What type of car is the best for an electic conversion

[traunt]

I always had a dream of one day undertaking a DIY electric conversion. That is is getting closer by the day. I plan on converting a car before the end of September.

But I have always been intrigued as to which car is the best for an electric conversion. I have some simple needs. I need a car that can carry at least two people and I also want decent performance.

So I was wondering what are your thoughts on this and which cars you would recommend...

Thanks

[LeadFoot]

I'd say the best car would be cheap, since you'll probably be doing quite a bit of cutting on it, and fabbing up.

I've seen a few Porsche 914 conversions, and you can buy the kits off the shelf

But, you could convert about anything if you have the time and patience.

[mac]

(05-21-2010 11:54 AM)traunt Wrote:  But I have always been intrigued as to which car is the best for an electric conversion. I have some simple needs. I need a car that can carry at least two people and I also want decent performance.

The type of car will depend on the amount of performance you want and what 'decent' performance means for you. If you use a small pickup, you could get maximum performance as you can use the tray at the back to store extra batteries. Since you only need two seats you could also use a sedan/ hatchback and remove the back seats to add extra batteries.

Since this is your first conversion I would also recommend using a cheap car as TerryMason said.

[traunt]

(05-22-2010 05:19 AM)mac Wrote:  

(05-21-2010 11:54 AM)traunt Wrote:  But I have always been intrigued as to which car is the best for an electric conversion. I have some simple needs. I need a car that can carry at least two people and I also want decent performance.

The type of car will depend on the amount of performance you want and what 'decent' performance means for you. If you use a small pickup, you could get maximum performance as you can use the tray at the back to store extra batteries. Since you only need two seats you could also use a sedan/ hatchback and remove the back seats to add extra batteries.

Since this is your first conversion I would also recommend using a cheap car as TerryMason said.

Dont need full out performance.. just need it to climb slopes without any major hassles ( the place where I live has a lot of slopes)
Also should be able to speed up quickly when the situation demands...

[spoon]

I would say go with a sedan. There is plenty of room in the boot (ofcourse you lose that space) for the battery, so performance should not be a problem. You can also seat 2 people so it meets both your requirements...

[digitalfanatic]

in my opinion when you select a car for an electric conversion you should keep in mind the size and the weight of the car.A heavier car may not be that efficient with an electric motor plus it should be light weight to give a better weight to power ratio