1) Inexpensive.

An old VW Beetle Bug is generally inexpensive. You can find it everywhere. You can find one at a used car dealership, motor trading sites, government auction sites etc.

If you are lucky enough to find an old Beetle with a busted engine, better still. You can ask the seller for a lower price since you have to spend money to repair the engine. But he does not know you are planning to get rid of it!

2) Simplicity.

Generally, a Bug design is very simple. No complicated electronic components or circuitry to mess with.

3) Rear wheel drive.

If you are looking for an electric donor car, preferably, find one that has a rear wheel drive. Most old VW Beetles are back wheel drive.

4) Ample storage space in front.

This is one of the reasons why I think a Bug is good for EV conversion. It has a large storage space available in front of the car.

If you were to take out the spare tire, you have enough space to store at least 10 units of deep cycle batteries.

5) Ample storage inside the car.

There’s more storage space behind the driver’s seat. Add in more batteries to extend your electric car drive mileage.

6) Readymade electric car conversion kit.

Since a VW Beetle is such a common electric donor car, you can easily find the EV conversion kit for a Bug. This will save you a lot of time converting it to run on electricity.

The biggest advantage is the adapter plate. Since the metal adapter plate is already cut to fit a Beetle, all you have to do is line it up and bolt it on. Easy!

7) Light weight.

Generally, an old VW Bug weight less than 1800 lbs. This is good for an electric car. Less weight means less inertia therefore less power needed to propel the car. Less power required means longer battery life.

8) Easy to remove the engine.

Because of its great engineering, it is relatively easy to remove the internal combustion engine (ICE). All you have to do is open the engine cover, place a hoist over it, loosen a few bolts and it is out.

Some other cars might require a lot more time and effort. It is like pulling out a tooth!

9) Manual transmission.

If you are building an electric car via Do It Yourself (DIY) approach, you need to get a donor car that has a manual transmission. It is quite easy to find an old manual transmission VW Beetle. Saving you time and money.

10) Parts availability.

Since there are so many old Volkswagen Beetles around, sourcing for spare parts would not be a problem. Again, this boils down to cost.

There it is! 10 reasons why I think an old Volkswagen Beetle will be a great donor car for a DIY electric car conversion project.

If you have never converted a gasoline driven car to EV before, be sure to check out Les Oke’s Convert 2 EV e-book. The manual will show you the science behind an electric car conversion project. For more information, read the Convert 2 EV review on this web site.

==> Click here to visit Convert 2 EV now!

Related web pages:

1) Golf Cart Battery Maintenance Guide To Extend The Life Of Electric Golf Cart Batteries

2) Samuel Watson Premium Electric Car Guide Review

Homemade Volkswagen VW Beetle Electric Car

What would be the benefits of a homemade Volkswagen VW Beetle Bug electric car? That is a very easy question to answer. Cost saving of course! If you own an gasoline driven automobile, your energy expense bill would have been inflated back in mid 2008.

Remember global crude oil prices was at a dizzying height of $150 per barrel? Stopping by the local gas station to fuel up was an expensive ordeal.

Why select a VW Beetle to be converted to a pure electric vehicle (PEV)? The idea of retrofitting a car to electric vehicle (EV) is to removed the internal combustion engine (ICE) and replace it with a DC electric motor.

When the ICE is removed, all its connecting components like gas tank, fuel lines, exhaust pipe, radiator etc. are redundant and to be removed as well. To generate torque, the electric motor is to be connected directly to the existing transmission unit. Since an old Bug is rear wheel drive, setting up the motor in place is much easier.

Well, the second reason why a VW Beetle is ideal to be an electric donor car is the cost. Old VW Bug us readily available. All you need to do is look into a local car “For Sale” listing.

If you can find a Beetle with a busted engine, that would be so much better. You can always negotiate with the seller for a lower price. Since no one in the right mind would buy a VW Beetle with a faulty engine…except an electric car retrofitter of course.

My guess is, most people would not have the skill or know how to convert an old VW Beetle into an EV at their home garage. In this case, it would be better if you were to send your donor car to a professional mechanic.

To be prudent, you should get some basic knowledge on VW EV Conversion. At least you will know when you are being overcharged.

Homemade VW Beetle Bug Electric Car

Why would anyone want an electric VW Beetle Bug? To save money of course. Electric vehicle (EV) has been proven to be cheaper to run compared to a gasoline driven car. It is also much cheaper to maintain.

A conventional car has many associated maintenance cost such as regular oil change, oil filter, air filter, fuel pumps, oil pump etc. With an electric car, there are no such expenses needed.

Currently, the main drawback of an electric car is the high cost. Without economy of scale, EV manufacturers are unable to bring the cost of a new electric car low enough for it is affordable to the masses.

I am sure in due time, the prices will come down but for the time being, we would have to wait.

Many car enthusiasts are opting to convert a gasoline driven car to run purely on electricity through a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach from their home.

One of the main candidate for donor car is the Volkswagen VW Beetle. A Beetle Bug is popular because of its low cost and easily available. If you can find a Bug with a busted engine, it is so much better.

The idea behind VW EV conversion is to remove the internal combustion engine and replace it with an electric motor. Since the engine is jacked out, all the connecting components such as fuel lines, fuel pump, gas tank, radiator etc are redundant and to be removed as well.

The motor is to be bolted directly to the existing transmission unit. Lead acid batteries are used to supply power to the electric motor.

If you are not well versed with car maintenance, you can still enjoy the benefits of owning an electric VW Beetle. All you have to do is outsource the conversion work to a professional mechanic.

What you should do is get some basic information on homemade electric vehicle. At least you will know when you are being billed for unnecessary parts of work done on your car. Check out the VW Beetle electric car conversion guide review for more information.