Is anyone doing cheap-and-dirty electric vehicle conversions?

[TheWraith]

It strikes me that with the price of gas being what it is, there's got to be a market out there for getting existing vehicles converted to electrical. Replace the engine with an electric motor of the right horsepower, and the fuel system with batteries. Does anyone know of any outfits that are doing this?

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. Zillions of them ... (okay, several)

http://www.google.com/search?q=electric+car+conversion

[tridim]

2. I've done a little bit of research on the topic

and came to the conclusion that it's still too expensive to be practical.

There are other systems that have to be added and/or converted, like the heater for instance. Anything else that uses engine vacuum needs to be completely retrofitted.

[phantom power]

3. Absolutely:

[hunter]

15. Mad Max hybrids!

Excellent. The car of the future.

[phantom power]

16. All it needs is a machine-gun welded on the hood.

[msongs]

4. 4 years ago GM coulda cornered the market on electric cars. so much for management nt

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. They still may...

At the time, they really weren't viable. (Witness the ZAP offerings.)

[TheWraith]

10. GM's top leadership is about as incompetant as any that I've seen in a corporation.

More so even than Motorola's Zander or HP's Fiorina.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. A DUer is doing it as a private project

but it's not a simple thing to do: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=133136

What is 'the right horsepower'? Note that wtmusic has to have a horsepower well below what the old engine could do.

[Fovea]

7. apperently ZAP is doing a retrofit hybrid.

I dont have the URL in front of me at the moment.
Let me know if you can't find it.

[OKIsItJustMe]

12. Here you go...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x138116

[Fovea]

13. Thank you.

I had one of their bike drives on a tricycle and it was good right after the stroke and heart attack.

[OKIsItJustMe]

14. Yikes!

Yes, I guess it would have been.

[MADem]

8. Someone could make a bundle--question is, are they roadworthy?

Will states give them inspection stickers and register them?

[Strelnikov_]

9. These Guys

Although they may be the Hollis Green clan.

http://e-volks.com/index.html

Looked into doing one myself a few years back when I realized the peak oil fueled energy crises was imminent. Problem is finding a donor car in good enough condition to warrant putting $10,000 into. A late model Geo Metro with a blown engine would be perfect.

[diane in sf]

11. Friends of mine are converting an old VW Rabbit or Golf--there are kits available.