Four Great Reasons to Convert Your Car To Electric:
- Save money on fuel and repairs
- Protect the environment by eliminating emissions
- Live a responsible and sustainable life
- Enjoy the curiosity of your friends and neighbors
Here in 2012, there has been a surge of interest in converting older gas vehicles to electric. More and more everyday people are discovering how easy and rewarding it is to do. Many factors are responsible for this recent trend: high fuel prices, declining air quality, damage to the environment, and a sincere desire to live a more sustainable life.
We too are interested in these things. So, to help out those of you wanting to build your own electric car, we purchased three of the most popular electric car conversion guides on the internet and put them to the test!
A Great Way To Reduce Expenses
The expense of owning and operating a car is one of the biggest challenges to many families. New cars cost US$20,000 or more and aging cars can cost thousands of dollars in repairs each year. The growing appeal of owning an electric car is that once the conversion is complete, the ongoing costs to operate the vehicle drop dramatically. As there is no combustion engine and far fewer moving parts, repair bills are rare. And the cost of electricity per mile driven is less than one tenth that of a typical car running on gasoline or diesel.
Though there are expensive new electric and hybrid cars for sale, you do not need to buy one of these. You can convert an older vehicle to run on electricity by removing the gas engine and replacing it with an electric motor, a controller, and a bank of batteries. In many cases, since the car to be converted does not need to have a working engine, you can acquire a vehicle to convert for just a few hundred dollars - and maybe even for free!
Years ago, buying the components for an electric car conversion would cost many thousands of dollars, but that is no longer the case. Prices for the technology have come down a lot recently and those who are willing to search for bargains can assemble all the necessary components for $500 to $1000.
People are finally beginning to realize how simple it is to complete these conversions, even if they have little or no mechanical skills or experience. The thrill of being environmentally responsible and driving past those gas stations are very powerful motivators.
And don't forget one of the most important benefits of converting your car to electric: It's a lot of fun!
Electric Car Conversion Guides Reviewed
All three books met our basic requirements: available for instant download once purchase was made, has a money-back guarantee, and offers support to answer questions after the purchase.
While reviewing the books, we were mainly focused on the following three questions:
- Is the book well-written with easy-to-follow instructions?
- Does the book show the reader how to locate parts inexpensively?
- Do the authors offer support to readers during the conversion process?
Listed below are the three books we reviewed and our opinions of each one:
Our Top Choice: EV Secrets: Electric Conversion Made Easy
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EV Secrets was written by a New Zealand man who was fed up with gas prices in 2007 and decided to build an electric car, despite having no prior experience with electric vehicles. This guide is the longest and most technical of those we reviewed. The author provides in-depth and easy-to-follow explanations of the individual components required to convert an electric car, as well as the different voltage options. Also, he provides guidance to those with home workshops on how to fabricate some of the components manually in order to keep the project budget as low as possible. What really sets this product apart from any other electric car conversion guide is the optional instructional videos. If you are a visual learner, then the video package (for an additional US$ 20.00) is a downright bargain. |
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US$ 57.00 | |||
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Our Strong Second Choice: Convert2EV: Build Your Own Electric Car
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Convert2EV is a no-nonsense manual written by a Canadian couple who have been living off the grid for more than 15 years, producing their own electricity (via wind generators and solar panels). It is obvious that they not only have a strong command of the topic but a true passion for electric cars. Importantly, they offer assistance and support by email to customers and usually reply within 24 hours. Purchasers of this guide also receive four bonus books about alternative energy projects. The content of this book is solid and reliable. If you can do without videos, then this guide would be an excellent choice, as it is slightly less expensive than our first pick. |
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US$ 49.97 | |||
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Not Recommended: Electricity4Gas
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Electricity4Gas covers all the basics of an electric car conversion, but it does not go into enough detail about the actual installation process, even glossing over major steps along the way. And unlike the other two guides, it supplies few ideas or details about locating inexpensive or even free components. A reader with little prior experience will almost certainly need to seek additional information outside of this book to successfully complete their electric car conversion. Despite the bonus books bundled with the purchase, we feel that this guide is overpriced for its value. |
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US$ 49.97 | |||
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Summary of Electric Car Conversion Guides:
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