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 Electric motors come in two basic flavors. Without going into great detail, there are alternating current (AC) motors and direct current (DC) motors. Both types are used in electric cars. Electric cars made by large vehicle manufacturers usually come with AC motors. These usually produce more power for their size and they are generally lighter than DC motors. On the other hand, they are also a lot more expensive and much more complicated for the DIY enthusiast to install. This is the reason most of us prefer the DC motor when tackling a conversion project.

Locating the right DC motor for an electric car conversion project is pretty easy if you know what to look for. First, DC electric car motors are almost always categorized by their diameter. It probably goes without saying, but larger diameter motors are capable of generating more horsepower, however, larger motors also use more energy and require more batteries or more frequent charging. It is generally accepted that an electric car conversion is most successful using a 9 to 13 inch motor.

You can expect that this size motor will have a range of between 150 and 200 miles between charges and will travel at top speeds approaching 55 miles per hour. A DC motor in this 9 to thirteen inch size range will also work well with deep cycle batteries which we’ve found to be the best choice for DIY conversions. Electric car motor installation is easy to do and pretty much fail safe as long as you follow the instructions. You should probably have a helper for this step because the motor weighs around 150 pounds.

You can get new electric car motors online for between $1,000 and $5,000 depending on the size, but we don’t recommend it. A used motor that has been reconditioned will outlast any car you put it in and these are available locally for a fraction of what a new one will cost. They’ve actually been known to outlive 2 cars in some situations. Since it is no less reliable, and requires the same effort to install, why not save the money? If you look around locally a bit, you’ll find these cheap, reliable motors are available in ample supply.

An experienced guide and a good set of plans starts to become extremely valuable here. You do have to know where to look and what to look for to achieve the greatest cost savings on the project. A proper instruction manual will provide you with priceless information on where to find your parts very cheap - and in some cases even free.

A full conversion can usually be completed for under $500 - and that’s including the batteries. Find out more about electric car motors here.

The Internet Car Guy asked:


Take it from me, and automotive industry insider, you don’t have to pay those high dollar retail prices anymore. I will unveil industry secrets that will save you a ton of money on your next car purchase.

Here are some sure fire ways to save you money on your next car purchase:

Before shopping for a car, think about your driving habits, your needs, and your budget Learn about car models, options, and prices by reading newspaper ads, both display and classified If you finance the cost of the car, consider how much you can put down, your monthly payment, the length of the loan, and the annual percentage rate. Make sure you understand all aspects of the loan agreement before you sign any documents, including the exact price; the amount you’re financing; the finance charge; and the total sales price The Federal Trade Commission requires dealers to post a Buyers Guide in every used car they offer for sale. Private sellers don’t have to use the Buyers Guide. The Guide tells you: whether the vehicle is sold “as is” or with a warranty; percentage of the repair costs a dealer will pay under the warranty; that spoken promises are difficult to enforce; to get all promises in writing; to keep the Buyers Guide for reference after the sale; the major mechanical and electrical systems on the car, including some of the major problems you should look out for; and to ask to have the car inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy Examine the car using an inspection checklist. You can find these on Internet sites that deal with used cars Test drive the car under varied road conditions-on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic Ask for the car ’s maintenance record from the owner, dealer, or repair shop Hire a mechanic to inspect the car for mechanical soundness as well as safety Talk to the previous owner, especially if the present owner is unfamiliar with the car’s history



 

Correy Putton asked:


In Detroit: The Chevrolet Volt concept sedan which is powered by the E-flex System (GM’s next-generation electric propulsion system) is offering one remarkable design that could eliminate trips to the gas station.

The Chevrolet Volt is a battery-powered four passenger electric vehicle equipped with top-of-the-line Chevy parts and makes use of gas engine to create additional electricity to extend its range. The Volt concept was derived from GM’s previous experience in modern electric vehicle market particularly in the year 1996 when it launched the EV1.

According to GM Vice president Chairman Robert A. Lutz, “The EV1 was the benchmark in battery technology and was a tremendous achievement. The Chevrolet Volt is a new type of electric vehicle. It addresses the range problem and has room for passengers and their stuff. You can climb a hill or turn on the air conditioning and not worry about it.”

