FAQ's conversions

Can you add electric drive system in addition to the gas drive original equipment manufactured (OEM)?

This is considered a hybrid vehicle. The optimum situation is to use as few components as possible to save weight. E-V Concepts has built four-wheel drive conversion vehicles. The gas motor drove the front and the electric motor drove the rear wheels. This was a full-size four-wheel drive pick up truck so it carried the extra electric component weight safely.

The hybrid system used by E-V Concepts 25 years ago is the same basic idea used by the hybrid manufactures in the last 5 years. The standard hybrid design is to put an electric motor between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the transmission. 25 years ago our electric motors could only spin about 2000 RPM without coming apart. It was difficult to find an ICE to make full power at that slow speed. E-V Concepts still uses the V-Twin designed engines that were available 25 years ago by Harley Davidson motorcycle company. We now have over a dozen manufactures making this aftermarket V-Twin design and can get them designed for our needs.

Most all hybrid drive systems use an electric clutch between the ICE and the electric motor. Electromagnetic clutches have been around for many years and are able to be designed for any power range. One of the most enjoyable advantages of the electric powered vehicle is that the motor stops when the vehicle stops. The Internal Combustion Engine must spin at 500 RPM or more to overpower the combustion and friction. The maximum torque for the gas-powered engine is at 5500 RPM. In contrast the electric motor has maximum torque from 1 RPM. The main reason for having an ICE is to give you the ability to recharge the batteries as you use the energy. An option from E-V Concepts has been to carry an onboard generator and recharge only when needed.

All E-V Concepts conversions and custom concept cars have a top speed over 70 MPH and will travel on average of 50 miles on the highway and recharge in 20 to30 minutes using lead acid batteries. You can triple your range with lithium batteries.

What vehicle is the best choice for electric conversions?

Any mode of transportation can use electric propulsion instead of the ICE original equipment it came with. Lead acid batteries were the most common. Now we have light weight lithium for the same cost and energy density.

You remove the ICE motor, fuel tank, exhaust system and cooling system and replace it with the electric motor, voltage controller, batteries and onboard charger. The more batteries you carry the faster and farther you can travel on a full charge. This holds true up to a certain point using lead acid batteries and then the extra weight cancels out the advantage.

The electric golf cart is one of our oldest and largest electric transportation industries. To reach freeway speeds or over 70 MPH you need over 100 volts. E-V Concepts runs the limit of efficiency at 144 volts and 500 amps. This is 24 x 6-volt batteries. At a weight of over 50 pounds per battery. In most conversions you have 500 to 700 pounds in extra weight located in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels.

The best choices for electric conversions have shown to be trucks for a number of reasons; they are design to carry extra weight, you can locate the batteries in front of the rear wheels and they have full steel frames which make it easier to fabricate battery boxes. Any car you can put 700 pounds in the trunk and not upset the handling and safety is a good choice for lead acid battery powered conversions. This would rule out most every four cylinder compact car. The cars that come with V-6 and V-8 engines and designed to carry 6 adults are the safer choices for lead acid battery conversions.

In the late 1970's a company in Texas began to mass-produce electric conversions. Small import trucks and Dodge Omni's. The little trucks could carry the weight but the Omni with its strut suspension was dangerous. Even as a racecar builder and driver in the NASCAR series this little car scared me. I wouldn't buy one or let anyone in my family drive one. This was one of the deciding factors to create E-V Concepts. Building the fastest and safest battery powered electric vehicles continues to be the main goal for E-V Concepts. Since 2007 E-V Concept no longer uses lead acid batteries in any vehicles. The lithium batteries are our battery of choice.

Our cars have competed at many SCCA and NASCAR sanctioned events and raced against gas-powered streetcars consisting of mostly Camaro's, Mustang's and Corvette's and finish in the top twenty-percent.

Can I have the comforts of air conditioning, heater/defroster, power steering and power brakes and a great sound system?

The air conditioning system uses the factory-installed components. The air conditioning compressor pump is powered by an auxiliary electric motor instead of a belt from the ICE motor. This draws power from your battery source and can be run when you are not driving the vehicle. The air conditioning system can be controlled remotely or by timer so your vehicle will be conditioned when you arrive to use it.

Air heat exchangers have been around for many years and are used to preheat vehicles in colder climates and can run off of gas, diesel, kerosene and propane fuels. Again these heaters are designed to be turned on or off remotely or on a timer to have your car conditioned when you are ready to use it.

Power brakes on ICE vehicles are vacuum assisted and carry a large vacuum diaphragm above the brake pedal on the firewall side of the engine compartment. The electric motor makes no vacuum and if desired or needed, a small vacuum pump is used to create power-assisted brakes.

Power steering is also an option depending on the car and driver preference. Many of the compact cars use the rack and pinion steering system with out power assistance. The power steering pump can be driven by an auxiliary electric motor or from a pulley from the drive motor or drive line component.

All lights, windshield wipers, stereo and air conditioning and heating fans use energy from a separate battery source. The ICE vehicle uses an alternator to replenish the energy source. Your onboard charger charges both your high voltage drive batteries and your low voltage accessory batteries. Depending on the time you run accessories like your air conditioner additional battery storage can be increased or an alternator can be added to your drive system to recharge while driving.

What does it cost to convert your vehicle to electric propulsion?

- electric drive motor -------------------------------$1000

- high voltage controller----------------------------$1000

-12v and 144v battery charger-------------------$1000 Lithium Charger------------ $200

- 24 - 6 volt lead acid batteries------------------$1000 Lithium Batteries--------- $1800

- electric motor to transmission adapter--------$300

- Lead acid battery boxes ------------------------- $700 Lithium Battery Boxes---- $100

Total--------------- $5000

Labor cost to convert your vehicle to electric propulsion.

Remove all unneeded components from the vehicle and install all electrical components -- 1000$ to 3000$

I am in hopes this answers some or all of your questions.

Battery technologies continue to get better without any research funding from the U.S government. You can recharge your batteries from many sources. You can create energy for your home and transportation with solar panels.

The hydrogen cars will cost more to drive than our gas cars today. E-V Concepts built a hydrogen powered car 25 years ago. You can buy a bottle of hydrogen at any welding shop and use a propane carburetor on your ICE motor.

E-V Concepts is a member of the Spherical Designs Organization. You may find some other interesting reading on E-V communities and solar powered cars.

Frequently Asked Questions

electric conversions