Does anyone know about converting your automobile to an electric plug in type?

Question

I am interested in getting an electric vehic vehicle after watching an unconvenient truth and who killed the electric car. Global warming has become such an issue and I would like to see people step up and start making a change for the better of our world. I know I need to start with myself and I think getting an electric car is a great start!

Answer 1

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You are in luck because there are many electric cars soon to be in the marketplace in the coming year. I'm not a fan of the low-speed or 'NEV' style cars like the GEM. All the cars I will talk about below can keep up with normal traffic.
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The cheapest way to drive electric is with a conversion. You can either have your car converted, or buy an already converted car. The good news is that cars of this type are relatively inexpensive, and start around $5000. You will get a car that handles and accelerates like a normal car, and does freeway speeds. This is the kind of EV that I drive. Here's a link. Cars you can buy can be found in links at the bottom of this page:
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http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car/
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What you won't get from the above is a car with a long driving range. If you need to drive more than 50 miles per charge, you will want to wait for one of the cars based on new battery technology coming out later this year.
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The most exciting new electric car is the Phoenix. This car gets up to 250 miles per charge, does 95mph with 5 passengers and cargo, and can charge in only TEN MINUTES. Here's a link:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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The Phoenix will be expensive, until enough cars can be sold to make factory production feasible. So what else is cheaper? Many people are fond of the ZAP electric car. You can't take it on the freeway, but it's very cute, and it only costs $10,000. Link:
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http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=188
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Don't believe the disinformation being spread about electric cars polluting. It's just not true. If you charge your car at night, you are using excess electricity. Because most powerplants can't shut off when demand eases overnight, enough wasted electricity is produced to charge several million electric cars without increasing pollution one bit.
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But even if your car charged on nothing but coal-and-oil produced electricity (not the case) there would still be much less pollution. The reason is efficiency. Power plants burn fuel much more efficiently than your car does. Sending energy by wire to your car is much more efficient than trucking gas to thousands of gas stations. And electric motors are much more efficient than gas engines.
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Greater efficiency = more miles on less fuel = less pollution. The proof of this is right in the fuel prices. Gas costs you 10 to 15 cents per mile, depending on gas prices. Electricity from the outlet for an EV only costs about a penny per mile. The reason for the difference: Efficiency.
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Answer 2

Converting your own vehicle would be a serious engineering project, almost unfeasible. People have done it, but the cost in time and money is huge. Here are some companies that make electric cars. You could see what they offer.

http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/US/byP/ev/ecars/byB/mfg/mfg.shtml

The easiest way (which is not all that easy or cheap) is to buy a hybrid car and have it converted so that you can plug in the batteries. You still keep the gas engine for high speed use, but you can run the car around town on just batteries. More info:

http://www.calcars.org/howtoget.html

By the way, an easier way to fight global warming would be to reduce energy consumption in your home with such things as compact fluorescent light bulbs, high efficiency heating/ac, additional insulation, better windows, etc.

Answer 3

The real question at the bottom of the electric car situation is "where will you get the electricity?" Oil or coal fired plants? Nuclear? It has to be made from something. If you are lucky, you have reservoirs and some hydro, or maybe some geo-thermal. Electricity is not a source of energy. It is only a way to transport, and to a certain degree, store energy. But the energy was made from something else and that something else probably had some environmental consequences.

Answer 4

With existing technology is is difficult to build an electric car that has the range of a gasoline car. It might be better to keep your current car for long trips and buy an electric for driving around town. One car that is available on the market today is the Gem. The advantages of getting a commercially produced electric car is that someone has worked out the technology and you have access to service.

Answer 5

Cuba’s electrical energy is a hundred and ten volts, 60Hz, yet maximum inns and inns have 220 volts. electric powered shops take flat plug prongs. in case you’re bringing an electric powered equipment, examine earlier you leave to work out in case you like an adaptor or converter.