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!

If you are looking for an inexpensive car for your DIY electric car conversion project, then an older model VW Beetle Bug may be the car for you. You can find them almost anywhere including used car dealerships, motor trading sites, government auction sites and various other places.

If you find an old bug with a blown up motor then you should snag it up quickly for a lower price, just don’t let the seller know that you plan on getting rid of it for your EV conversion.

An EV VW bug is actually a simply made vehicle after retrofitting. There are no complicated electronic components or circuitry to deal with. In your search for an electric donor car you should look for a car that is rear wheel drive, most VW Beetles are rear wheel drive.

A bug is good for EV conversion because they have ample storage in the front. If you take out the spare tire you would have enough room to store at least ten units of deep cycle batteries. To extend your cars mileage you can place more batteries behind the driver’s side seat of your bug.

Since a VW Beetle is a common electric donor car you can easily find an EV conversion kit for it. If you purchase this kit you can save a lot of time converting this car to run on electricity.

The adapter plate that comes in this kit is already cut to fit so all you have to do is simply line it up and bolt it on. The VW beetle is a light weight car generally weighing in at under 1800 pounds, which is good for an electric car conversion project.

Less weight means less power needed to propel the car. Less power used to run the car means extended battery life. This particular cars excellent engineering has made it relatively easy to remove the internal combustion engine or ICE.

To remove the engine all you have to do is open the engine cover, place a hoist above the engine, loosen a few bolts and it is done. Some other cars require a ton of manual labor and make removing the engine as hard as pulling a tooth with a set of pliers.

If you are using the DIY or doing it yourself method to transform this car into an electric run vehicle then you need to get a car with a manual transmission. Finding an old VW Beetle with a manual transmission saves you a lot of time and money. Since the old Volkswagen Beetle was such a common car you should not have any problems finding inexpensive parts for it.

The reasons above are why I believe that an old Volkswagen beetle would be a great donor car for a DIY electric car conversion project.

EV VW Bug Conversion Guide

Are you planning to convert a conventional VW Bug into a pure electric car in your home garage? If you are, it is best you read up on the science of EV conversion.

Before you begin your electric vehicle conversion project, check out the Convert2EV ebook by Les and Jane Oke. The Okes live a green lifestyle in Canada and one way of keeping their carbon footprint small is by using pure electric car. The Convert2EV manual was written based on their experience of retrofitting old gas guzzler into electric vehicle.

==> Click here to visit Convert2EV now!

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

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.

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.

An old Volkswagen VW Beetle is a great donor car if you are planning a Do It Yourself (DIY) electric vehicle conversion. It is inexpensive and has ample space to store the lead acid batteries.

To save cost, most people will get a busted VW Bug. If its faulty, you can always negotiate with the seller for a lower price.

When you get the donor car, there are a few prepping works that you have to do. The idea of an electric car conversion is to remove the internal combustion engine (ICE) and replace it with a DC electric motor.

To propel the car forward, the motor will be connected directly to the existing transmission unit. When the engine is taken out, all its associated component such a exhaust pipe, fuel pumps, gas tank, radiator etc are removed as well.

Here is the dangerous part. When removing the gas tank and fuel lines, make sure you drain them dry.

Even with a damaged VW Beetle donor car, there might be some gasoline residue in the system. As you know, gasoline is highly flammable and you should put extra precaution when handling the component.

This is important because in the later part of the electric car retrofitting, you my have to do some welding work. Welding sparks and gasoline fume is not a good combination.

Using an electric VW Beetle can save you a lot of money. However, if you are not familiar with car components, it is better for you to outsource the conversion work to a professional mechanic.

To be prudent, you should know some basic information on electric vehicle. At least you will know you are being charged of unnecessary parts or work done on you car.

For information on homemade electric car, check out VW EV conversion guides review.

Some people have been wandering, how much does is cost to convert their old VW Beetle to electric. The video below shows a pastor with his VW electric vehicle. He got his Bug converted to electric with an investment of $6000. The EV runs on 72 Volts of electricity and has a top speed of above 50 mph. Mileage per charge is about 30 miles. I’m sure you can extend the mileage by adding more deep cycle batteries into to the batteries bank.

$6000 investment to convert a gasoline driven VW Beetle to electric seems a bit high to me. The whole retrofitting job can be done at a cheaper cost. But there is some preliminary work you have to do. You will need to source for cheap electric motor at EBay and also source for used or reconditioned batteries. If you are keen to find out how you can save cost in your EV retrofitting, you can check out these electric car conversion guides on the web.

I found the following VW electric conversion video on Youtube. The gentleman converted his 1975 VW Bug to run purely on electricity. He brought up 2 very interesting questions.
1) Where aren’t we all driving electric cars?
2) Where aren’t we driving on sun light via solar power?

It’s an interesting thought. I’m keen to find out what the answer would be. Feel free to comment.