If you are passionate about cars and have kept your eyes open, while out on the streets, there are high chances that you had come across one of the new Volkswagen Beetle cars. The new Volkswagen Beetle is refreshingly different from its ancestor and has become a favorite to most of the Americans in the past 5 – 6 years.

However, the credit goes to its manufacturer, which is actually a German company. Though it is rumored that Volkswagen Beetle was invented by Adolf Hitler, however, it is not exactly that way. Adolf Hitler did have his inputs in the implementation of this car; however, it is incorrect if the entire credit is given to him solely.

With time, though many cars had changed their original design and have developed low fenders, sleek lines and super high powered engines; however, this does not hold true for the new Volkswagen Beetle. Decades have passed but the Beetle has not changed much, i.e. it has not become bigger in size than the original 1930s version, which is an all time favorite.

It has maintained its small and compact size and the fuel efficiency as well as its rounded design has remained its integral part; all of which have remained more or less unchanged in the face of the evolutionary process that it had experienced. Volkswagen Beetle is a people’s favorite for various reasons; one of these being its visual appeal.

It is reminiscent of the lifestyles of beautiful and confident ladies as well as well-to-do gentlemen; it reminds us of the warm summer days and over and above all these, being fuel efficient, it has become a darling in today’s world where the ever-increasing gas price and stagnating wages are taking their toll.

The rounded lines and the headlights that resemble eyes are the most adorable and standout features of this classic Volkswagen Beetle. I am sure, you still remember Herbie – the anthropomorphic Volkswagen Beetle that featured in several Disney motion pictures starting with the 1968 classic, The Love Bug. Herbie played a very important part in making Beetle such a favorite and a part of the popular American culture.

If, deep down, you have a burning desire to own a Volkswagen Beetle, you can explore a number of alternatives for this. You can acquire the recently released new Volkswagen Beetle or can even try out one of the older versions. These are great for restoration projects and can also be found restored; though, it is a bit time consuming process that can test your patience.

It is true that Volkswagen is not an American- made car, but, like you and me, Americans do love it. These adorable little devils had caught people’s fancies and desires even before the World War II and by the way things are spanning out, it seems this love affair is here to stay.

So hurry, scan your local newspaper or go online to check out the offers on numerous Volkswagen Beetles, restored and ready to be restored and get the one you like best. Look out for your Volkswagen Beetle, either new or old, and you might land up on an exciting offer.

If you are thinking of start a DIY electric car project and you are looking for a donor vehicle, an old Volkswagen Beetle is actually a perfect candidate. This is because of its light weight, ample storage space for on board deep cycle batteries and rear wheel drive.

To start converting a conventional Beetle to run purely on electricity, check out the ConvertEV guide written by Les and Jane Oke.

Electric VW Bug conversion generally means converting a gasoline driven Beetle into a pure electric vehicle (EV). Reasons for the conversion could be many.

Some convert their traditional VW Bug into electric car to save on fuel, others do it to save the environment. Yet others do it simply out of passion or they are not satisfied with factory made electric cars.

People who wish to convert their old Beetle get a lot of encouragement and help from Battery Vehicle Society (BVS) and DIY Electric Car Forums. Battery Vehicle Society, an organization which advocates green cars, publishes a newsletter which contains all the latest developments in the car conversion field. It also conducts training camps and meeting for the benefit of its members who are keen on converting their cars into electric cars.

A large number of old VW Beetles have already been converted into electric cars by its members and it is worth noting here that the first legally approved solar electric car was brought on to the road by some members of this organization.

A factory made electric car doesn’t suit the needs of the people and that is the main reason why people convert their old conventional Bug into electric cars. A converted VW Beetle is in no way inferior to a gasoline or a factory made electric car.

The basic components for an electric car conversion are a lead acid battery, a DC motor and a motor controller. If everything goes well, the converted Beetle will give satisfactory performance and good range.

Minor modifications to suit the needs of an electric car are done to the original gearbox of the donor car. Most converted cars will have a single gear and so there isn’t the need for clutch and gear lever.

Since the car conversion process has been subjected to different tests and error possibilities are totally eliminated, a converted Beetle is as dependable as a factory made electric car. One problem with converting heavy and large sized vehicles is that it will cost you a lot of money to convert and the converted vehicle may not perform as people expect.

So the ideal donor car for a conversion will be a small, aerodynamic and lightweight car, thus the Beetle is ideal.

If the car is small sized, it will need a smaller motor and a smaller battery to power it. Using an old Volkswagen Beetle for EV conversion is common in America as it is generally lighter than a other gas driven automobile.

