Electric Car Motors

What kinds of electric car motors are the most popular for conversions? 

There are a lot of electric motors out there, but just a few make up the majority of the motors being used in electric cars: the series wound DC motor, the permanent magnet motor, and the 3-phase AC motor. We'll talk about the pros and cons of each of these three types here.


When people choose a motor for their car, they're balancing factors like:

  • Cost. The DC motors usually cost less than AC motors, and you can find series wound DC traction motors in forklift salvage yards.
  • Availability. DC motors are often easier to find locally than AC motors.
  • The "do it yourself" factor. Nobody wants a half-finished EV project scattered all over the garage, right? Simple installation is important to getting the job actually done, and DC motor systems used to be simpler to install than AC motors- until HPEVS AC motors came along and leveled the playing field.

Note: A lot of people are using LEAF and Tesla salvage for motors in their conversions now. I'm not covering those types here, but a motor specifically designed to move an electric car is the best option (when you can find them).

#1: DC Series wound electric car motors

DC electric car motor cutaway

This motor is the king of electric car motors. It's also the king of torque! The electric drag racers burn a lot of tire rubber with this motor, and if laying down long black tracks and clouds of smoke is your thing, this is the motor you want.

The Good: All the torque is available from a standstill.

You've no doubt heard about this famous characteristic of electric cars. It's really a characteristic of these series wound DC electric car motors, though, rather than electric cars in general. These motors happen to be popular for electric drills, too, and that's why.

The Bad: Not your best hill-climbing device.

The Electrical Engineering training series says, quote: "Series motors cannot be used where a relatively constant speed is required under conditions of varying load." Unfortunately, that pretty much sums up what an electric car would be doing in hilly terrain, like my neighborhood. The DC series motor in your NEV might not climb those hills too briskly. Oh, you noticed this already? So did Zenn and Miles, actually...after 2008, all their new cars have AC drive systems installed.


The Ugly: These always have to be run under load.

Meaning, when you're installing your shiny new Netgain motor in that Chevy S-10 you've so carefully de-ICEd, you don't wanna hook the motor up to 120 volts and just whizzz it out attached to nothing (you know, to hear what it sounds like running); it'll take your head off. Apparently it turns with enough force to even damage itself if you run it without a load. You might never do this. Okay. But it also means that you can't use it with a belt drive, or a drive system that could fail like a belt could and leave your motor flying with no load - because it would destroy your motor if it failed.

The Advanced DC Series wound motor is by far the most popular of the electric car motors, according to the EV Photo Album, followed by General Electric motors and NetGain motors. If you're buying them new, you find these through local EV parts suppliers - there's a list of US NetGain dealers here.


#2: Permanent Magnet DC electric motors

permanent magnet DC motor

Per-mag DC: These are the second most popular electric car motors in the EV Photo Album, but that's not necessarily because they're the best thing going.

The biggest drawback with permanent magnet DC motors? They're noisier. Like all brushed DC motors, the brushes generate electrical radio interference. But unlike other types of brushed electric motors used in electric cars, like the series wound DC motors above, which have windings which provide natural filtering of electrical noise, the PM motors have no natural filtering effect in their design...so they're noisy.

Most of the EVs with Permanent Magnet DC motors you find in the EV Photo Album belong to "small-ticket" EVs: bikes, motorcycles, scooters, and the like.

Per-mag AC: A lot of the drawbacks of Per-mag DC motors have been eliminated with design and control improvements of Per-mag AC motors. These are gaining popularity in the commercial electric car market, and with good reason!

#3: 3-Phase AC induction motors

Third most popular electric car motors for conversions, but if all motors cost the same, I think these would be the hands-down winner. Why? Because they're better. (There, yes, I said it. I took a stand: )

This motor uses the same batteries the DC motor does; a DC power source. The difference is that an inverter takes the place of the controller you see in DC drive systems. The system overall is a bit more expensive, primarily because of these sophisticated inverters...but you get your money's worth.

I'm very enthusiastic about these, it's no secret (check out my Best EV Motor Yet pick)! Why?

