Good morning Bruce, Your words ring true. Here is a good example of just that. www.evalbum.com/2430 Al
----- Original Message ----- From: "brucedp5" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, May 4, 2013 6:04:43 AM Subject: [EVDL] EVLN: Convert or buy-Production? http://www.plugincars.com/should-you-convert-or-buy-your-ev-it-depends-what-you-want-127110.html [images] Buy an EV or Convert from Gas? Depends On Desire By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Apr 29 2013 [images http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/conversion-620p.jpg EV conversion close-up - Nothing beats the feel of converting your own car to electric, but it's not always easy to do. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6989886309_ff8c5e4ff0_z.jpg Three LEAFs - Conversions are fun, but factory-built EVs carry the best support and warranties ] Nothing beats the feel of converting your own car to electric, but it's not always easy to do. Just five years ago, anyone wanting to own an affordable, highway-capable electric car faced a difficult decision: find a used previous-generation car like the RAV4EV, or undertake the time-intensive process of converting a gasoline car to electric. With a wide range of factory-built electric cars now on the market, the vast majority of first-time EV drivers favor the ease of buying an electric car from a major automaker over a home conversion. Meanwhile, the conversion market is still alive and well, supported by a growing community of creative hobbyists. A Huge Undertaking Just like working on a vintage car, building a custom motorcycle, or restoring a hotrod, converting a car from gasoline to electric is a large undertaking. A self-converted car is more than a car: it’s a hobby. A passion. If you’re thinking of converting your car to electric, you’ll need to understand some basic car maintenance, have somewhere to work on your car, and have the necessary tools to carry out a conversion. In the case of common conversion candidates—such as an old Volkswagen Bug or a Ford Ranger pickup truck—you’ll be able to buy most of the components you need from specialist vendors offering off-the-shelf conversion kits. For more unusual or complex conversions, parts often have to be hand-made, so metal working skills are a must. Alternatively, it’s possible to share the work. For example, it’s possible to send your car to the local auto shop to have major bodywork done, before installing the electrical components yourself. When it comes to cost, it’s possible to build your own electric car for $10,000 or less. For decent performance and range with the latest battery packs, motors and power electronics, you’ll be looking at spending at least $25,000 or more. Cottage Industry Despite the caveats, not to mention a lack of overall warranties for things like battery packs and drivetrains, people all over the U.S. are still carrying out conversions, thanks to a strong online community, which even has its own TV show. The brainchild of Jack Rickard, proprietor of EVTV Motor Verks in Cape Girardeau, Mo., the sometimes meandering weekly Electric Vehicle Television show covers everything from basic conversion techniques to understanding advanced battery chemistry. It even spawned its own annual EV conversion convention. As with any cottage industry, the EV conversion market is well supplied by a dizzying array of parts suppliers. While some are aimed toward industrial vehicles like fork lift trucks, an increasing number are specializing in electric car conversions, offering everything from smart dashboards to J1772-compliant chargers. Something Unique If you already have a vehicle in mind to electrify, and the skills to do it, converting it yourself can be a rewarding, fun, and educational process. Thanks to an almost unimaginable number of online websites, forums and YouTube channels devoted to the subject, learning how to convert your own car is easier than ever before, but be warned: it isn’t easy. Speaking from my own experiences, I know the sense of accomplishment from working on my own EV conversion and the joy driving it for the first time. But I also know the pain. When things go wrong, spending hours in the garage, working late into the night to get your car back on the road can be mentally, physically, and financially draining. Conversions are fun, but factory-built EVs carry the best support and warranties. If you want an EV that just works, never requires input from you, and is covered by a comprehensive set of warranties, head to your local dealer and put a deposit down on a factory-built car. Don't even think about converting your own car. On the other hand, if you want the challenge of building your very own electric car and have the skills, time and resources to tackle the project—not to mention some friends who don’t mind helping—there’s nothing quite like driving a car you helped liberate from the gas pump. [© 2013 PluginCars.com ] For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date Here are today's archive-only EV posts: EVLN: Ford Fiesta in-wheel motors could lead to sideways parking EVLN: CDDFRS' Leaf EV reduces its pool-car fleet carbon-footprint EVLN: Bolivia eyes world plugin-battery domination EVLN: Lizard nEV with a Colombian touch (video) EVLN: Russian solar nEV ts:40kph + EVLN: Volvo C30 Electric's 22kW recharges 3x slower than Leaf's L3 {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Convert-or-buy-Production-tp4662823.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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