You vote. Will builds an electric car at BuildMyEV.com
Will O'Brien admits this is probably one of his goofier ideas. Will is an AutoblogGreen readers who really wants to convert a car to all-electric power. Not content to do it alone in his garage, Will is opening up his project to the power of the people and will build the car you want him to build. Will says that he will build a "complete, safe and reliable Electric Vehicle. Oil costs are insane, and we'd like to drive a vehicle that can conceivably be powered by sunlight."
Basically it works like this: at each step of the electric conversion process, Will will ask readers to vote on which option he should select. You vote, he acts. The catch? The project is funded each time someone votes, so it's not like you can participate for free. Will says:
What do you get for your votes? I'll be writing up every step of the build on the site. In the end, we should end up with a fairly thorough, and free, book on how to build your own electric car. (Who knows, maybe once it's finished we'll get someone to publish it, but the information will be available on this site for years to come.
Right now, the question is what car to convert. Will says:
The first vote is the most important. We need to choose the car and put together enough money to buy it. I'll be updating the tally by hand as votes come in.
Currently, the options are a Mazda Miata, a Ford Mustang, a Toyota Celica, a BMW Z3 Roadster, BMZ 3 Series or a Chrysler Sebring. The Miata is winning right now with five votes (the rest have zero - remember, the site is brand new, so don't take the low tally as proof it's unpopular)
Will is also keeping a blog on the subject (read it here). I haven't voted, and can't find information anywhere that lays out how much it costs to vote, but we'll be keeping an eye on this and see if and how Will's/your car gets off the ground. Good luck.
[Source: Build My EV, Will O'Brien]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
maureen owings 5:48AM (9/12/2008)
seen the documovie i knew they were doing this all along you have to read between the lines to get any truth from any of those big corporations.. i truly believe we need to get on congress to stop all of this they( the big corporations have ruined our economy with their greediness(isnt that monopolizing even tho it is everal companies doing this it is still under the law in the rico act.) we as americans should have the right to vote for such things that we want clean air clean water clean green autos it is not that hard to do.we all need to get this done for our sakes and future generationsit has to be put to a vote and passed by the voters not some dumb butt that cant see the forest for the trees.write your congress let get this done soon.
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maureen bachar 12:41PM (7/07/2008)
we the american people need to take this in our own hands beings congress is so a slow mover about getting any thing done in a timely fashion buy no gas on sundays and wednesdays that 104 days of no gas sales that will back log theoil companies and bring the gas prices back to where they should be . do your part.
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A.Brien 9:10PM (7/24/2007)
i hope it's a great site
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Will OBrien 9:44PM (7/24/2007)
Thanks guys. The first two votes are in - and it's $1 = 1 vote for now.
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AlexP 10:00PM (7/24/2007)
Why would I pay you to build an EV for your own use?
I have more concerns right now, like getting the ferry to charge half the amount it charges for regular cars because there's no advantage in commuting in a Smart because of their fare.
Although it's a nice initiative, I'm not funding the needs of wealthy Americans.
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jr 10:05PM (7/24/2007)
you should switch to google checkout as it is free for until the end of the year
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Joseph 3:47AM (7/25/2007)
It's a great idea Will!
I only have this to say to you. People are paying you, so I expect a very good book! You should have pictures and/or videos of everything along with the text. And nothing should be left out. Nothing. From taking out bolts in the transmission to installing a voltage meter.
I hope my comment isn't too pushy. Good luck!
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ug 4:58AM (7/25/2007)
This is a scam. I might have donated had he not chosen all sorts of fancy cars as the donor. EV conversions always start with old pre-SUV-boom small light cars with manual transmissions and no A/C, cars they can get for nothing. That's because the major expense is in the electronics, most notably the batteries.
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Dave 9:30AM (7/25/2007)
Ug,
I had the same reaction when I saw the fancy cars. Why not pick a car that is reasonably new, a car most American families can afford and find practical? That way, these cars will be available for the masses to convert the same way you did assuming you finish. Who is going to buy you a Z3 to destroy? How about a '-2 Honda Accord? Geeze.
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BOB 8:19PM (12/23/2007)
I agree I think this is a scam. What are the gurantees that this is some thing we will be able to do for our selves after he is done. Some people have no idea how to write tech manuals that can be used by the average person.
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