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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.