DIY Electric Car

A DIY electric car conversion is converting a conventional car to electric power. This is mainly done if none of the mainstream electric cars appeal.

Groups like the Battery Vehicle Society (BVS) and web sites like the DIY Electric Car Forums cater for enthusiasts who want to convert their own cars to electric power. In the UK, the BVS run training courses and competitions, have a regular club magazine and organise regional meetings for electric vehicle enthusiasts. Its members have built thousands of electric vehicles over the years, including the world first road legal solar powered car in 1978.

Most people who choose to carry out a DIY car conversion, or pay for their car to be converted, do so because they cannot find a production electric car that will accomplish what they want. Many of these conversions are surprisingly good. Most DIY electric car conversions use the tried and tested formula of lead acid batteries, DC motor and off-the-shelf motor controller and result in a car with adequate performance and range.

Some of the cars retain the original gearbox (often without the clutch), others retain the gearbox in order to get the correct gearing for the motor but lock the gearbox in a single gear and remove the gear lever. Because the formula is tried and tested and fairly standard, the cars are usually very reliable and serve their owners well for many years.

Not all cars are ideally suited for conversion into an electric car. Big, heavy cars with poor aerodynamics can be converted, but the additional cost is significant and the results often perform poorly. As a consequence, most electric conversions are of smaller, lightweight cars which can use smaller motors and battery packs to achieve better results.

DIY truck conversions to electric power are quite popular as well - especially in the United States. A truck is often lighter than an equivalent car and there is plenty of space for batteries.

Converting a vehicle to electric power is not cheap - don't believe the internet sites claiming you can convert your vehicle for $500. A budget DIY conversion on a very small car with a top speed of 35-40mph and a range of 20 miles is likely to cost in the region of £2,000 ($3,000) for a competent enthusiast to carry out themselves. A professional conversion for a car with highway capable speeds and a range of 100 miles is likely to cost at least £10,000 ($15,000).

Some electric car enthusiasts use kit-cars as a basis for an electric car. Most kit-cars are light weight vehicles and are a good base for building a DIY electric car conversion.

If you are planning to convert a vehicle yourself, you need to have good mechanical skills and a reasonable understanding of electrics in general and vehicle electrics in particular. You will probably have to fabricate parts yourself or get them fabricated for you: in particular, motor mounts and an adaptor plate to connect the motor to the vehicle drivetrain.

One word of warning if you are planning to convert a vehicle yourself: lithium-ion batteries are a temperamental technology for DIY conversions, and many competent and experienced electric car converters have suffered from complete battery failure, or worse, battery fires that have destroyed the entire vehicle. If you are planning to convert a vehicle yourself, it is strongly advised that you keep the technology as straightforward as possible and use tried-and-tested lead acid battery technology.

As more production electric cars become available, DIY electric car conversions are likely to become a thing of the past.

DIY Electric Car - In Conclusion

• A DIY electric car conversion is a labour of love. Don't do it expecting to save lots of money - the conversion costs are not cheap. Don't believe the internet sites that tell you otherwise.
• If you want to go ahead and convert a car yourself, there are various clubs, web sites and societies to help.
• Many DIY conversions are very good quality and the resulting vehicles are usually very reliable.
• DIY electric car conversions are likely to be consigned to history as more and more production electric cars become available.

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