But despite the encouraging words from GM Chairman Lutz, a great number of people are frowning at the idea basically because electric vehicles have limitations such as limited range, limited room for passengers or luggage, inability to climb hill or run the air condition without draining the battery plus there are no device that can help you in case the battery charge run low. —GM has solved all the aforementioned problems with their Volt.

The Volt can be charged by simply plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for six hours. When the lithium-ion battery is completely charge, the Volt is capable of covering 60 city kilometers of pure electric vehicle range. In the event that the battery is drain, a 1.0 liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at constant speed (measured in rpm) producing electricity and at the same time replenishes the battery.

Chairman Lutz further explains, “If you lived within 50 km from work (100 km round trip) and charged your vehicle every night when you came home or during the day at work, you would get fuel consumption of 1.6 liters per 100 km. More than half of all Americans live within around 30 km of where they work (60 km round trip). In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car.”

The Volt is also capable of running 4.7 1/100 km even when it is undercharged. It makes use of its engine to convert gasoline into electricity and extending its range of up to 1030 km, which is doubled the capacity of any conventional vehicle. It is also designed to run on E85 which is a fuel blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

The Volt is just one variant of the E-flex System and makes use of a large battery and a small, 1.0 liter turbocharged gasoline engine that produces enough electricity to cover 1030 km. GM will introduce the other variants of the E-flex at future auto shows.

Lauren Woods asked:


The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and NEC, a leading electronics maker, announced last Friday that they will produce ecologically friendly batteries for automobiles. The move is anchored on the automaker’s desire to catch up with rivals in the industry that have already started in green technology.

Japan’s third largest automaker and NEC are investing 490 million yen ($4.1 million; 3 million euros) to set up a joint venture by the end of this month so as to produce lithium-ion batteries for green vehicles, including electric cars and hybrids by 2009. The information was divulged by the companies Friday.

Evidently, Nissan has fallen behind Japanese rivals the Toyota Motor Corp. and the Honda Motor Co. in developing hybrids and other ecologically friendly technologies that slash gas emissions blamed for global warming. Tokyo-based Nissan has started selling hybrid cars like the Altima. Nonetheless, the automaker licenses the technology from Toyota. Hybrids switch between an electric motor and a gas engine to deliver reduced CO2 emissions and better mileage.

But the Tokyo-based automaker has developed what it said was a superior auto battery technology with NEC, said Carlos Tavares who is Nissan’s executive vice president. The automaker intends to unveil its original hybrid vehicle by 2010 as well as the original next-generation electric vehicle in the early part of the next decade. “Together Nissan and NEC’s engineers have addressed the key challenges of cost, performance, safety and reliability. We believe that we have a breakthrough technology: the lithium-ion battery produce we will produce,” Tavares said.

Lithium-ion batteries, also called and commonly known as Li-ion batteries, are common in portable electronics such as laptops and cell phones. But they have yet to be fully adapted to the more rigorous demands of a car engine. At present, these batteries are built to match auto parts like the EBC redstuff and other trusted car systems.

Hybrids from Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. use nickel-metal hydride batteries. But Detroit automakers like General Motors Corp. are working on lithium-ion batteries for vehicles. According to Nissan, the battery product from NEC and Nissan will be made available to all automakers. “Co-development with Nissan has enabled a superior-class battery that we expect to spread in the market at an unmatched speed,” NEC Executive Vice President Konosuke Kashima said.

Nissan will have a 50 percent stake in Automotive Energy Supply Corp. which is the companies’ new joint venture, while NEC and subsidiary and battery maker NEC Tokin Corp. own a combined fifty percent.

Sales of hybrids and cars that offer other environmentally friendly technology are still a fraction of standard models. Both Toyota and Honda have seen their brand image get better from introducing advances such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrids. Sales of Toyota and Honda small cars have increased in the America and other overseas markets lately. The demand is anchored on the soaring oil prices.

Nissan was near bankruptcy before entertaining an alliance with Renault SA of France in 1999. Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive at Renault and Nissan, who led the revival, in the past has played down the vitality of hybrids, which are expensive to develop and take time to catch on. Ghosn has emphasized innovations in gas engines, while saying Nissan was working on its own hybrid technology.

Joe Thompson asked:


The fate of electric cars seems to be sparking still and not completely gone. This is primarily because soon enough, electric cars would again be on the streets and roads. Well, not exactly for every day use and for ownership, but at least, they would be used by world leaders of leading industrialized countries and democracies. Maybe there is hope, after all.

