Electric Car Conversion Books

Books on Electric Car Conversions or Building Your Own

1) Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant is the first on the list.

Really, you could build your electric car using nothing but this book. It's a classic for a good reason.

Be warned: there are quite a few physics equations dealing with drag coefficient and the like. If you got a D in college physics, Do Not Be Alarmed. You really don't have to sweat this. The main thing he's saying with all the little letters and numbers is that you'll get the best range out of your batteries if you choose an aerodynamic car, and lighten it up as much as you can.

See? Wasn't that easy?

Also, he feels pretty strongly positive about converting small pickups. This is very sensible for several reasons.

You've got a good passenger-free (and accessible) area in the bed to lock the batteries down so you they don't become missiles flying around the cockpit in case of an accident;
They're designed to haul things, so you can put plenty of battery weight back there, and distribute it without having to be design-creative;
They're already fairly aerodynamic;
They're often standard-shifting vehicles to begin with.

Read this one first - you won't be disappointed.

2) Electric Motors and Control Techniques This one was recommended to me by more than one conversion shop. It's about optimizing electrical systems so they work well.

Often people don't think about this aspect of building an electric car. They look at range and speed as an absolute, and settle for less than the system they have is capable of. They don't think they can understand or implement the optimizations, so they don't bother.

I noticed right away that the conversions that electrical engineers do always seem to get more bang for the buck than the conversions your average jill mechanic does for herself. Wondering why...I began to investigate. The thing that stood out the most to me is that optimization of systems is second nature for the engineers.

If you want to spend your money and time wisely, check into optimization. It's worth the effort.

3)Convert It! by Michael Brown.

This is another classic. It covers step by step how to convert, and in my opinion doesn't add anything to Bob Brant's book.

Electro Automotive, one of the best-known sellers of conversion kits and parts in the United States, includes a copy of this book with every kit purchased.

I'll bet there's a reason for that; )

4) Electric Vehicle Battery Systems has a lot of very useful information about batteries used for electric vehicle systems. Unfortunately, the information is a bit dated - so if you're looking for information on Altair Nanotech's Lithium Titanate batteries or EEStor's elusive ultracapacitors, you're not gonna find it.

If you're looking for some useful data on lead-acid or nickel batteries, this is a pretty good source.

Don't expect much from the equations; )

5) Downloads:
Electric Vehicle Conversions Looking to convert a Chevy S-10 to electric, not completely sure what you're doing, and wish you walk through it step by step with someone who's already done it?
You're in luck!
That's exactly what you can do with this downloadable e-book from Gerald Wagner. He covers a good bit of territory that didn't get covered in "Build your Own" listed above - and Gerald says things in a way that are really clear and understandable. 60 day satisfaction guarantee.

Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide: How to choose and maintain your golf cart's (or neighborhood electric vehicle's, or conversion's) batteries. Chapters include "choosing the right golf cart batteries", "using a battery hydrometer", and "troubleshooting golf cart batteries".
Comes with a satisfaction guarantee.

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