August 11, 2009
With the high price of gas these days, many consumers have decided that owning and driving an electric vehicle will be more efficient and cheaper to run over the long haul. If you decided to build your own electric vehicle, there are plenty of resources available to help you understand and work through the process of converting a gas vehicle into an electric vehicle.
If you are one of those unfortunate souls that have to commute a long ways back and forth to work, an electric vehicle may not suit your needs because on average these vehicles run from 30 to 70 miles each day. Other factors such as the driving conditions, the weight of the vehicle and the quality of the battery will determine how many miles you can drive. You also have to consider how you will be recharging the batteries. If you live in your own home with a garage, then charging the batteries is not a problem. However, if you live in an apartment complex with no garage, it maybe a little tougher to charge the batteries every night.
Some Important Considerations
First thing you have to consider is what type of car you want to use to build your own electric vehicle. Smaller cars would be more ideal, but bigger cars can be used as well. You should also consider using a car that has a manual four speed or five speed transmission, since standards are more efficient than automatics. Interestingly, since electric motors are so deficient, shifting gears up and down constantly won’t happen as much as it does in a gas fueled engine.
When building your own electric vehicle, there will be additional weight added to your car. That weight can be anywhere from 200 to 500 extra pounds. Just make sure that the car you picked can handle the extra weight with the modifications and isn’t completely ridiculous and is well within reason.
A few more things to keep in mind that are optional when building your electric vehicle is the power steering and air-conditioning. The power steering would definitely require another motor to make the power steering pump work. The air conditioning will put a huge drain on the batteries, but you can hookup the air conditioning using a special magnet system to work the compressor.
In the end, there are plenty of resources out there to help you do the job right when building your own electric vehicle. As time passes and with the rising cost of fuel, electric vehicles and hybrids will become more and more popular. Chances are the price of gas is going to continue to rise and for a lot of people, gas is almost not affordable. So going ahead and take a look at building your own electric vehicle; you may be surprised at how easy it is to convert your gas guzzler into and electric vehicle. The money you will save on fuel will pay for the cost of the conversion in very short order and there will be less pollution in the air too.
Kerry Ng is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Hybrid Cars Blog. For more great helpful information about hybrids visit The Hybrid Cars Blog
Filed under Electric Vehicles by on Aug 11th, 2009. Comment. 
August 13, 2009
With rising fuel costs, more and more people and are looking for alternatives. One such alternative that is gaining popularity, especially with the do-it yourself types, are the electric vehicle kits. Anyone familiar with automobiles can now use these kits to convert traditional gas powered vehicles to one powered by electric current.
However, converting a traditional Gas powered vehicle into an electric vehicle can be a very daunting task. Only those who are the very mechanically minded should try this. To convert the vehicle will require extensive modifications to nearly all-mechanical parts of the car. Everything from the engine to the radiator, heater and air-conditioning, to the gauges on the panel. On top of that, the electric cars have to be recharged on a regular basis, which means having to purchase or use the services of recharging station. Solar power could be another potential source of power for the electric vehicle.
Can any car be converted into an electric vehicle?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Not all cars can be converted into an electric vehicle. However, and the most common electric vehicle kit seems to be the Chevy S-10 pick up kit. For examples to follow just do a search online for Chevy S-10 pickup Electric conversions. Other cars that are good candidates for conversion are the Chevy Geo, especially from 1989 to 1999. These cars are good potential candidates for an electric vehicle kit conversion. Cars similar to the Chevy Geo Metro, such as the Chevy Sprint, Pontiac Firefly and the Suzuki Swift are also ideal for conversions too.
Are there downsides to using an electric vehicle kit?
Going back a few years, many people associated electric powered vehicles with slowness and a lack of power. But as usual, thanks to technology, significant advances in the electric vehicle have changed all that. With these electric vehicle kits some cars can reach top speeds of between 70 and 75 mph. nonetheless, converting to electric power still has its drawbacks.
The biggest drawback it is of course the need for recharging the batteries. As an example, the Chevy Geo Metro kit must be recharged every 20 to 40 miles, depending on driving habits and battery quality. For city driving, this would be ideal. However, for lengthy commutes on the highway, this would not be ideal.
