You will find articles organized by categories, along with recent comments, along the right hand column of the website. If you are just getting started with the idea of converting a gas car to electric be sure to check out Your First Electric Car .
Welcome and enjoy!
-Jerry
Tokyo Auto Show · 12 October 05
There’s a collection of alternative fueled vehicle and, perhaps, alternative universe (i.e. goofy) cars being shown at the Tokyo auto show.
Suzuki is showing the Ionis, a high-tech front-wheel drive minivan powered by fuel cell and electric motor. It uses steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire, which permits a flexible seating arrangement: the driver seat can be moved along with the other seats. “Everyone move, Daddy wants to drive from the back today.” The Ionis can also download music directly from the Internet via a public LAN service and pick up satellite TV stations.
Subaru is showing something called a boxer-hybrid: a turbo parallel hybrid powertrain, a new all-wheel-drive hybrid system bolted to a 2.0-liter Miller cycle turbo engine, the B5 is expected to produce more than 300 hp. Mitsubishi is showing an electric car and of course by now you’ve see the Pivo electric from Nissan…a lazy susan on wheels.
[via Edmunds]
Tailpipe Tally · 5 October 05
The Environmental Defense Fund has a tool called tailpipe tally to help evaluate your vehicle’s fuel costs and emissions against other cars, including the latest hybrids. This was made back when gas was almost free at $1.92/gallon, so multiply the gas price by 1.5.
Peter's Solar Electric Van · 4 October 05
Here’s a conversion project for all of you folks who have been asking about putting solar panels on an EV.
Peter took it one step further and put a wind generator on the EV as well.
Now, before your mind gets whirling too fast we need to clarify that he only uses the wind generator when parked. No perpetual energy in the UK either.
Poor Man's Hybrid · 1 October 05
You might have noticed that most of the automotive news these days is about hybrids. Small hybrids, big hybrids, mild hybrids, even hybrids with chicken pox (just kidding).
Hybrid’s are all the rage.
Do you drive a gas or diesel powered car or truck? Then most likely you already own a hybrid. Of course if you tried to drive around the block on electric power alone you’d probably burn out a few components and kill the battery.
Coolfuel Roadtrip · 28 September 05
Got an email yesterday from Anne who is promoting a new tv series called Cool Fuel Roadtrip.
The premise is that Shaun (from Australia) and his dog Sparky are traveling 16,000 miles across the US in anything but gasoline powered vehicles. EVs, solar cars, bio-diesel, and even an airplane that runs off of corn whiskey.
The media site has bunch of photos. Looks like an interesting show. Here’s a photo of Shaun with Jacques Chiron and his biodiesel-powered Grass Car.
Choosing a Vehicle · 11 September 05
We had a survey a couple of weeks ago asking what types of cars folks were thinking of converting. I also get two to three emails a day from folks wondering if their vehicle might make a good EV or Hybrid.
Let’s take a look at how to determine what type of EV your vehicle will make and what it will take to get the range you need.
Swapping Batteries · 3 September 05
Mike wrote the other day to suggest a setup where you have a couple battery packs. Instead of parking the EV to recharge you replace the drained pack with a charged one and the old pack recharges while you are away.
What about Hybrid pushers: for cars or bikes? Instead of hauling all of the unused gas components around every day you leave them at home until needed. Another reader suggests making an EV pusher for existing gas cars.
Free Energy · 30 August 05
Every couple of weeks I get emailed an idea on how to improve the range of an EV.
“But that’s perpetual energy.” I reply.
“No, they are small generators, you’d be grabbing just a little bit of power,“
Let’s talk about all of this “free” energy…