About
So what is this site all about? This is just another blog on an electric vehicle conversion. I will take a 40 year old VW Beetle and convert it to run on a pack of DC batteries instead of gas.
My goal is to have an electric vehicle to drive around town and to take and pick up the kids from school. A bonus would be if it has the range and capacity to haul 2 kayaks about 20 miles.
I am planning on a simple conversion. Using a 40hp peak DC electric motor and only 48 volts. The 48 volts are very low, but I am only planning on in-town use. Max speed of 30 mph. Range could be as low as 10 miles. Since the controller I am planning on has a variable voltage range, if desired I could always increase the battery pack.
I will state this over and over. If you want to save yourself some time, use a donor vehicle in good shape. Find one that is running and you can drive and/or know all the problems. Our donor car, a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle, at some point in time a previous owner decided to start converting the stock Beetle to a Baja Bug. Which is perfect for what I want – lightweight. But, the car was purchased entirely disassembled and stuffed in a couple boxes (of which the seller said “Everything is there to put it back together.” Yeah, right!). My original plan was to start with a complete Beetle, sell the engine (of which I already knew of someone wanting an air-cooled VW engine) and recoup some expenses. But this Beetle didn’t come with an engine, but it had already been cut for a Baja, and had a 1-piece fiberglass front-end, so a lot of weight had already been removed.
So begins the journey of an gas to electric conversion…
Electric Conversion Day 1 - Earth Day 2009