  • An AC motor just keeps on accelerating - the torque curve is more like a gas-guzzler than a golf cart. An EV with a DC motor will reach the top of its RPMs, and that's all there is, there ain't no more. Example...55 mph the top end of your DC motor's happy place? You can cruise at 55 mph all day, no problem, but don't expect to reach 60 mph so you can get out of the way of that Hummer. Ain't gonna happen.
  • Because the terrain around my house is hills, hills, and then a couple more hills after that. Like I said earlier, an AC drive system does a little better job in this terrain, all other things being equal.
  • An AC system will treat your poor gas-guzzler's tranny a lot more gently than a DC system. If you're not drag racing, you probably don't have to worry about this one. (Thanks to everybody who wrote in; )
  • You can move a lot heavier car with an AC drive system.
  • The range is better with an AC drive system, for a couple of reasons. First, because it uses lead-acid batteries more efficiently, and second, because of better regenerative braking, which acts just like a generator to put energy back into your batteries. If you're using lithium, AC/DC range difference is less of an issue.

All these things add up to an electric car that's considerably more like the familiar gas-gobbler's performance.

Metric Mind's FAQ has a lot more to say about the advantages of AC drive systems over the typical series wound DC electric car motors and controllers you often see in electric car conversions.

Go from "Electric Car Motors" to learn more about the AC vs DC debate.


Forklift Motors for Electric Cars

Electric Car Motors Q&A

Have A Question About Electric Car Motors?

Do you have a question about this? Ask it!

[ ? ]

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional)[ ? ]

 

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

(first or full name)

(e.g., City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

  •  submission guidelines.


(You can preview and edit on the next page)

What Other Visitors Have Asked

Click below to see questions from other visitors to this page...

Make My Electric Ranchero Conversion with Solar Panels, Please 
I want to convert my 1969 Ranchero GT to electric with solar panels as well to recharge on go or without a charging station. Hi, Ronald - The picture …

Torque Vectoring and Traction Control 
Is there a separate electric motor for each wheel in an electric car? Hi, John - Not at present (2019), but maybe soon. The video shows …

Can a motor power a 33' RV? 
Can a motor drive a 33' RV? Is there a motor designed to drive each wheel instead of driving the transmission? Is it stupid to consider an electric …

Electric School Bus 
I have been looking at investing in a retired school bus to use as an RV. My long term goal is to get off of fossil fuels to run my rig and converting …

Long Distance Electric Car Motor 
I'm building an EV conversion that must travel long distances at a time. I have a car that weighs 2,000-2,200 lb (2,500 loaded), has sufficient …

Musings on the Chevy Volt Motor  
What basic type of electric motor does the GM Volt use? And what does it weigh? How could I get a schematic diagram? Hi, Larry - A 3-phase …

The Right Electric Motor for a Land Cruiser 
I have a 1969 Toyota FJ40 that just recently seized up, so I'm going to convert it to electric. I live in Colorado, so its a little bit hilly, …

Generator or Alternator To Keep EV Charged? 
Can regular alternators be connected to the running gear to self charge the batteries, thereby eliminating the need to externally recharge? …

55 Ford F-100 Electric Car Conversion 
I have an old 1955 Ford F-100 pick-up that I want to convert to electric. What would be a good AC motor selection for this conversion if I wanted …

Pump Motors Okay for Electric Cars? 
Is it possible to size a commercial 3ph 5hp motor to an inverter? I have several motors used as pumps that are looking for a home …

Electric Aircraft Conversion 
I have a small kit aircraft that I would like to convert to electric motor power. This aircraft is basically a sight seeing aircraft and flight times …

Electric Car Motors, Generators, and Perpetual Motion 
Why can't a generator be added to the EV's system to keep the battery recharged...preferably one that draws from the energy that the battery is already …

Electric Car Motor and Transmission All-In-One? 
I have recently seen an electric car motor that claims to be an all-in-one unit, with motor/transmission all together in one package. …

How to Connect the Electric Car Motor to the Transmission 
How do you connect the electric motor to the engine transmission? Is it welded? Do I need to have an adapter or an engineered connector? …

Electric Motors and Horsepower 
I understand that electric motors can run a car with much less HP than a gasoline engine...why is it that an electric motor needs …

Can I Retrofit my Car into a Generator Hybrid? 
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 …