These leaders would include those who lead countries like the United States, Russia, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, as well as Italy. They would be using the electric cars during the G8 Summit. This summit would be held this summer, July 15th to the 17th in St. Petersburg, Russia. GEM electric vehicles would be the ones to be used by these country leaders. And in part of such a big event, the government of Russia under the supervision of their president, Vladimir Putin, took part of the budget to purchase thirty GEM electric vehicles which could take in four passengers inside its cabin - these vehicles are also called as e4. They also made sure that each of the vehicles is personalized. They would be putting the participating country’s official logo as well as flag on the GEM electric vehicle.

GEM and e4 vehicles are created Global Electric Motors, LLC. Rick Kasper is its president and chief operating officer. He states, “GEM electric vehicles will offer the participating leaders with an environmentally-friendly transportation option while attending the G8 summit. It is an honor for GEM to be participating in this important international event for the second time.” Indeed, the first time GEM took part in such a grand event was back in 2004 during that year’s G8 Summit which was held in Sea Island, Georgia.

What is good about GEM electric vehicles is that it has zero emissions. It also is clean and provides a ride that is quiet and very efficient. It also is affordable compared to using the usual kinds of vehicles.

These vehicles could certainly preserve the environment. On the other hand, regular vehicles could also help clean up the air as long as all the parts are in good condition. Auto Parts Discount offers quality and affordable Mercedes Benz parts such as Mercedes Benz wheels and lights for all owners.

Nick Molinar asked:


It is really no wonder that electric car conversions are the latest technology to capture the interest of conservation and DIY enthusiasts everywhere. They are fun to build, very reliable and extremely inexpensive to operate.

The project is fairly simple to complete from a technological and mechanical standpoint. There are several steps that you need to get right in order to succeed though. To cover all the bases, you must get a set of high quality plans. When you’ve reviewed as many of these electric car plans as we have, you learn that there is a wide range of quality and they are not all created equally.

You can spend over $10,000 using a conversion kit and retail parts, but a good set of plans will help you complete the entire project (minus the vehicle cost) for under $500.

There is no question that electric car conversion project success is tied to the quality of the information and instruction you receive.  There are a lot of plans for sale, and frankly most of them are junk. The really good ones all have a few features in common. They are listed below and anyone thinking about converting a vehicle to electric power should look for them when searching for plans.

A set of high quality plans will show you where to acquire parts and how to get them at the best prices. Batteries and motors are abundant if you know where to look and the plans should explain what to look for and where to get them. This information alone can make the difference between a successful project and failure. Plus, the total cost of the project is greatly influenced by how cheaply you can get reliable components. You also should expect your plans to include detailed explanations and illustrations of all required steps.

Don’t spend more than $50 on your plans. The best set we’ve seen actually costs less that that. You’ll find that you save many times this amount in time and materials well before the project is completed. You can find out about the best electric car plans here.

Klaus H Hemsath asked:


are full of news about electric cars. The $100,000 Tesla electric sports car is going to be sold soon, automakers are falling over each other to announce new electric vehicles, and entrepreneurs across the world are jockeying for venture capital.

Petroleum prices have jumped during the last year and everybody is feeling the pain at the pump. Not a single soul is concerned about filling up the batteries of his next electric car with electricity. After all, you just plug the car into the next receptacle and there seem to be no appreciable costs.

Joe owns a Corvette, a high performance car manufactured by General Motors, which according to the car manufacturer drives 25 miles per gallon.

Joe’s monthly commute is 1000 miles, he drives very carefully, and actually achieves 25 MPG on his daily trip going to work and running errands. At $4.00 per gallon at the pump he is paying $160 for gasoline every month.

Joe is thinking about buying the Tesla, an electric sports car. He tried to find the cost of electricity for driving this car. He could not find any data anywhere. Joe knows that he must explain to his wife why he needs to save energy and money before buying the Tesla, a new, very fast electric sports car.

The Tesla will accelerate faster than his Corvette. There is no doubt that an electric vehicle can have a faster acceleration than a gasoline car. Electric motors and liquid fuel engines are just two different devices converting electric energy or petroleum fuel energy into mechanical energy. Electric motors can generate much higher torque at the wheels at much lower turning speeds.

