An Intro to Quitting The Petroleum Addiction
Say good-bye to petroleum based fuel...Electric Car Conversion is one method for achieving this.
What if we could use an electric motor to power our vehicles instead of a conventional internal combustion engine?
With gas prices climbing, the middle east in chaos, and growing concerns for the environment, increasing numbers of people are asking this very question... and why not?
WHY NOT? Its Been Done before? Right?
You bet! Way back in the 1800s electric cars were the kings of the road. Compared to horse drawn carriages and steam powered contraptions, electric carriages were much more convenient and quite popular.
Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first crude electric carriage. the exact date is up for debate, my research indicates he did this sometime between the years of 1832 and 1839.
In 1835 Professor Stratingh made two-pole machines and used them to drive small cars and boats in Holland. Forty years later in 1875 modern, efficient motors had been developed, leading France and Great Britain to become the first nations to support the widespread development of electric vehicles.
In 1899 a Belgian built electric racing car called "La Jamais Contente" set the world land speed record of a blistering 68 mph.
1 - Henry Ford developed the assembly line method of manufacturing his (gas powered) cars, which made them affordable, and...
2 - The electric starter was invented, which did away with the need to crank start (by hand) gasoline powered cars.
These two events have been credited with causing the beginning of the end for the electric car.
At this time an electric roadster sold for $1,750, while a gasoline powered car sold for $650. That huge price difference, and the fact that in 1913 gasoline was actually a waste product! spelled the end for the electric cars popularity. (Imagine! Oil companies considering gas to be a waste product... fascinating thought by todays standards)
In 1916 Woods invented a hybrid car that had both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. And we think the Toyota Prius is such cutting edge technology. It may be, but the idea is quite old.
Electric vehicles enjoyed much success into the 1920s, with their peak of production occurring in 1912.
A 25 year hiatus...
After their decline from favor after the 1920s, not much happens in the electric car arena until concerns about pollution and exhaust emissions start to percolate in the 1970s and 80s. Interest in alternative energy and cleaner fuels is on the rise...
This all may have remained uneventful except in 1987 Howard Wilson, a vice president at Hughes Aircraft (a GM-owned company) in Los Angeles, is invited to join a purely solar-powered, cross country car race in Australia. That event planted the seeds of an idea, that eventually bore fruit, in the form of the legendary and controversial EV1.
In the late 1980s the GM/Hughes "AeroVironment" team developed a high performance all electric prototype vehicle. Code named Santana it was powered by almost 850 lbs of lead acid batteries, and in the early morning hours (1:00 AM) of November 28th, 1988 the first test drive took place. Later that winter, (January 3, 1990) after receiving a facelift and a name change, the experiment known as Santana appeared at the Los Angeles car show as General Motors EV1.
GM tested the EV1 in California in 1996 through a special lease program. Later they reclaimed and CRUSHED all the EV1 electric cars. (much to the dismay of the lease program participants) If you want to know more about this controversial story you should watch the documentary: Who Killed the Electric Car?
During the 1990s all the major Detroit auto manufacturers, in conjunction with subcontracted conversion companies, produced a small number of electric vehicles including the GM EV1, U.S. Electricar/Chevy S-10, Solectria Corp's Geo Metro, Fords (EV version) Ranger pickup, and more. Hybrid (gas / electric) cars from Honda and Toyota make their first appearances and continue to dominate the electric / hybrid car segment of the industry to this day.
Starting in 1991 Alan Cocconi, founder of AC Propulsion, began his electric car conversion quest which continues to this day. His work is trailblazing and anyone interested in this subject would be well advised to pay attention to anything he (or his company) does or says. Just take a look at the long list of very successful conversions he, and his company have done over the years. It really is quite impressive. His tzero all electric roadster is undoubtedly the inspiration for the new Tesla roadster. (the Tesla does, in fact, use technology licensed by AC Propulsion)
Very few totally electric vehicles exist in the 2007 automotive marketplace. Most of the manufacturers offer hybrid vehicles, if they offer any electrics at all. The exceptions being the Tesla Roadster, The Lightning GT, and possibly a few others that I may have overlooked.
This is where Electric Car Conversion comes into play, the converting of an existing gas guzzler, into an all electric dream machine...
What Is Electric Car Conversion?
Electric Car Conversion, also referred to as EV Conversion, is the process of converting an existing, donor vehicle from one that runs on gasoline, into one that runs on electricity. This is achieved by substituting an electric motor, batteries and control circuitry for the conventional internal combustion engine and drive train.When it comes to making the switch, you have a few options to choose from when going green:
1 Purchase an existing converted car - New / Used EV sales
Electric Vehicles For Sale
EVs on ebay
2 - Contract a Conversion Service - Pay someone else to do it!
AC Propulsion
Metric Mind Engineering
3 - DIY - Do It Yourself - From scratch or via a kit...
AC Propulsion
Battery Powered Systems
Canadian Electric Vehicles Ltd.
Electro Automotive
Metric Mind Engineering
NOTICE - The completion of this task of conversion is complicated, technically demanding, labor intensive, and can be dangerous. It should not be attempted by the faint of heart, slackers, or under qualified!...
You will be making custom parts and lifting heavy objects, so you'll need to have "the skills", or access to someone who does (you know - the guy with all the cool toys. A hoist, welder, torches, and a shop full of tools. yeah that guy). Many of the major tools can be rented.
If you're up for the challenge, are technically savvy, electronically and mechanically inclined, all you need is some direction. A play-book loaded with valuable information. Most of the conversion service providers listed above also do consultation or have kits and manuals. Many great books on conversion can also be found on Amazon.
I hope you found the information in my introduction to electric car conversion as fascinating as I did while I was writing it. It certainly is a topic worthy of more study :)
Thanks for visiting - Good luck on your conversion - HappE motoring!
Snaz
PS
Looking for more local info?
Find/join a local chapter of the Electric Auto Association near you...
