Electric Cars Blog

EV Transmissions and Reducing RPM's at Speed

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:03:08 GMT

I have read a bit about the question about the need or non-need for a transmission. Maybe I am still stuck in the gasoline mode, however it would seem

Guide for Small EV Conversions?

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:03:00 GMT

Is there a guide to converting a small car to electric, and a complete parts list of the needed hardware? I want to learn how, but I need help to know

Electric Land Rover Conversion

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:58:42 GMT

I need a SUV for work, but feel guilty about the gas mileage. Thinking about buying a used Land Rover and converting it myself. I've seen on the Internet

Maintenance Free Batteries?

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:00:07 GMT

What's the difference between a maintenance free and a deep cell battery? Hi, Jack! Let's see. Maintenance free means it's sealed. Means you don't

Charging Dead 8v Golf Cart Batteries With a Car Charger

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:06:54 GMT

My charger was not working and my batteries got so low that they do not have enough charge in them to call for the charger to cut on and charge them.

Restoring Golf Cart Batteries

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:10:07 GMT

I have some older 6 volt batteries that have been drawn down over time in storage. Is there a way to revive them? They charge, but only up to 5.5 volts.

Need to charge new golf cart batteries?

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:49:43 GMT

Is it necessary to charge new batteries when installing? Hi, George - Battery University says that if your batteries are lead-acid, they come already

Small NIMH Batteries to Power an Electric Car?

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:03:05 GMT

I have several hundred 7.4v 1100 mah NIMH batteries. Can I wire them together to make a battery pack large enough to power an AC electric car? Hi, ManZie

Wheego Whip: Now with Lithium!

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:15:47 GMT

The Wheego Whip has gone on a lithium diet, lost a little weight, and is now officially a hottie.

AC Electric Car Motor and Generator for 4x4 Conversion

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:07:50 GMT

I have a 1989 Nissan 4x4 KingCab pickup, with a manual transmission. It weighs about 5500 lb. I'd like to convert to electric. I think I'd prefer

The Great Golf Cart Battery Swap

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:14:03 GMT

I was told I have to replace all 6 batteries @95.00 each; that's a LOT of money...is it necessary? The man said if I didn't, the old ones would just

Electric Car Kit from Reverend Gadget

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:24:46 GMT

Reverend Gadget is back...with an amazing electric car kit. And an amazing electric kit car, too. And lithium!

Chevy, Chevy, Chevy

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:16:59 GMT

Breaking new ground in hubris, even for GM, they now want to eliminate the term "Chevy" in favor of the original mouthful, "Chevrolet". Employees who use the wrong word now have to put a quarter in the corporate cuss jar. Really. Um, note to the two marketing and sales execs who came up with this stroke of "branding consistency" genius: when your paying customers pet-name your product, don't argue with them. When they write you songs, sing along. Wait, who am I talking to?

Best Electric Car Motor

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:32:27 GMT

What's the best electric motor out there? Hi, Carlos! This isn't Consumer Reports, darlin', there's no 1-5 lightning bolts rating system for electric

VW Beetle EV Conversion

Wed, 19 May 2010 22:31:42 GMT

I am thinking of undertaking a VW Beetle electric car conversion. The mid 60's cars are not too expensive, and weigh around 1600 lbs. I figure the engine

Electric Car Motors, Components, and Rain.

Wed, 19 May 2010 22:17:22 GMT

I live on an island (Guam where we get a significant rainfall. There are some low spots in our roads that end up under water, about 8-10 inches. So

Great Gas-Guzzling Suburban EV Conversion

Mon, 17 May 2010 14:56:53 GMT

I have a gas hogging Chevy Suburban. I love it, and would like to convert it. Is it possible? How much would it cost...approximately...how much would

AC Electric Car Motors Horsepower

Sun, 16 May 2010 06:06:33 GMT

What is the range in horsepower with an AC electric car motor? Hi, VonFeldt - Honestly, this is a difficult question. In the world of electric car

Ferrari Electric Car Conversion

Sun, 16 May 2010 05:34:47 GMT

What's the best electric motor I can use to get the same acceleration out of my Ferrari when I convert it to electric? And which batteries? Sigh, Madi

Why are Electric Car Motors so Expensive?

Wed, 05 May 2010 16:18:39 GMT

I was wondering why the electric motors and the conversion process is so expensive. Motors are like $2000 gas engines don't cost that much. I wanted to

56 Chevy Electric Car Conversion?

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:56:57 GMT

I really do not want to get rid of this old car I have, but with the price of gas now a days it's hard coming up with a reason to keep it! We all know

How Many Batteries for my EV?

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:25:37 GMT

How many batteries and what size electric engine do I need to power my 1975 bmw 2002? Does any one have a universal kit (wiring, batteries, safety switches

72 VW Super Beetle Electric Car Conversion

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:40:01 GMT

Can you provide a site, or info, on converting a VW Beetle to an AC electric motor? Hi, Chris - Sure. Check out Jonathan Barraclough's 65 Baja bug on

Electric Semi Truck Conversion?

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:28:47 GMT

I'd like to know your opinion of using an 3-phase electric motor that is mounted inline to the transmission, run by a generator, that is run by a 2.2

AC Motors and Electric Motorcycles

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:40:09 GMT

Where is the best place to buy the parts to build an AC electric motorcycle? and I do mean a motorcycle - a street cruiser type not a scooter. Hi, Rick

Mazda Pickup Electric Car Conversion

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:45:25 GMT

Me and my father are wanting to convert our Mazda truck into an EV, but we both have no idea as to what we are doing. My question is how do I know what

Does a Hybrid Need a Special Charger?

