Electric car conversion business still going strong
We've covered a lot of vehicles being converted from gas to electric and thought it seemed to be a growing phenomenon. Still, we wondered if the recent collapse in gas prices and the economy had affected the trend negatively. We wonder no more. The Associated Press reports that the business of turning your nasty polluter into a clean commuter is still going strong. Kansas converter, Wayne Alexander, says, "It's always been steady, but this is out of hand now." His efforts, as well as those of many others have increased the number of electric cars on America's roads from 56,000 in 2005 to 70,000 today.
Utah-based EV Source LLC confirms the uptick in business. Owner Ryan Bohm says his EV components supply business has grown by a third since summer. "There definitely has been an upturn. A lot of people ask me if business has gone down with the downturn in the economy, but it has stayed really strong," We think if you can't afford a Tesla Roadster, converting a car might be good solution for your local driving needs. Hit the jump for an MSNBC video about Wayne Alexander and the car-converting business.
Gallery: Electric Duster Conversion
Gallery: Porsche 911 EV conversion
[Source: Boston.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike!!ekiM 9:04PM (12/02/2008)
Did I here that clip correctly, he's using a fork-lift electric motor, that can propel the VW Thing to 100 MPH? And a 60 mile range?
Almost put's the EV1 to shame!?!
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jake 10:06PM (12/02/2008)
If it's like most of the conversions I have seen it will take literally forever to get to the top speed (which is why most conversion EV owners say they don't know their top speed) and the range numbers are usually in ideal conditions (ie. no AC on).
s10 10:56PM (12/02/2008)
He used a forklift motor for his first conversion, back in 1964.. that what the video says.
jpm 2:48AM (12/03/2008)
Shame on GM for not reviving the EV1. When some guy without formal engineering train can convert cars to EVs and make a successful business out of it, that goes to show you that GM is so full of shit.
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Debra 5:51AM (12/03/2008)
If he can do this without billion dollar loans for the investment in green tech, why are the car makers so resistant? I believe it's guys like this that will change the world, not GM or Ford.
http://weblog.greenpeace.org/cars/
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Woodenbee 9:29AM (12/03/2008)
i hate to see him mig welding without a proper welding mask, that will blind you.
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A-52 8:10PM (12/03/2008)
Perhaps "wind powered car" is a misnomer. It's probably compressed air that moves it. Perhaps there's a wind turbine tucked away in the body and solar to compress the air while in motion. Compressed air is certainly cheaper than hydrogen or batteries.
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peter traiko 9:17AM (12/05/2008)
great work. i would like to know how much a conversion would cost. please contactme. thank you.
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tugboatwilly 7:20PM (12/04/2008)
How many Big Oil execs on big three Auto Boards? That should tell you why they can't build electric cars. We may be in an erra where only shade tree mechanics have a chance to make a change.
Instead of congress and big oil running around waving their arms and shufffling their feet and yelling "bail out" maybe they should just get the hell out of the way.
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Lawrence 12:13AM (12/05/2008)
Please consider the additional costs and disadvantages of electric vehicles. When the cost of the battery is included, gasoline at even $ 5.00/gal is less expensive. Batteries have a limited number of charge-discharge cycles and can wear out faster if abused. The rought numbers to convert my Prius to a plug-hybrid indicate the price of gasoline must rise to ~$ 10.00/gal to ~$ 15.00/gal. A significant disadvange of electric vehicles is the loss of range in cold weather.
The movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" is very misleading for not pointing out these issues. The movie is a sensenational political propaganda piece. You might find it posed on the Internet, but don't waste your money paying for propaganda.
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GR8REVIL 5:47AM (12/05/2008)
Do you even get it pal,
People want to put no pollution into the air, cost is not always a factor. But you also will never need an:
Oil filter
Air Filter
Engine Oil
Spark plugs
Ignition wires, cap &rotor
gaskets
any unexpected engine troubles
batteries are cheap, if you buy 8 batteries at $50.00/each
thats $400 every 5 to 8 years based on the warranty of batteries.
you'll spend more than three times that on gas and parts every year!
THe heating and ac part can be fixed by electric ducted space heaters and plug in ac units plumbed into the air system. Lose some range gain some comfort, even trade.
Im just a 21 year old engineering student and I can see the future.
Hydrogen is not the wave of the future BUSH! My generation is....
Lawrence 6:58PM (12/06/2008)
Your cost for batteries is too low. It sounds like SLI automotive batteries. These batteries are heavy and have low energy density, but more importantly are designed with thinner lead plates and not deep discharge. A deep discharge will damage these batteries. The warranty probably won't cover damage by deep discharge. A typical automotive battery is 50 AHr @ 12 V. If you could even get all 50 AHr, that is 600 WHr * 8 batteries, is 4800 WHr. Each mile takes ~250 WHr or more, the range is 19.2 miles or less per charge.
For a 10 mile range per charge of a suitable battery, consider something closer to $ 10,000.00 every 2-5 years for batteries. The conversion of Prius to a Plug-in costs ~$ 12,000.00 and most of the cost is in the battery.
If people want to pay these extra costs for an EV for the good reasons, like not giving money for foreign oil to our enemies, like reducing air pollution, fine. But let us be up front about the monetary costs. Let's not force it on them through government.
The movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" also called the consumer guilty of killing the electric car. I agree, but I wonder if their agenda was has a forced-selling non-free-market socialist or communist basis.