Most electric car enthusiasts have already know that a VW Beetle is a great donor car for electric vehicle conversion. Those that do not know much about [tag-tec]electric car conversion[/tag-tec] may not know why a Bug is excellent for an EV retrofitting.
The following are a list of reason why a VW Beetle is a great electric donor car:
1) The Bug is simple.
There is no fancy electronic controllers or fancy circuitries.
2) It is a light weight vehicle.
A quick query on the search engine shows the Beetle has a curb weigh of 2100 lbs. An EV with less weight means less baterry to move it forward.
3) No power steering.
Less strain on the battery.
4) No power brakes.
Again less strain on the battery.
5) Manual transmission.
Great for low revolution DC electric motor and easy process to hook it up to the drive train.
6) Has a custom tow bar.
Very handy for towing purposes just in case the batteries ran flat.
The list is not comprehensive. If you have any thoughts on why a VW Beetle is a great donor electric car, please feel free to comment.