The Chevy S-10 with an electric vehicle kit installed will run a little longer on a single charge. On a single charge, the S-10 should last between 40 and 60 miles. Again this depends upon the driving habits as well as the size and quality of batteries. Some S-10 models can be equipped with solar powered panels which would in reduced in the need for charging, at least when driving during daylight hours.
Converting vehicles with electric vehicle kits is not a cheap affair. Most conversion kits seem to cost between $8000 to $10,000. And this does not even include professional installation as well as the cost of the batteries, not to mention access to or the purchase of a charging station.
Quite frankly, with the cost involved of using an electric vehicle kit, it probably wouldn’t be very practical for the average consumer, especially if they do a lot of highway driving. However, that being said, it probably would be ideal for a back yard mechanic who loves to tinker with cars and has a few bucks to throw around and wants to impress his beer-drinking buddies.
Kerry Ng is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Hybrid Cars Blog. For more great helpful information about the Hybrid Cars visit The Hybrid Cars Blog
Filed under Articles by on Aug 13th, 2009. Comment.
August 14, 2009
lectric Car Conversion Kits
Check the turning circle before buying the kit.
There are electric car conversion kits available from retailers and these can be fitted by someone with a good mechanical background. Before buying a conversion kit to fit to your car, it would firstly, be wise to check to see what type of car the electric car conversion kit is suitable for.
Most of the electric cars will do a mileage of between 30 to70, so if you have a daily average mileage that is within this range then having an electric car conversion kit fitted in your vehicle makes a lot of sense.
Another important aspect regarding the electric car conversion kit is to be familiar with which type of hybrid car model its best suited for having it fitted. Having one for short range travel and fitted to a light weight car would be ideal whereas a pickup van or truck is more suitable for utility purposes. Some of the more advanced electric car conversion kits have also been used in cars that can be used for short races and sportier driving, but these are few and far between.
A typical electric car conversion kit may enable a car to travel at speeds of up to 25 mph with a payload of between two and four passengers and costs less than ten thousand dollars.
The electric car conversion kit should be well designed and manufactured and should include the motor, controllers and battery chargers. Add to this the need to change the batteries every year which will add a further three hundred dollars ($300) to the cost. However, this is still considerably cheaper than costs for gasoline, anti-freezing, hosing, filters, belts, radiator repairs, exhaust system and tune-up of engines that ordinary gas driven cars entail.
At present, there are very few electric vehicles available and so converting the gasoline driven car with the help of an electric car conversion kit is a good choice to make as building your own electric vehicle is a fun-filled experience that is both rewarding and exhilarating and poses a challenge to the user.
Since electric vehicles do not pollute the environment they are a good alternative technology to the gas driven cars. There are a number of factors that need to be considered before settling on one particular electric car conversion kit.
* You may begin with selecting the driving range that you intend to travel with your electric vehicle and select a kit that will best serve your purpose.
* Secondly, there is the need to have proper and adequate set of tools and supplies along with an appropriate amount of free space where to do the conversion.
* Then, you need to be familiar with the components and know how to remove the ICE components and replace them with the electric vehicle components.
* Next, install the motor, components, battery box and batteries and also install the propulsion wiring, auxiliary power system and the traction pack changing system as well as displays and controls.
* Make sure that everything will have been tested before actually putting the electric vehicle in to normal use.
That’s it enjoy the pollution free and cheaper method of transport that is open to you now thanks to your purchase of a electric car conversion kit.
Thanks
Electricity4cars.com Disclaimer The author and any other parties directly or indirectly associated with Electricity4car.com accept no financial, legal or any other type of responsibility for the information on this website. By ordering and using the information in the manual, you agree that: The author and any other parties directly or indirectly associated with Electricity4Gcars.com accept no financial, legal or any other type of responsibility.
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August 17, 2009
Might the most fuel-efficient vehicles in mass production–powerful hybrids, such as Toyota’s Prius, that can run on either gasoline or electricity–already be destined for the science museum?
