Automotive Cars | Popular Science

Most definitely. Most electric cars that have been built in the last century were built not by Honda or Toyota, but by regular guys in their garage. These guys take a normal, gas powered vehicle and convert it to electric power. This is something that can be accomplished by anybody, you just have to be willing to take the time to learn how to do it safely. There are several steps involved.

1. Buy a donor car

Donor vehicles can come from places you wouldn’t think. Auto wreckers, your buddy’s back yard, you can even make an offer on something that has been sitting for a while that doesn’t seem to be in use. Craigslist is also a good source. A manual transmission is preferable to automatic. Consider trying to find something with a bad engine or no engine at all as this can decrease your cost quite a bit. Just like buying a gasoline car, search for something with a good body, good interior and mechanical components. If a car is a piece of junk as a gas car, it will be a piece of junk as an electric car.

2. Decide on a drive system and purchase the parts

This part requires that you do some research. There are hundreds of potential setups out there with different batteries, controllers and motors. You can buy these things from a supplier, or if you’re more adventurous, salvage them from a forklift. You need to decide what is most important between quality and value and if you choose to buy from a supplier, find one with a good reputation to buy your parts from. Check reviews and forums online to see what others are saying about a business before you buy anything from them. Do not skip this step. There are a lot of fly by night operations online and you do not want to lose your money!

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With the price of oil soaring and gasoline prices rising as a result, the desire for alternative fuels is higher than ever. Electric cars are one alternative mode of transportation that eschews the use of gas. Electric cars have both advantages and disadvantages as an alternative mode of transportation.

Advantages of Electric Cars

Electricity is everywhere and easy to come by. We do not need to set up electricity stations on the corner to re-charge our cars. It can be done at home.
Electric vehicles are noiseless.
There are no emissions from electric vehicles. As a result the environment will be cleaner with less smog and greenhouse gases.
Electric cars are easy to assemble. They have few moving parts so they require less time and effort to put together.
Electric cars require less maintenance. So not only will the owner save money on gas purchases but there will be less maintenance costs.
There may be tax credits or rebates possible if an electric car is purchased. Check with your city and insurance company to see if they have any specials rates or rebates if you purchase an electric car.
The power plants that produce the electricity for the cars do pollute the environment but pollution from these power plants can be controlled better than gasoline engines.

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