In comparison, electric motors will have several shortcomings, too. They certainly will emit more pollutants and more carbon dioxide as long as coal is used for producing electric power. Overall energy efficiency of the electric car, from power plant to the road, is still worse than that of a modern automobile propelled by an advanced combustion engine.

The biggest drawback of electric cars is the small number of miles they can drive after a complete recharge. Additionally, the charging of an empty electric battery will take forever, high performance batteries are expensive, and will only have a limited life expectancy.

What about energy costs for driving an electric car compared to a gasoline powered car? Both vehicles will have to store energy. The electric car stores electric energy in its battery, the combustion engine powered car stores energy in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel in its fuel tank.

Now let us take a comparative look at the cost of storing and paying for enough electric energy or liquid fuel energy to drive 100 miles. Let us assume that both cars will have the same power requirements to drive 100 miles. In this respect the match-up between Tesla and Corvette is perfect. But how do we compare prices at the gas station with utility costs at the receptacle?

Energy contained in gasoline can be converted into mechanical energy only at the limited energy conversion efficiency of a typical heat engine. The Corvette engine will have an energy conversion efficiency of about 35%. (Fuel fired engines may eventually reach 50% peak energy conversion efficiency after decades of future advancements). Conversion efficiency of electric power from the receptacle into stored energy first and into mechanical energy later is much higher at about 85%.

The energy content of gasoline is 131 MJ/gallon (megajoule per gallon). For driving 100 miles the Corvette will burn four gallons of gasoline or 524 MJ/100 miles. Only 35% of the energy in gasoline or 183 MJ will be used to propel the Corvette. This is the mechanical energy transmitted to the rear wheels of the Corvette. Virtually the same amount of energy must be transferred to the wheels of the electric car, the Tesla. Both cars are very similar in size and driving characteristics.

However, the Tesla has to take a little more energy from the receptacle because the charging, storing, and discharging of electricity in the battery experiences energy losses. These losses are about 15% of the electric energy taken from the receptacle and will not be available at the wheels. The Tesla owner will, therefore, pay 1.15 times as much to get the same energy to the wheels as the Corvette or 211 MJ per 100 miles. Electric energy is priced in the form of dollar per kilowatt hour or $/kWh. The average price of electricity in the US is $0.09/kWh. The factor for converting energy measured in MJ to energy measured in kWh is 0.2778 kWh/MJ.

To drive 100 miles, the Tesla will consume 58.6 kWh of electricity at a cost of $5.28. The Corvette will consume 4 gallons of gasoline at a cost of $16. Now we know that the Tesla will save about $10 per 100 miles or $10,000 over 100,000 miles.

The Tesla will cost $100,000. The Corvette is priced from $50,000 to $75,000. Guess who gets the square deal with the roar of the engine as a free bonus.

Matthew C. Keegan asked:


Over the next few years, scores of new electric models will be released around the world, a global effort to build cars that use little energy and emit no pollution. All of the largest manufacturers are in the game including Nissan, Ford, Toyota and Renault. But, there are a handful of smaller operators whose names will soon become well known including Tesla, Fisker, and Think, the latter a Norwegian electric vehicle maker.

Since late last Winter, Think has been exploring building its all new model in the United States looking at factory space in eight states including Michigan. Now, Think appears to be just days away from finalizing its plans, with an announcement pending.

US Assembly Site Preferred

Regarding its decision to build cars in the United States instead of Europe, Think says, “The U.S. is quickly overtaking Europe as an attractive market for EVs and is an ideal location to engineer and build EVs,” said Think CEO Richard Canny. “We see ourselves playing a small but potentially growing role in re-inventing the U.S. auto industry by bringing back new manufacturing jobs to the U.S. to replace internal combustion engine vehicles that are expensive to operate and maintain with clean, efficient electric vehicles.”

The tiny Think model is slightly larger than the Smart Fortwo, a two passenger gas powered car that gets 41 mpg on the highway. The Think will run on pure electric power and is expected to have a range of 112 miles. The automaker is working with several lithium-ion battery suppliers in a bid to bring these cars to market, expecting to produce as many as 30,000 units annually once full production capacity has been reached.

“The auto industry is poised for a revolutionary transformation enabled by fundamental advances in power electronics and battery technologies,” said Dr. Jim Lyons, CTO of Think NA and partner at Novus Energy. “EVs are inherently simpler and cleaner as exemplified by the TH!NK city – a next generation solution to urban mobility.”

