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
Bob's EV Part III · 21 August 07
We’ve posted a few entries on Bob’s EV so far. It’s a 1957 Citroen and if you haven’t read about it and checked out the pictures, be sure to do so.
His son Jim sent along a new batch of photos showing their new batteries being installed. Click on through to check them out.
LED Bargraph battery monitor - part 1 · 18 May 07
Hello everybody,
About 6 months ago I wrote an article here . The idea was that I would be able to avoid my nemesis, unequalised batteries , and have early warning of bad connections like the one which caused this terminal failure in my car.
Argh!
Charging an Electric Car · 20 April 07
Most of the time when someone considers converting a car to electric the last thing that probably springs to mind is the charger. The car itself garners the most attention since it’s the biggest and most visible aspect of an EV, followed by the motor. Somewhere down the list, after the batteries or controller, the charger choice lies.
Yet, for the health of the batteries, it’s the most important aspect of an electric car.
- Since most of the Electric and Hybrid car news focuses on Lithium batteries I figured it’s time for a few lithium links: Is lithium-ion the ideal battery?, wiki lithium ion entry, operating principles of lithium batteries.
- Genetically engineered blood protein might offer new technique for splitting water into hydrogen.
- GM says its top priority is to build a plug-in hybrid they aren’t really saying when.
- A bit dated, but Honda rolled out another concept hybrid car at the recent LA Auto show. Even if you don’t like hybrid cars all of this attention and product engineering can only mean good things for electric cars: improved technology and batteries, and presumably lower costs as they become more mainstream and more manufacturers are competing.
Comment [1]
Battery Tools · 20 June 06
Hey, we’re getting closer to settling on a battery! Those who have been following the comments elsewhere may have read that I started looking into the Odyssey Hawker PC2150 battery. More expensive (nothing like NiMH/Lithium prices) and from everything I’ve read they are well built (mil spec) and able to take or dish-out lots of power.
Of course John Westlund then jumps into the comments and mentions another, cheaper battery and doubt sets in…
The Battery Dilemma · 10 April 06
Now that the weather has started warming up and my other projects are winding down I’ve cracked open the garage door and started measuring Eve for her spring wardrobe.
I know, I’ve been putting it off: stalling, dawdling, jerrymeandering, going to the thesaurus to look up alternatives to procrastination just so I don’t have to actually think about them.
Them?
Batteries. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, ya gotta have batteries in an electric car.
Upated: 4/10/06
James and the EV, III · 9 December 05
Shocking isn’t it?
James sent along a couple folders of EV images and “accidentally” included this photo that exposes the sad, sordid truth about electric cars…
They are human powered.
When no one is looking we chuck the batteries into a dark corner of the garage, pile in a muscular buddy or two and push the car around town, Fred Flintstone style.
Truly sad, and you read it here first folks.
- How about a pseudo EV conversion to start? Get a paper model of your favorite car and do a scale, paper conversion. Easier and cleaner to experiment with than the real thing. If you get frustrated you wad the whole thing up start over.
- Back to being serious (ahem). Today a few links to battery care items:
- PowerCheq battery equalizers.
- Rudman Regulators
- Water Miser Battery Caps
- Tune Up for your Battery (normal car battery, etc..)
- Aqua Pro battery watering system
- Battery acid resistant coveralls (stylin’!)
- Hydrometer
- A nice Fluke MultiMeter, because cheap meters are…cheap.
- Battery heating mats, for those of us who won’t see the sun or temps above 30f for the next four months.
- Battery Filler