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

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.