European Testing In Progress

At the moment, Think is going through testing in Europe, steps it must take before the car can be sold in the United States.  The zero emission Think was recently certified for highway driving, a step which means the car passed all crash performance, brakes, lighting, emissions, and engineering tests. This was an important achievement for Think as some electric vehicles being built for the US market, such as Wheego, will certified for neighborhood or in town use only.

Glady Reign asked:


General Motors Corp has set a target for production of an all-electric car in 2010. The information was divulged by Bob Lutz, GM’s product chief and Vice Chairman.

Lutz said the major uncertainty facing the Chevrolet Volt, a concept vehicle GM unveiled in January, was whether lithium-ion batteries can be developed to power it economically and safely. “A running Volt prototype is expected by the end of 2007. GM would take the unusual step of opening much of its development process to the media,” he explains.

“We have set an internal target of production in 2010. Whether we can make that or not, this is still kind of an unpredictable program for us,” Lutz told reporters on the sidelines of the Geneva auto show. He added, “We’re sort of outside our comfort zone.”

The automaker detailed its plans for the all-electric Volt at the North American Auto Show. GM is aiming for Volt to be able to run on pure electric power for 40 miles. This means that a commuter could be able to get through a day without the use of gasoline. However, GM did not disclose the production timeline of the said all-electric vehicle. Critics and rivals have expressed their doubts as to whether the automaker would produce the Chevrolet Volt or might just rely on the popularity of its concept car. “Competitors who write this off as a PR exercise are going to be brutally surprised,” Lutz said.

Electric cars like the Chevrolet Volt have drawn considerable attention and support from environmental groups from the United States. These groups perceive the cars’ potentials in curbing foreign oil dependence and limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Lutz said GM’s initial work had shown that the production version of the Volt would have to shed some of the bold styling cues of the concept, including the extreme front placement of the wheels. These styling follows the auto trend these days that is aimed at producing bolder and more efficient designs.

Nowadays, most of the automakers are acknowledging change as its growth factor. Even the most simple auto parts like Volvo control arms and other accessories are now designed with tough competition on the mind. “I know we cannot make the production car look like the concept,” Lutz said. “The whole shape of the car is going to have to be a little more traditional.” Lutz also said there was still a chance that the concept could prove unworkable. “I would say there is still a 10 percent chance this will fail,” he added.

Separately, Lutz said that the automaker’s 11-percent increase in America’s retail sales in February suggested that GM was starting to find traction with new products after a wrenching restructuring that cut over 34,000 factory jobs. “One swallow does not a summer make, but I think it’s turning,” he said.

Nick Molinar asked:


Anyone familiar with my do-it-yourself obsession will not be surprised to learn that I am not a big fan of electric car conversion kits. People continue to spend thousands of dollars on electric car conversion kits when they can accomplish the same thing on their own with the same amount of effort and at a fraction of the cost.

So does that mean electric car conversion kits are a rip-off? Absolutely not. They work fine and the parts you get are all shiny and new. Spending $500 on my own conversion has always made more sense to me than shelling out $5000 or more for a kit. After all, it’s not like the kit requires any less work to complete.

The first thing that everyone should know about electric car conversion kits is that the batteries are NOT included. You just aren’t going to make it very far without batteries, so the cost of the kit isn’t the “all-in” price. If you buy new batteries, you can expect to spend an additional thousand dollars or more on top of the kit price, so it’s not like the cost is trivial or insignificant. It’s a large portion of the overall project cost.

Here’s another objection I have. The amount of work required is very similar whether you buy a kit or gather up the parts yourself. For instance, if you have to pull the engine, you have to pull the engine either way. Batteries, a controller a motor and charger are all going to installed under either method.

There may be some advantages to buying a kit, but time and convenience aren’t among them as far as I’m concerned.  I definitely prefer finding the parts locally at an extremely low price through the many available sources. It really isn’t necessary to buy a new electric motor when the right used or reconditioned motor will be just as reliable. If you know where to look and what to look for you can get a very cheap motor that will easily outlive the rest of the vehicle. And did I mention they are cheap?

If I haven’t convinced you against an electric car conversion kit, click here to find out how to pick the right one for your project and see some great recommendations for low cost alternatives.