Electric vehicles have many advantages over their gas-powered counterparts. They are ecologically sound, much cheaper to operate and require almost no routine maintenance. But they can also cost twice as much just to drive off the showroom floor. Ambitious do-it-yourselvers, however, can enjoy the clean-running convenience of an electric car for half the price of the most affordable Chevrolet or Toyota. This money-saving guide explains step by step how to build an inexpensive EV from a kit or from an existing internal combustion engine chassis. It begins with a look at the history of electric vehicles, from vintage tyrn-of-the-century Baker Electric automobiles to current international advances in EV technology, and a look ahead at the future of EV development. Then, Bob Brant embarks on a chapter-by-chapter building-block description of each EV component: motor, drive train, controllers, power supplies, chargers and chassis. Final chapters pull it all together with clear instructions for assembling an electric car from scratch or kit, with advice on where to find low-cost EV supplies and systems.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
have 1stEd. ordered 2nd... The first edition has saved me much heartache in my building a converted vehicle. I used the basic schematic for laying out the system (with slight modification, being I don't use a DC/DC charger for my 12VDC low volt system). As for the technical aspects, we as a 'modern tech society' I think too often that we must 'have it all handed to us' and sometimes an author realizes that people working with such tech, will have to research other sources for more in depth study. I would hope ANYONE going into even... more info
Build Your Own Crusade The beginning of the book is "off target." It begins with politics and hyperbole: through the end of chapter 3 can be skipped without loosing context (chapter 3 may be of interest to history buffs). Chapter 4 and 5 can be skimmed -- 4 for its tables and pictures of conversions and 5 to get an idea of available sources. Chapters 6-10 provide a significant amount of conversion information: the reader will want to concentrate on these chapters. The last 2 chapters provide some areas of concern that one should... more info
A must for the EV conversion project! I am using this book as a research and knowledge base for my pending Plug In Electric Vehicle (EV)project. I am converting a 1992 Mazda MX-3 to a plug in fully electric auto. This book is the best place to begin, it conceptualizes the whole environment surrounding the need for conversions providing historical back ground, economic understanding, and environmental impact information. Although the book was published in the early 90's it's predictions of the future for energy dependance and economic... more info
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle - EXCELLENT! A good review of history of the electric car, best vehicles to convert, lists of sources for kits and parts, diagrams of how to do it, etc.
Highly recommended.
Related
Sections
