places where you can get second hand parts for your electric car from.

If you follow the suggestions above, converting a gas powered car into an electric car will be easier than you imagine. Make use of the guides because they are filled with rich information and advice provided by experienced people in the EV conversion industry.

Your environment friendly homemade electrical vehicle (EV) might have clutch and whether you carry on with it or not, is entirely up to you. However, there are advantages as well as disadvantages to any method that you adopt.

You are going to feel that with the help of a clutch, you can change gears of your EV faster during emergencies or even otherwise; however, setting up the gears can prove to be too complicated for you.

You might feel that without clutches you reduce the weight of your vehicle by 25 pounds, which allows you to install extra batteries without exceeding the vehicle’s permissible weight.

But this might again make you feel that you are taking double the time to shift gears and therefore, take your decision after considering as to whether you want to have your vehicle clutchless or not.

To drive your DIY electric car without clutch, you have to connect your car engine directly to the gearbox. For this purpose, an adaptor made from old clutch plate can prove to be useful. It connects the motor shaft tightly with the gearbox input shaft, thus nullifying the chances of the engine getting disengaged.

Remove entirely the assembled clutch section – the flywheel, peddle, etc. since in modern manual transmission method none of these are used and instead a system called syncro’s is in place between each gear. This system does the work of a clutch for the gears.

When you press or release the gas pedal of your car, these syncro’s create a perfect synergy to match the speed and crunch-free meshing before the gears come into contact, thereby bringing the gears to the correct speed. The fact that electric motor has very little mass as compared to an internal combustion engine; it enables the syncro’s in the gearbox to match the internal speeds quite quickly, thus allowing the proper gears to be selected.

If you want to change gears of your vehicle, first take your foot off the accelerating peddle and then put the leaver into the neutral mode. After this, introduce the gear leaver to your desired gear; however, you should do this gently and slowly and should not exert too much pressure.

Allow the syncro’s to match the gear speed and as the gear falls to the desired place, you can feel the gears meshing. Then starting accelerating and enjoy the ride.

Though, initially, you might find this process a bit complicated; however, with practice you can master it and you are going to find out that changing gear with this system in place, actually takes you a second or two longer than changing with a clutch. The most important thing is that you need to be patient.

Try out this process with some normal ICE cars; however, there you have to concentrate harder, since you need to use the gas pedal efficiently to match the motor speed with the speed of the gearbox.

Since the ICE motor has much more mass than the electric motor, it is tougher for the syncro’s to overcome this hurdle and therefore, cannot match the speeds. Here, the role of the clutch comes into play; since it nullifies the motor mass leaving the syncro’s to deal with clutch plate mass only.

Though an electric motor has lesser mass than ICE motor; however, it has more than the mass of a clutch plate and for this reason you need that extra second to shift gear in a clutchless EV.

The threat of global warming and impending danger of natural disaster constantly threat all of us. To minimize this, many petroleum-fueled car owners are interested to convert their vehicles to environment-friendly electric cars.

These electric cars came into existence in the mid-nineteenth century and throughout that period as well as the early twentieth century, these vehicles had gathers prominence. Instead of internal combustion engines, these automobiles use unconventional fuel and use electric motors and motor controllers to get the required driving force.

These cars are also called the battery electric vehicles since, batteries form the integral part of these cars and provide the necessary power for plying. Many people are converting their traditional vehicles into these electric cars from the comfort of their homes; however, there are some salient points that have to be considered always, while doing this conversion at home.

Essential Components Of An EV

A DC controller and a DC motor are required for conversion and the person involved with this job should choose the accurate voltage at which the system will work. Though the voltage is usually between 96 and 192 volts; however, this decision is primarily determined by the number of batteries, type of motor and the type of controller that the car is supposed to use.

Though a person has plethora of choices regarding the battery technology, he will be best served if he uses lead-acid batteries. Marine deep-cycle lead acid batteries, golf cart batteries and high-performance sealed batteries are the other battery options available to a person.

These batteries are generally flooded, gelled or may even be made from absorbed glass mat electrolyte; flooded batteries being the least costly but at the same time these have the lowest peak power.

After arriving at the final decision regarding the motor, controller and the batteries, one can proceed for the electric car conversion.

Parts Of An Homemade Electric Car

To carry out the DIY electric car conversion process in a smooth and efficient manner, you should first understand the important terms and procedures related to it.

• The controller delivers the power from the batteries to the motor for the vehicle to ply.

• Batteries act as the storage compartments for energy required for these electric cars.

• The attraction and repelling motions created by the magnets of electric motors or DC motors enable the engine to start and provide the necessary force for the car to move.

The following points serve as basic guide or step-by-step process of the conversion that you need to follow while converting your traditional vehicle into electric car, at home.

The EV Conversion Process

• First, remove the engine, gas tank, exhaust system, clutch and the radiator from your conventional vehicle that you want to convert.