Golf Cart for Electric Kit Car 
Is there any 8-person golf cart which can go at least 50 mph, so you can use all the parts and build an electric kit car? Hi, …

Charging an Electric Car with a Wind Turbine 
1. Is it possible to charge your electric car with a wind turbine, and which type of wind turbine will charge it like overnight? 500 …

Electric Car Conversion like a Tesla 
I'm interested in a full electric conversion, AC motor,lithium batteries, controller, etc. Do you know of a company that sells such …

Alternator to Generate Electric Power for EVs? 
To generate electricity to power an EV, couldn't an alternator of the proper given voltage be used instead of batteries? Hi, Esam! Alternators turn …

Electric Boat Conversion With Generator 
I want to convert my 30 ft. boat's V8 gas-guzzlers to 2 DC electric motors that run with a 10KW generator. I'm going to have batteries …

Electric Semi Truck Conversion? 
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 …

Electric Car With a Generator on Board 
I have been looking into converting a diesel engine to run on used cooking oil. Now I am thinking about linking this idea to an …

Generator, and AC to DC conversion 
I want to power a small electric cart with a generator. I have a Honda 3000 watt generator that I take camping. It's very quiet and has electric start. …

Click here to write your own.

Building An Electric Car 
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, …

Electrify my boat? 
I have a 43 foot sailboat weighs about 11 tons. Want to make it diesel-electric! I have purchased a 13kw (continuous duty) diesel generator, but the rest …

Horsepower for your EV conversion 
How can I calculate how many horses or kw for a particular vehicle conversion? I would like to put an AC motor right in front of the differential of …

Hybrid Car: Electric Motor, Gas Generator  
I've been kicking this problem around about using a gas generator to power an electric motor. I know it does not take you away from …

Electric Car with a Generator on a Trailer? 
I'm considering getting a 98 Saturn SL1 (I can get the basic car for about $1000.) My idea is to put a small electric generator on a …

AC Electric Car Motor Size 
Is there a simple way (formula) to estimate the correct size for a 3-phase AC induction motor for an EV conversion given the weight …

Chevy Astro Electric Car Conversion 
What is best electric motor to convert my van? I use it for light loads and most of the time its empty and can i keep the same transmission and if you …

Why Can't an EV be More Like a Locomotive? 
I'm a conductor for Union Pacific Railroad. I've often wondered why someone doesn't (maybe they do) make a car like a locomotive only much smaller …

AC Generator Hybrids 
I want to build an electric car but I don't want to have to carry around all those batteries. It's not just because of weight or anything, …

Turn My Big RV Into a Plug-In Hybrid? 
I've got a 31 Ft RV that gets 8.5 mpg. Would an AC electric motor or 2 in conjunction with the 8.1 liter gas engine increase the gas mileage in an …

Is a Generator an OK Electric Car Motor? 
I own a dc electric motor. Is it more suitable to build an electric car or motorcycle? Motor details: honeywell rediline motor generator model-da36L …

3-phase AC Motor Electric Car Conversion 
I want to build an electric car and want to install a 3 phase motor. What size motor must I use? What do I need to build such car? …

EV Motor Won't Run 
I just bought an already converted 1986 Chevrolet Sprint EV that "just needs new batteries installed." I had a man that has an electric vehicle …

How Much Electricity Does an EV Need? 
How much electricity (watts) does the motor consume to run an electric car? How much voltage do I need to run a motor? Is there …

Unusual Electric Car Motors 
I'm interested in investing in UQM and would like to hear your opinion on their new product the PowerPhase125. In quantities of over 200,000/year …

Electric Car Conversion Kit Questions 
I want an AC electric car conversion. I am planning on converting a RWD car, possibly mid-engine, and was having difficulty finding the …

Electric Car Motor for Nissan Sentra 
I want to convert my 1993 Nissan Sentra to an electric car. What is the right motor size? My driving conditions are: no hills, …

3 Phase AC Induction Motor Question 
Is it actually true that the 3-Phase AC induction motor can reverse as a generator!?! Don't you need an axial winding with excitation or permanent magnets …