That’s the argument that French carmaker Renault is making at the Mondial de l’Automobile, the giant auto show running.Renault says that it is engineering a pair of battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), to be produced starting in 2011, that it claims will be cheaper to build, cost markedly less to power, and produce far less carbon dioxide. Renault’s vision for electric cars is small vehicles principally designed for commuting. At the Paris show, Renault unveiled a concept car showing the design of a compact EV commuter car: an EV version of its Kangoo utility van, with startling acid-green windows to minimize air conditioning and a lithium-ion battery that carries the van 160 to 200 kilometers on an average charge. That range “really covers the usage by our customers, who are using their cars only for commuting and maybe short trips during the weekend,” says Renault EV project director Serge Yoccoz. As a result, he predicts that such EVs could capture from 10 to 15 percent of the European car market as early as 2015. (Hybrids currently command just 2 percent of auto sales worldwide.) Renault won’t be the first to test the commuter market with battery EVs. Mitsubishi Motors announced in Paris last week that it will begin testing its i-MiEV minicar in Europe next month with a view to commercial sales by 2010.
Daimler, meanwhile, said that a battery version of its popular Smart Fortwo, in testing in London since last year, will be sold starting at the end of 2009.Renault says that EVs are a necessity because hybrids cannot deliver the level of gasoline use and emissions reductions that governments and customers are demanding of automakers. The EV is the breakthrough required because, according to Renault, driving the EV Kangoo displayed in Paris generates zero carbon dioxide when charged with renewable energy, and no more than 60 grams per kilometer when charged on today’s coal-heavy power grids; when charging in France, carbon-dioxide emissions would be somewhere in between because nuclear power provides 80 percent of France’s electricity.
On this spot there’s a new scenario about electric transaxles for electric vehicles, with the new website www.ac-transaxles.com. Any of those scenarios compares well with the more than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer coming out the tailpipe of Renault’s diesel-fueled Kangoos, which are relatively efficient vehicles for their class.Lithium batteries for Renault’s first round of products, at least, will come from a joint venture of Japan’s Nissan, with which Renault is partnering on EV technology development, and NEC.
Newer lithium technologies have eclipsed the performance of the joint venture’s manganese-based lithium-ion chemistry, but Yoccoz says that the Nissan-NEC process is one of the cheapest. With the new transaxles the vehicles efficiency will grow, and will permit longer drive with a load of battery.
For more info please visit www.ac-transaxles.com, where you can find information about high ratios transaxles for electric vehicles.
Alessandro Benevelli was born on 12th July 1977.
After Economic study to the Modena Academy he became the Sales Manager of company Benevelli Srl (www.benevelli.biz). On 2000 Alessandro became the youngest founder of GIR (Confartigianato Reggio Emilia).
Filed under Articles by on Aug 17th, 2009. Comment.
August 19, 2009
Most people nowadays are considering doing an electric car motor conversion. This is because of the rising fuel prices that inflated their car gasoline expense bill. With most household having more than one car, gasoline expenses have become a major issue. Unfortunately, sending a car to a professional garage to be retrofitted into an Electric Vehicle (EV) will cost more than $4000. The investment is too high for most car owners. An alternative is to do an electric car motor conversion via a Do It Yourself (DIY) project from home.
To initiate a DIY electric car conversion project from home is not a difficult process. As long as you have the necessary tools and workspace, you can do the retrofitting yourself. What you will need is a good EV conversion guide to assist you.
The idea of electric vehicle conversion is to replace the internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Without the engine, all its associated components such as gas tank, fuel line and radiator is also removed. This will create a lot of free space where a batteries rack can be installed. A series of lead acid batteries will supply the power to the electric motor. To control the speed of the EV, a variable resistant is attached between the batteries and the electric motor. It will act as the accelerator paddle of the car.
To retrofit a car to run on electric is definitely cost effective. If is even cheaper if you can spend some time sourcing for second hand electric motor and batteries. With gasoline prices expected to go higher, any solution that can cut fuel cost would be a blessing.
Are high gasoline prices stresses you out? Why not consider driving an Electric Car. Experience the cost saving benefits of an electric vehicle by exploring Electric Motor Conversion Guides. Download the first preview chapter of “Build Your Own Electric Car” e-book at http://www.cbElectricCar.com
Filed under Articles by on Aug 19th, 2009. Comment.