• Before mounting the new motor in the vehicle by using custom mounting brackets, connect an adapter plate to the transmission system.

• You should create a gear reduction system by pinning the existing manual transmission to the 1st or 2nd gear. This will allow optimum efficiency of the electric motor.

• After the above are done, you can mount the controller.

• Build brackets, which will enable the batteries to stay in place and will complete their installation process.

• Use a welding cable to wire both the batteries as well as the motor to the controller.

• After this install a charging system and should also remember to install a DC-to-DC converter to charge the spare battery.

• You should also install a volt meter to keep a track of the charge in your batteries.

Last but not the least, you should install a contractor or a large relay, which will enable you to connect or disconnect the battery pack to and from the controller.

If your vehicle has a power steering, remember to install an electric motor for that power steering pump, too and if it has an air conditioning unit, a separate electric motor has to be wired up and mounted for the compressor.

Install a vacuum pump so that you can operate the brake booster of the power brakes and it may even be necessary for you to install some reverse switches to the controller, depending on the conversion. Now your vehicle is ready and you can rewire the ignition switch to take your environment-friendly vehicle for a test drive.

DIY Electric Car Conversion Guide

Do you need help with your EV conversion project? If you do, check out the Convert2EV ebook by Les and Jane Oke.

The Okes are from Canada and they have been living and green lifestyle for more than 10 years. To maintain a small carbon footprint, they convert conventional automobile into pure electric car in their home garage and use the homemade EV to move around.

The Convert2EV guide was written based on their experience throughout the years retrofitting more than a dozen cars into EV. Click on the link below to visit the Oke’s web site right now.

==> Click here to visit Convert2EV now!

Someone who is really looking at buying a used car for EV conversion project needs to look out for the model and make of the car, its cost and present condition apart from the mode of payment and other things involved in your purchase plan.

There are actually a lot of other important things which also need to be considered regarding the car itself prior to the purchase of the vehicle. Some of the key points are highlighted as follows.

1) The mileage.

The most important thing to be considered is the date of registration of the car to evaluate its age. In the second-hand car sales market, a car which has run for about 15,000 to 20,0000 km and which is around 3 to 5 years old is considered to be worthy for buying. This number kilometers run by the vehicle can be determined by taking the reading on the odometer of the car.

There is a high chance of this odometer value being false, because the odometer reading could be easily modified and tampered by the owner whether it is a mechanical or electrical odometer. But nevertheless, it gives you a rough idea about the current condition of the vehicle.

But since the vehicle is meant to be the donor car of your homemade electric car project, you can opt for a car which is much older. Reason being, you will be replacing the internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Therefore, even though the engine has considerable wear and tear, it is still a good candidate.

2) Tire condition.

The tires should have no wear and tear, because changing the tires will cost a ton. Also the health of the ball, bearings and bushes are to be noticed so that one does not end up spending on them unnecessarily.

3) Car battery.

The next thing to be in proper working condition is the battery in the car. It should be properly charged with no acidic leaks detected. This battery will be used to power auxiliary system such as electrical devices in your EV.

4) External appearance.

For anything the outside appearance matters a lot, likewise for the car also the paint on the external surface should look new, without any scratches, fading or peeling. Try to stay away from car which has excessive paint peeling or rust.

5) Internal system.

If the car has an audio system installed that also needs to be checked. Lastly, one has to ensure that the headlights, rear lights, dippers, reversing lights, and the cabin lights of the car are all in working condition. After considering all the above mentioned factors, you can decide upon the car which needs to be purchased finally.

In addition to the above list, it is always a wise idea to also look out for the special features of the model and the general output of the model and make a comparative analysis with one’s driving conditions, frequency of driving, needs and budget and then make a choice.

Also another set of comparative study could be made with respect to the other cars which came around the same time frame or which one can get for the same budget and analyze the pros and cons of your current selection based on the technical specifications. During this search there is a high possibility of hitting something which far superior than your current selection.

Now considering the payment options for the purchase of the car, there are several finance companies which offer loans at considerably low interest rates. So even before finalizing the finance company a comparative study is necessary to determine the best company which will suit your specific needs like discounts, repayment options, and monthly installments and so on.

As a matter of fact, at times one might not be able to find a good car in your own locality but there is a better alternative for the problem. One can take the help of a car dealer.

The purchase of cars from the car dealers will ensure that the quality of the car we purchase is actually good, as they generally make a thorough checkup before they purchase it from the owner and they also tend to maintain it properly.

The World Wide Web is another useful place to search for the different types of cars which are available for sale and it also makes your life easier for the comparative study as mentioned earlier.

Last but not the least, it is always better to test drive a car for at least 4 to 5 miles before deciding how good the present condition of the car is. It gives you the confidence before the purchase, and will also help reveal any malfunctions in the vehicle.