English Petrol Prices 
I don't mean to sound rude, but English petrol prices are far far worse than American prices at the moment, we are currently paying 1.20 per litre …

Electric Car Motor Question: RPM 
I have an AC motor that I would like to use in an electric car. The motor is a 20 HP, AC 3 phase 1170 rpm. Is that going to work, or do I need a higher …

Recharging EV Batteries with Alternators and Regulators 
Why don't EV systems use alternators and regulators to recharge the batteries and run the motors? Hi, David - I get this question a …

Need for Speed: AC vs. DC motors 
I'm considering converting a Mazda Miata to an electric car, and I've learned a lot reading your site. I really liked the page you …

Which Electric Motor for a Civic Conversion? 
I am beginning a project of converting a Honda Civic into an electric vehicle. Can you recommend a motor(s) and drive type for this project? Hi, …

Effects of Controller Mods on Zenn's AC Motors 
I'm considering buying an '08 Zenn that has an AC motor. My understanding is that the controller (Curtis?) can be modified to remove …

Large Electric Truck Conversion 
Which electric motor setup would you consider to be more practical in terms of torque due to the weight of the truck and still be able …

Click here to write your own.

Does an Electric Car Need a Transmission? 
Why not bypass the transmission and connect the electric motor directly to the differential with a universal joint? Since the electric …

How Much Power Does an Electric Car Motor Need? 
I am just starting to look at building an electric vehicle. I have the mechanical know how but lack the electrical know how. What HP motor should be …

3-Phase AC Induction Motors and Horsepower 
You mention that the 3-Phase AC induction motor is probably the best choice , and I would like to know more. Where can you purchase one? How much …

New Subaru and Mitsubishi EV motors! 
Subaru and Mitsubishi are testing their up-and-coming EVs in the USA this year. We have yet to see any specs however. I was wondering if anyone …

Conversion Question: Power or Horsepower? 
The power of the motors for conversions I've seen is pretty small. The max I've seen is about 48 HP continuous. At 10,000 RPM it is unlikely that this …

Conversion Question: Direct Drive 
It seems direct drive is the trend from the factory sponsored concepts. Can this be done by the do-it-yourselfer on a budget? In-wheel motors are out …

Can I Hook the Electric Motor Straight to the Rear Differential? 
I am considering converting a 4 door (Crew Cab) pick-up like 2000-2004 Nissan Frontier/Toyota Tacoma/Ford Ranger/Chevy S-10 etc.. & have a question that …

Electric Car Components and Rain 
How can I prevent the water from getting into the motor when it's raining? Hi, Beau - I'll let Paula from Ampmobile Conversions …

Electric Greyhound Conversion Motor 
I have an opportunity to buy a used electric motor from a mining operation. it is a 300-hp 460-V RMP-1800 phase 3. From this info, can I use …

Big Electric Car Motor, Small Conversion  
I started an EV conversion project with an old Lincoln SA-200 DC generator from a welding machine. Before investing more money into it, do you think …

DIY Hybrid Electric Car: Using an AC Generator Head with a Small Electric Motor 
Well, this is more a suggestion, rather than a question, on how to build your own hybrid electric car. The average 4cyl car motor …

AC Motors, NiMH batteries, and Wheel Motors 
AC motor question: I'm looking for a less expensive, probably US-made AC motor. I'm aiming my design at 1400 lbs maximum. Ideas? …

Electric Garden Tractor Conversion 
I have a 1979 Cub Cadet 682 garden tractor with a 17 hp gas engine which provides power to a hydrostatic drive and electric clutch …

Nissan Frontier a Good EV Conversion Choice? 
Has anyone ever seen a 4 door Nissan Frontier truck converted? The older ones ~2000 appear to be a little smaller and lighter. I know it's a little …

AC Electric Car Conversion Kit and Batteries 
I'm considering converting my Mustang GT to electric. I'm an electronics tech and can handle most of the work myself. What I should expect for cost …

Old Champion Juicer Motor for an Electric Vehicle 
I have a 110v motor @ 6.7 amps, 1725 rpms. I don't have any idea what that means, but I am still excited! I really want an electric …

Best Electric Car Motor 
What's the best electric motor out there? Hi, Carlos! This isn't Consumer Reports, darlin', there's no 1-5 lightning bolts …