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:42:57 GMT

I'm thinking of doing a gas/electric hybrid conversion (using a small motorcycle engine to power the charging circuit) - My question is what resources

EV Recharging While you Drive

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:24:21 GMT

Would it be possible to have a set of batteries recharging as your driving? I'm thinking of running a 10,000 watt generator that the recharger is plugged

Tips for Keeping your EV Motor Dry

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:23:46 GMT

On the question of keeping the electric car's motor dry: I built a 'pan' to completely cover the bottom of the engine compartment. This also apparently

EV Conversion: Electric Reverse

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:14:14 GMT

I've noticed with EV conversions there is mention of electric reverse being used. Doesn't the manual transmission have reverse gear already? Am I missing

Trojan T-145 6 Volt Battery

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:56:33 GMT

What is the cycle life of the Trojan T-145 6 Volt Battery? The T-145 has higher discharge rate @25 -530@ 75 - 145@ 20 - 260. What makes the T-105 a

When is Best to Recharge EV Batteries?

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:15:37 GMT

Is it better to recharge frequently after each use or to wait till the charge is low? Hi, Judith! That depends on the batteries you have in your electric

Lithium Ion Batteries for Electric Cars

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:09:34 GMT

Why aren't lithium ion batteries being used in electric cars instead of lead-acid? Hi, Drew - Several reasons. First, Li-ion batteries are more expensive

Are There Electric Car Conversion Kits?

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:50:41 GMT

Is there an electric car conversion kit where a person can make their own electric car? Hi, Paul - Sure! It's what I would do myself if I were converting

DIY Hybrid Electric Car: Using an AC Generator Head with a Small Electric Motor

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:35:22 GMT

Well, this is more a suggestion, rather than a question, on how to build your own hybrid electric car. The average 4cyl car motor weighs about 700 lbs,

Keeping an Electric Car Motor Dry

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:30:54 GMT

When I drive in the rain or cross a creek will that tear up my motor? If I buy an A/C motor would I have to buy an inverter? Hi, Dale - Don't worry

Batteries: Safety, Placement, and Cycle Life

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:37:18 GMT

Say I was to convert a Honda Civic 4-door to electric. I have two children to transport to school on my commute. Would they be sitting on top of or

Can I Retrofit my Car into a Generator Hybrid?

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:44:40 GMT

Is it possible to use a small combustion engine, just a few horse power, to turn a generator (also small scale) to simply supplement (provide a percentage

How many KW for my electric car motor?

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:33:16 GMT

Would a 3 kw electric car motor suffice, seeing that I am content with a speed of 30 kmph (about 18 mph), if my car weighs 650 kilos and with one passenger

Building An Electric Car

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:17:41 GMT

I've been considering for a while on building an all electric car. I live in an area where I have to drive to get pretty much anywhere, and decided the

Cheaper Electric Car Motors

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:00:04 GMT

How and where do you get a cheaper electric car motor? Whenever I look for electric car motors, I'm seeing prices at $6000 to $9000. Is that right?

Installing an Electric Car Motor

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:27:21 GMT

1. Will I be able to remove the gas engine from my van and install an electric motor attached to the drive shaft? 2. How big is the motor and how fast

Electric Car Performance Comparison

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:41:43 GMT

What is the horse power of these AC motors in comparison to a gas engine in relation to size? Example, to have an electric motor replace a 5.7L engine.

Electric Car Conversion: Dodge Neon

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:10:34 GMT

I'm thinking about converting my 99 Neon to electric. Should I use AC or DC, and how big should I make the motor? Hi, Andrew - You can use either AC

EV Conversion Calculator

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:30:55 GMT

Is there an EV conversion calculator somewhere where I can figure out how much motor output I will need for my desired performance? Hi, Andy - Yes,

Aptera Update: Dude, where's my deposit?

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:07:43 GMT

Oh, how I hate being wrong. You've heard the phrase, "rats deserting a sinking ship?" Well, if I'd put a deposit down on an Aptera, which I didn't, so take it for what it's worth, but...if I had? I'd be demanding my deposit back before it EVAPORATED, and I'd be heading for the nearest lifeboat.

Electric Car Batteries: Lead or Lithium?

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:32:19 GMT

Which electric car batteries do you need for your conversion or NEV? Let's wade through the information and decide for ourselves, shall we?

Electric Motorcycle Crash Fundraiser - Nikki's Video!

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:02:30 GMT

It's been a few weeks since Nathan Abbot crashed his electric motorcycle during a cross country ride - you can read all about it in this Wired magazine article.
Nathan is now in a Portland hospital recovering from his (severe) injuries, and he and his family need our help this holiday season! Please click on the link below and donate whatever you can until Dec. 31; I know they will really appreciate it.

Chevy Volt gets a Chirpy Sound

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:03:47 GMT

Remember when blessed silence was a GOOD thing? Well, not anymore. Apparently, those treehugging Prius drivers have been inadvertently mowing down pedestrians in their path from Starbucks to Pilates, so GM is talking to the National Federation for the Blind about how they can add a level of noise pollution to electric cars. Apparently involves a non-birdly "automotive" chirping.

Switching from 6v to 12v Batteries

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:36:37 GMT

I have an EZ-GO 36 volt three wheel golf car that uses six 6 volt batteries. Can I use three 12 volt batteries instead, and lighten the load? Hi,