Electric Vehicle Conversion Guide

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Table of Contents
Introduction - Electric car benefits, electrical terminology, tools
& parts needed

Chapter 1 - Finding a vehicle to convert

Chapter 2 - Information about DC & AC electric motors

Chapter 3 - Information about DC & AC motor controllers

Chapter 4 - Information about batteries, how to obtain them

Chapter 5 - A closer look at the various parts involved with your
electric vehicle conversion

Chapter 6 - Getting started with your electric vehicle
conversion. Includes removing wires, removing unneeded
parts, installing the motor/transmission

Chapter 7 - Further steps involved in your electric vehicle
conversion. Includes installing batteries and installing other
vehicle parts.

Chapter 8 - Final checks to make and steps to take, starting up
your electric car for the first time

Chapter 9 - Helpful resources

Chapter 10 – My Home-Made Renewable Solar & Wind Energy
Recommendation

Introduction
Dear Friend,

Congratulations on investing in the Electricity4Gas manual.

You are in a small group of people. Not many people are
intelligent or informed enough to make such a good choice and
save themselves money and help the environment at the same
time.

You will soon be on your way to eliminating all gasoline costs,
and reducing emissions.

The instructions and plans in this guide have worked previously
for others and should work for you.

If this is all new to you it may seem complicated at first. We
suggest you take your time, and re-read the guide a couple of
times.

You always have the option of seeking assistance from a
competent mechanic, or a mechanically minded friend, family
member or acquaintance perhaps, should you need help with
something.

There are a number of text links (that appear in blue) through
out this guide. If you are unfamiliar with the Internet, by
clicking on these links, you will be taken to a web page. Please
make sure you are connected to the Internet before clicking on
the links.

We have created this manual to be a no-nonsense straight-to-
the-point guide. We’ve kept the manual simple so it’s easy to
read, and we haven’t ‘padded’ or added ‘fluff’ just to make it
appear bigger.

Enjoy!

Why should you convert your car to run on electricity?

There are many reasons to convert your car to electric, we could
talk about it for hours, but since we’re keeping it simple here are
the three big reasons:

Environment – An electric vehicle has almost zero emissions.
Current gasoline cars are big contributors to air pollution.

Cost – The cost of running your vehicle on electricity is very
small in comparison to a vehicle that runs on gasoline. You will
save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, when you don’t
have to pay for gasoline.

Minimal maintenance – There is minimal maintenance
involved in running an electric vehicle. Compare that to oil
leaks, engine breakdowns, exhaust system problems etc with a
gasoline car. You will save hundreds of dollars a year on
maintenance costs.

Electrical terminology

Below we explain some of the electrical terms used in this
guide:

Wattage (watts) - A measure of the amount of work done by a
certain amount of electric current (amperage) at a certain
pressure (voltage).

Volts - a type of "pressure" that drives electrical charges
through a circuit.

Amperage (Amps) - The rate of flow of electricity through
wire.

Kilowatt Hour - The work performed by one kilowatt of
electric power in one hour. An example is a 100-watt light bulb
that is turned on for ten hours. The power rate would be 100 x
10 = 1,000 watt-hours or 1 Kilowatt hour.

Direct Current (DC) & Alternating Current (AC) -

Direct Current is self-explanatory. Alternating Current is an
electric current that reverses direction, usually many times per
second.

The most important difference between AC and DC power is
that DC current can be stored in a battery while AC power
cannot.

Common DC voltages are 12, 24 and 48.

Tools needed before you start

The first step is to have a work area. Make sure you have plenty
of space to make the process as easy as possible.

There is grinding and fitting of metal involved so you should
consider doing that kind of work outside.

The tools you may use include:

• A hoist

• Clamps and vice grips

• Cordless drill

• Jigsaw

• Small grinder

• A socket set

• Various wrenches (both imperial and metric measurement)

• Screw drivers

• Sand paper

• Welding equipment

• Work bench

Tips on obtaining these tools:

• Look out for sales – Look out for in-store-sales where you
can buy inexpensive tools for your home workshop.

• Ask for tools as birthday & Christmas presents.

• Look for cheap tools at auctions and yard sales.

• You could rent these tools.

• You can ask some friends or family members to borrow their
tools.

Further notes on welding

At some point you will need to weld battery holders and other
parts.

An electric arc welder or mig welder that has at least 220 volts
(and at least 100 amps of power output) should be used.

If you are not comfortable welding, you could ask someone you
know with welding experience to help, or you could hire a
professional to do it for you. If you choose to do it yourself,
please remember that you are dealing with hot metal. Be very
careful and be sure to wear protective clothing and welding
mask.