Is this Hybrid Hummer the Real Thing? 
Ca I hook up a gas or diesel generator directly to the a ac or dc motor, insted of the usual batter/charged system? I am a photog …

Question about AC Motors 
1.Do all AC Motors have regenerative braking? 2.Is a 1800 rpm 100 hp 3-phase 208-230/460V TEFC cast iron 405TC frame Class F insulation NEMA …

Electric Car Motor Availability and Cost 
Can you give me some idea of the availability and the cost of the electric car motors? Hi, Don - The most available electric …

Military Truck Electric Conversion to Rat Rod! Not rated yet
I want to pull the engine, tranny, and bed off my M35A2, shorten the frame a bit, leave the 3 axle configuration, and convert this thing to a rat …

Forklift Motor Size for Chevy Pickup Not rated yet
What do you think about a Clark 2774337 Electric Drive Forklift Motor From a Model ECS30 36-48VDC going into a Chevy s10 5 speed? I just saw …

Electric Motor Torque and Gear Ratio Not rated yet
I am wondering what the torque I can expect out of a generic forklift motor would be. I just acquired a Ford Ranger that I'm going to convert. …

Vanagon Syncro EV Conversion Not rated yet
I have an ‘87 VW Vanagon Syncro. I’ve done three petrol engine swaps and am ready to try electric. A Syncro is AWD and has rear engine space available …

Wheel Hub Motors Not rated yet
Do you think wheel hub motors will be available for the DIY market and if so, how soon? Hi, Scott - It looks like in-wheel motors might …

Click here to write your own.

Which Motor Needed for this Chevy Suburban EV Conversion? Not rated yet
I am interested in converting a 1990 Chevy Scottsdale Suburban to electric. What type of electric motor or motors or in wheel motors would I want to …

Electric Narrowboat Conversion Not rated yet
Which electric motor would be most suited for a canal narrowboat of approx 50ft long? And what sort of size would I need? Would an old forklift motor …

DC to AC 3-phase  Not rated yet
Does anyone make a direct mechanical brush to slip ring type 3-phase rotary converter to convert from DC to 3-phase AC? Hi, Chris - If I'm understanding …

Electric Semi Truck Conversion Not rated yet
I want to convert a Class 8 rig to a hybrid, with a 50kw diesel charging the batteries or running the motor(s) directly. Do you think this is possible? …

Reliance 3-phase AC Motor Not rated yet
Any thoughts on the Reliance Electric Duty Master AC Motor? I seem to be able to find a few of these with 50hp for decent prices. Say $500 …

Choosing Correct EV Motor Size  Not rated yet
How do you choose an EV motor which will deliver high horse power and torque equivalent to a gas powered sports car? Hi - In an EV, …

Cheap Electric Car Conversion Possible? Not rated yet
What would it take to convert a Saturn SC2 to electric? The information on web sites is all over the place. Some want $5,000.00 for a kit …

Toyota Tercel Electric Car Conversion Not rated yet
I have a 95 Toyota Tercel. The most basic you can get, which is a 1.5 ltr with a manual 4 speed. What might I need in the way of converting …

Converting a Motor Home to Electric Not rated yet
I'd like to know what electric motor I would need to replace the 300+ HP Cummins Diesel in my motor home. I'm thinking that I would use the existing …

Chasing the "cheap" EV Conversion Not rated yet
I have a 1946 Willy's Jeep. The motor needs rebuilding or replacing, and I would LOVE to convert it to electric so that I could off …

Electric Car Motor Horsepower Ratings Not rated yet
What are the viable horsepower ratings of these electric motor? is DC potentially lower than AC? I'm trying to gather all the information …

Solar or Off-Grid Electric Car Charging Not rated yet
Can you tell me that if I convert over to an EV I have a honda civic shuttle {estate}, can I charge my car with solar panels as I live …

EV Transmissions and Reducing RPM's at Speed Not rated yet
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, …

Fullsize Hybrid Electric Truck Not rated yet
I was wondering if I could hook up an AC motor to an automatic transmission in a 4x4 truck. My idea was to do this and have the …

