Stay Away From Electric Car Conversion Kits
Posted by admin | Under Automotive Monday Aug 31, 2009
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.
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.