Electric car conversion

[clark_larson]

Has anyone converted a petrol engine car to an electric car?

 

[ssj3]

That seems like one massive undertaking

 

[westwoody]

I saw it done as an electrical engineering project when I was in university.
Definitely not a practical thing to do. The car was disassembled down to the frame to accommodate a new drivetrain.

 

[clark_larson]

I used to dismantle cars to pay my tuition, I also repair my car. It distracts me from working in front of a computer. Not that I have many problems with my current car, I was just thinking of buying a salvaged car and install an electric motor. The system itself seems fairly simple. Less sophisticated than a combustion engine. What annoys me from combustion engines is how messy it is. All the fluids going in, how inconvenient it is to diagnose problems, etc. I just wanted something cleaner and more quiet but with the looks of a normal car. I'm just looking for a fun project.

 

[westwoody]

We use electric forklifts. The actual drive system is extremely simple, one motor on each front wheel with a simple gear drive from the motor shaft to the wheel axle. These forklifts have rear wheel steering, and no suspension, so they are very basic.

The difficulty is the battery. Ours are about 1000-1100 kilos, and the truck is designed around it. Most electric cars are also designed around their battery. finding a place to put a large battery will be a challenge on an existing car.

Of course other things depend on your gasoline motor, your steering pump, your heater, your air conditioner.