Tesla Four Pole EV Motor Not rated yet
Which motor is used in the Tesla? And does anyone convert old cars? Hi, Art - The Tesla, I believe, has a 3-phase, 4-pole AC induction …

AC Electric Car Motor and Generator for 4x4 Conversion Not rated yet
I have a 1989 Nissan 4x4 KingCab pickup, with a manual transmission. It weighs about 5500 lb. I'd like to convert to electric. …

Is This AC Motor Right For an Electric Car? Not rated yet
Will this AC motor work for an electric car? I have: A U.S. Motors inverter duty motor; 60 hp 3-phase ac; rpm 1780 cont. duty, …

AC Electric Car Motors Horsepower  Not rated yet
What is the range in horsepower with an AC electric car motor? Hi, VonFeldt - Honestly, this is a difficult question. In …

Sexy Electric Sports Car Conversions Not rated yet
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? …

Hyundai to Hybrid Vehicle? Not rated yet
Is it possible to add an electric motor to the Hyundai XG350 to extend gas mileage? Hi, Glenn - The good news? NetGain makes …

Best AC Electric Car Conversion  Not rated yet
It seems that AC drive is the right way to go to do it right. I want to convert a small car to give a 50 mile range where 20 miles …

Ford F100 Electric Vehicle Conversion Not rated yet
I have a 1953 Ford F100. What size electric motor would be OK, and what type and price range? Hi, Robert! First, I love these …

72 VW Super Beetle Electric Car Conversion Not rated yet
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 …

Converting an Electric Boat Not rated yet
I have a 10,000 lb. boat with dual Volvo outdrives that are 1.89/1 with 14 by 15 props. Would electric motors work here? Yes. …

AC Motors and Electric Motorcycles Not rated yet
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 …

Click here to write your own.

Mazda Pickup Electric Car Conversion Not rated yet
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 …

Big AC Electric Car Motor, Small Car Not rated yet
Is an ac55 motor too heavy for a small car? Hi, Winfried! Just how small IS your car? That's not you in the photo up there, is it? Okay, …

Electric Engine used for High Speed Driving Not rated yet
Where can I buy an 3 Phase Induction AC electric engine that I can use for driving at a speed of about 150mph? I am trying to build …

Keeping Electric Car Motors Dry Not rated yet
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, …

How many KW for my electric car motor? Not rated yet
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 …

Which AC Electric Motor is Best for EV Conversions? Not rated yet
Can any type of 3 phase AC induction motor be used for a conversion , or should a specific type, such as the type of housing, be used? …

Cheaper Electric Car Motors Not rated yet
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. …

Electric Car Motor Installation Not rated yet
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 …

Motor for Electric Boat Conversion Not rated yet
What motor would you suggest for electric power for a boat like this? Eventually I would like to put solar panels as a bimini top. It's simple and …

EV Conversion Calculator Not rated yet
Is there an EV conversion calculator somewhere where I can figure out how much motor output I will need for my desired performance? …

1962 Falcon Electric Car Conversion Not rated yet
In my reading here I've got the basics: Golf Cart deep cycle batteries, 3 phase AC Induction Motor. I'll try this myself, but would …

Electric Champ Car Conversion Not rated yet
I'm converting a ChampCar (Swift010) which weighs about 1000 lbs to run off electric. I want to use the traction motor being sold by Mavin and …

Building an Electric Vehicle from Scratch Not rated yet
I would like to build an Electric vehicle from ground up. Starting with Baha type frame and other material from a 100cc motor cycle. …

Generator Hybrid Car Question Not rated yet
I'm building a generator hybrid car, but have not found anywhere on how to connect the generator to the drive train. I have …

Electric Motorcycle Conversion Not rated yet
How do you convert a motorcycle to electric? I'm looking to build an electric street cruiser. Not a moped, I mean a real tire smoking …

Hybrid-Electric SUV Conversion Not rated yet
Has anyone thought of mounting a 20hp motor on a reinforced differential cover with 2nd pinion on the ring gear facing rearward? Basically …

AC or DC Electric Car Motor? Not rated yet
Either an ac or dc electric car motor has its good and bad, so how can I have the best of both worlds? I am currently building a Cobra replica …

