There are two noteworthy EV conversions that I have been motivated by. Both of them are ultra-low budget conversions, and both of them were converted by guys who were not extremely mechanically savvy when they set out. I will have to admit - this whole EV conversion thing is a bit daunting. Here I am, an actual mechanic by trade, yet I foresee the possibility that my electric car may not come to fruition. It may not work well enough to get me to work. I might lose interest. But these guys put their heads down and went for it, with magnificent results.
The first one is the grandaddy of all budget EV conversions: Darin and Ivan's ForkenSwift. Using used forklift parts and used golf cart batteries, these guys built an electric runabout out of a Suzuki Swift for under $1000. The build thread on Ecomodder.com is a good read, and can be found HERE.
The second one is Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro. Not quite as cheap as the first one, but lots of testing with different voltages, controllers, chargers, etc. Ben even added a propane powered generator later on, making it a series-hybrid. The build thread on Ecomodder.com can be found HERE. Ben's website also covers his motorcycle conversion (HERE), which I would also love to attempt one day.
Anyway, back to The Electric Booger. Nothing new in terms of progress, but here is a picture of the current state of my garage:
Is there a timeline for this project or was that discussed somewhere and I missed it?
ReplyDeleteThere is sort of a timeline, and no, you didn't miss it. I guess I forgot to mention it.
ReplyDeleteMy motorcycle insurance runs out in November...so...the idea is that the Electric Booger will be ready to drive to work for then.