The Electric Vehicle Conversion Handbook: Convert Cars, Trucks Motorcycles and Bicycles

• They are cheaper to operate
• They help decrease dependency on foreign oil
• They provide a tax incentive

Imagine never having to stop at a service station and pump gasoline into your car's tank again. Imagine driving to and from work for pennies per mile. Imagine driving to the grocery store in a silent, near-zero emissions vehicle that needs just a fraction of the yearly maintenance that a traditional car requires.

Now, imagine a car that not only saves you money to operate, but helps the country lessen its dependence on foreign oil while providing a tax incentive to you at the same time. Congratulations: you've imagined the electric vehicle, or EV.

An EV is defined as any vehicle that gets some or all of its power from electrical energy. All EVs use some type of electric motor to provide propulsion, but there are many different ways that EVs can be supplied the electricity necessary to operate the motor.

Some EVs, such as trolley cars, use electricity that is provided directly from a power station by way of transmission lines; electricity is delivered to the vehicle via brushes that contact overhead power lines.

Others, such as diesel electric trains, create their own electricity by way of an onboard generator that is driven by a large internal combustion engine, or ICE.

Other Evs like hybrids have both a traditional internal combustion engine onboard and an electric motor with batteries. Hybrids switch automatically between ICE and electric power (and sometimes even work with both systems operating together) depending on driving conditions and load.

Still other EVs, such as fuel-cell vehicles, are able to convert gasoline or hydrogen directly into electricity via a chemical process. While certainly interesting, none of these types of EVs are the subject of this book. Instead, we will focus on so-called battery electric vehicles, or BEV.

A BEV is an electric vehicle fitted with batteries that it carries onboard to supply the electricity needed for the motor to work. Like the gas tank of a conventional ICE-powered vehicle, batteries in a BEV are simply an energy storage device. An external electrical supply source, such as an electrical outlet in a garage, is periodically connected to the vehicle and used to charge up the batteries.

Once the batteries are charged, the vehicle can be disconnected from the external power source and driven normally around town or on the highway. When the driver wants to go somewhere, he or she uses the energy stored in the batteries to power the electric motor and, consequently, drives on the road like any other car or truck.

BUY VS. BUILD/CONVERT

So, now you understand how a battery electric vehicle works. You also now appreciate the pros and the cons of EV ownership, plus you can tell the difference between the facts and the myths surrounding them. You've looked at a couple dozen Internet sites, homepages, and blogs that detail various individuals' car and truck projects.

You're ready to take the leap into EV ownership, but there's a big question you haven't yet addressed: should you actually build an electric vehicle, or should you instead simply buy one that is already built and running?

Converting an ICE-powered vehicle to electric power can be a very rewarding project to undertake, but it's not for everyone. Building an EV can be either vexing or challenging, depending upon your patience, abilities, and personality.

There are also costs to consider; depending on the type of car and electrical system you choose, converting a vehicle can be either cheaper than, or more expensive than just purchasing a pre-built conversion that someone else has already created.

A new conversion project can and will require significant time and resources, and, frankly many people are better off just buying a new or used EV than tackling a ground-up conversion by themselves.

Now, don't get the wrong message from this warning. This book is clearly focused on converting ICE-powered vehicles to electric power. With the act of purchasing this book, you have shown that you are someone interested in the idea of conversion, but it's vitally important that you enter into an EV project with your eyes wide open.

Motorcycles make excellent electric conversion projects. They're lightweight and easy to work on, and can be built in a small shed or garage quite easily.

They're also relatively inexpensive to convert; the typical motorcycle conversion can be performed for under $3,000, including the cost of the donor motorcycle.

So what's different about a motorcycle conversion when compared to a car or truck? Not a lot, actually. All EVs use some kind of electric motor, a motor controller, and batteries. Cars and truck require relatively high battery system voltages.

Motorcycles, because they're so lightweight, can get by with small motors and controllers. Instead of the typical series-wound DC motor, many motorcycle conversions utilize either brush- or brushless permanent-magnet (though others use series-wound DC motors).

• Getting Started
• What is an Electric Vehicle?
• Is an EV Right for You?
• The EV Conversion Process
• Conversion Components
• Electric Motors
• Motor Controllers
• Batteries
• Battery Chargers
• Wires, Switches and Tools
• Accessories
• Instrumentation


PROJECT VEHICLES


• Mountain Bike
• Motorcycle
• Bugeye Sprite
• Porsche 914
• Ford Ranger
• Saturn
• BMW Sedan
• VW Van
• BMW Roadster


APPENDICES


• Electricity
• Torque, Work, Energy and Power
• Licensing and Registering Your EV
• EV Safety