Torque in an AC Electric Car Motor Not rated yet
How much torque do the AC drive systems generate? Hi, TR - The Azure Dynamics 3-phase AC electric motors - the ones most often …

The Right AC Electric Motor for a VW conversion Not rated yet
What AC motors do you recommend that I look at? I just got my convertible VW and am ready to start my winter project for next summer. Hi, Jeremie! …

Diesel Generator in my Electric Car Not rated yet
Is it possible to install a diesel generator to power an electric motor? If so, what would you recommend to power a fiberglass type car with Volkswagen …

Two Electric Car Motors at a Time Not rated yet
Can you use two electric car motors in a conversion at one time? Hi, Joe! Sure you can. The White Zombie has two motors, which …

How Difficult is AC Electric Car Conversion? Not rated yet
How hard is it to do an AC electric car conversion? I am not a stranger to working on cars but I have never done anything with electric. …

Which Electric Car Motor Needed for Speed? Not rated yet
I want to make an electric SUV - in fact I am planning a Suburban. Can any of these motors reach speeds of 75mph in a vehicle do …

Electric Car Conversions - No Previous Experience! Not rated yet
What experience level is realistically needed to convert a car/van to an electric vehicle, and what kind of money are we talking about? …

Why no Diesel Hybrid Electric Cars? Not rated yet
I want to know why a car can't be designed like a locomotive. Have a diesel generator and electric motor without batteries. I read where …

Click here to write your own.

Scrounging AC Electric Car Motors Not rated yet
What else are 3-phase AC induction motors used for? In other words, can old ones be scrounged for your electric car conversion? …

Building a Generator Hybrid Electric Car Not rated yet
I want to use a generator to power the Siemens 1pv135-4ws28 motor in an EV instead of using batteries and an inverter. What should the …

Controller for 3 phase EV motor Not rated yet
What controller do you recommend for the 3 phase A/C EV motor, they do not make the Hughes Dolphin system, what replaces it? …

Prius Batteries in my EV project? Not rated yet
Can I use my two 270v NiMH Prius batteries to power the EV I'm building with an AC 3 phase induction 10 hp 3500 rpm motor? Also, …

Which car is most suitable for electric conversion? Not rated yet
I'm new to car converting but I'm a great believer in EVs and after watching "Who Killed The Electric Car" and reading a heap of EV web-sites, …

Freeway-able Electric Car Conversion Not rated yet
I am considering doing a conversion but don't know what vehicle and components would best suit my needs. Here are the requirements I …

Hybrid and Electric SUV Conversion Not rated yet
Can SUVs (i.e. Mazda Tribute '06) be fitted with an electric motor and what would be the approximate cost of such an overhaul? …

Big EV conversion, little EV conversion Not rated yet
Lets take a big F-250, fill up the back with lots of batteries,electric hot water heat and a great sound system! What motor would you …

Electric Car Parts, Accessories, and Kits Not rated yet
I've looked at several motors and the dual shaft looks like it would drive the accessories - you know, A/C, Power Steering and all that stuff …

Electric ATV Conversion Not rated yet
Does anyone know of someone who has converted an ATV? Which systems would be best for this, and what kind of range would I be looking at? Is there …

Little Red (Electric) Corvette Not rated yet
I have an old '73 Corvette that's been my shop for the last 5 years collecting dust, and it just hit me, why not convert it to electric? …

Is My Motor Too Small For My EV Conversion? Not rated yet
I want to use a 10 hp motor (approx 7500 watts and 3500 rpm with a 1:2 gearbox) with an Allen-Bradley power flex 40 drive, and a good …

Higher Voltage - Advance the Brushes Not rated yet
I have a GE motor that is rated at (according to the nameplate) 36/48 volts. Can I run it at a higher voltage? Why the option? Hi, Harvey …

Converting a 740i BMW to Electric Not rated yet
Hi, I own a beautiful 1996 740i Beamer that because of the now absurd fuel prices in New Zealand is as good as worthless. Rather than selling it for next …

Electric Car Motor Size Question Not rated yet
I'm working on a project and I have to choose an electric motor . I need about 15KW of power and as much torque as possible. It for an off-road vehicle …

Click here to write your own.


Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.