Another advantage of a Bug is that it has plenty of space to accommodate the battery and the electric motor. An important point that you have to keep in mind while converting a car into an electric car is that it is going to cost you a bit of money.

Some websites might advertise that the conversion is very cheap. It is a scam and don’t believe them. The following figures will help you to understand the truth. A normal homemade electric Bug conversion where the car is expected to attain a speed of 35 – 40 mph and a range of 20 miles will cost somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000.

If you aim at higher speed and better range, the conversion cost can be 4 to 5 times more. Electric VW Bug conversion kits are a preferred choice since they have all the necessary components available for you.

If you have the basic mechanical skills and know something about electrics, especially automobile electrics, you can try converting your Beetle into an electric car yourself. If you are not confident, it will be better to employ a professional to do it for you.

If you are going to do the conversion work yourself, fabrication of car parts might be a problem for you. Better get the fabrication done by somebody else. As for the battery, use only lead acid battery; lithium-ion batteries are very risky and they are not used traditionally.

VW Beetle Electric Car Conversion Book

If you are looking for a good Do It Yourself (DIY) VW Beetle electric car conversion book, check out Gavin Shoebridge’s Electric Conversion Made Easy guide.

Gavin is from New Zealand and he has converted his old gas guzzler into a pure electric car in his garage.

Gavin is also well known in the homemade electric car realm. This is because of all the videos he took when he was converting his electric car.

==> Click here to read more about Electric Conversion Made Easy!

1) The beauty of simple engineering.

The VW Beetle’s design and engineering is relatively very straightforward and uncomplicated, so you won’t have to deal with any complicated electronics or components.

2) Easy conversion kits available.

The VW Beetle is already such a common EV conversion car that it’s extremely easy to get your hands on a ready-made conversion kit. Purchasing one of these kits will make the conversion process so much easier for you, particularly when it comes to installing the adapter plate. Because the plate is pre-cut to perfectly fit your Beetle, all you need to do is bolt it into place.

3) Price you can’t argue with.

Old VW Beetles are generally fairly inexpensive and easy to find almost anywhere. Try looking for one at used car dealerships, vehicle trading site websites, or in government auction inventories.

If you can find a VW Beetle with a non-functioning engine then you’ll be able to get your donor car at an even lower price. For your EV conversion, you don’t even want the engine, but you can use the fact that it isn’t working as a bargaining chip to greatly reduce the cost of your purchase.

4)  Quick and easy engine extraction.

Once you’ve found your donor vehicle, you’ll need to remove the existing engine. You’ll find it incredibly straightforward to extract the VW Beetle’s old internal combustion engine because the original engineering is so uncomplicated.

Just undo a few bolts and you’ll be able to hoist the thing straight out. Compared to trying to remove the engine from most other vehicle models, this is simply child’s play.

5) Rear-wheel drive.

The ideal EV donor car will have rear-wheel drive. Guess what? The vast majority of VW Beetles are already built this way.

6) Manual gear transmission.

For an easy DIY approach to EV conversion, you really need to get hold of a donor vehicle that has a manual transmission. Luckily for you, it is incredibly easy to find an old VW Beetle to fit your needs, saving you time, effort, and cash.

7) Ample trunk space.

You’ll need plenty of room up-front in your EV donor car for your batteries and, in this respect, the VW Beetle is perfect for conversion, with its capacious forward trunk space. Just take out the spare tire and you’re good to go!

8) Ample in-car storage space.

You’ll find that there’s even more potential storage space behind the driver’s seat in a VW Beetle. You can take advantage of this by using the space for additional batteries, thereby extending the range of your EV conversion.

9) Light weight and nimble.

Most VW Beetles will weigh less than 1,800 pounds, which is a boon for EV conversion. A lighter vehicle has lower inertia, and that means it requires less energy to move forward.

And the less energy you need to get going, the longer your batteries will last, and the further you can travel without having to recharge.

10) Easy to locate spare part.

There are so many old VW Beetles lying around these days that finding spare parts for your EV conversion and its maintenance should be both easy and inexpensive.

VW Beetle Electric Car Conversion Book

If you are looking for a good Do It Yourself (DIY) VW Beetle electric car conversion book, check out Gavin Shoebridge’s Electric Conversion Made Easy guide.

Gavin is from New Zealand and he has converted his old gas guzzler into a pure electric car in his garage.

Gavin is also well known in the homemade electric car realm. This is because of all the videos he took when he was converting his electric car.

==> Click here to read more about Electric Conversion Made Easy!