Alternatively you can bolt everything together, but welding is
preferred.

Parts list

Parts that will be used in making your electric car:

Amp meter shunt
Battery ends
Battery cables
Batteries
Battery shelves/holders (make your own)
Cable cutters

A crimping tool to install cable ends
Charger
DC-DC power supply
E-Meter or several digital meters
Fuses
Inertia switch
Lugs
Motor – AC or DC
Motor controller
Manual disconnect
Motor adaptor
Main contactor
Miscellaneous nuts and bolts
Vacuum pump (to bleed power brakes)
Throttle control box

Electric Vehicle (EV) Wiring Diagram

Below is a diagram of the electrical circuit of an electric vehicle.

(Diagram is not drawn to scale)

Chapter 1
Find a vehicle to convert

• We recommend a small vehicle for the conversion. A smaller
vehicle is lighter and therefore requires less power (and
batteries) to move.

A smaller vehicle (relative to a larger vehicle) will allow you to
travel longer distances before having to recharge the batteries.

• You must find a car that has a manual transmission.
Automatic transmissions have energy losses that reduce
performance. Also, the shift points (revs) will not be appropriate
on hills, and may damage the motor. Finally, the automatic
relies on an idling engine to keep the hydraulic pressure up.
When an electric car stops at a stoplight, the motor stops
turning, and the transmission loses pressure. When the light
turns green, there is a delayed response to the throttle while
pressure builds up. (This could be dangerous)

• It is important to find a car that has a good body. Apart from
the obvious visual appeal of a nice looking car, you want the
car to be safe, not full of rust etc. Your car may need to pass a
roadworthy/vehicle inspection (depending on your country
and state).

• Look for a car that does not have a working motor. This will
push the price down. You are going to be removing the motor
whether it works or not, so there is no point paying extra
money for an unneeded working motor.

(If you do have a vehicle with a working motor, you could sell it
to your local car scrapping/wrecking place, or you could place
an ad in your local paper, or list the parts on ebay.)

There are many varied ways to find a car (meeting the above
criteria) For example you can find plenty of bargains with on
line auctions such as http://www.motors.ebay.com/

Chapter 2
Electric motors

When converting your car to electric there are two choices: DC
electric motors and AC electric motors.

DC Motors

The DC motor will produce the power to run your car.

What you should be looking for is a “Permanent Magnet DC
Motor”

The attributes of this motor that you need to pay attention to:

• Revolutions per minute (RPM) – Should be fairly low. (As a
general rule of thumb, look for RPM under 400.)

• Shaft size – As a general rule of thumb, the shaft size should
be over 5/8 of an inch. This will insure that your DC motor
has adequate bushings to accommodate the constant spinning.

• Amps – A high current is good.

• Voltage – Should be at least 12 Volts. (As a general rule of
thumb, look for between 50 and 80 Volts.)

The average car requires a 20 horsepower motor to drive at a
speed of 50 miles-per-hour on a level surface (down the
highway for example.)

Horsepower will vary with volts and amps.

Below is some power conversion formulas that may help you
understand how horsepower is calculated.

Amps x Volts = Watts
watts / Volts = Amps
1000 watts = 1 kilowatt
.75 kilowatts = 1 horsepower
1 kilowatt = 1.34 horsepower

(Side note: You shouldn't technically compare electric motors to
gas engines. Electric motors and gas engines measure power
ratings differently. Gas engines are rated at their peak
horsepower even though they can only maintain it for a few
minutes without overheating or breaking. Electric motors are
rated at their continuous horsepower, which they can maintain
indefinitely.)

DC motors can be connected directly to the transmission. Or
they can be connected to the drive axle. (If you choose this
option, you need to use relay switches in order to go in reverse.)

Where you can buy a Permanent Magnet DC Motor:

• http://www.motors.ebay.com/ - Seller’s prices are normally
reasonable for DC Motors. You will find a mix of used and
new DC motors on ebay.

• Search the Internet. Go to google.com or your preferred
search engine, and search for “Buy Permanent Magnet DC
Motor” or “Permanent Magnet DC Motor (insert the name of
your suburb, city or state)”

After a short time of searching, you should be able to find a
company selling them in your suburb, city or state.

• Ask at your local auto parts store.

You may be able to find a FREE or cheap DC motor, by:

• Asking around at scrap metal places. Companies regularly
scrap old machinery, which have DC motors.

• Asking businesses in your local industrial area.

Within an industrial center there will be manufacturing plants.
Ask to speak with the maintenance or operations manager of the
manufacturing plant. Ask the manager for their old DC motors.

Due to maintenance and capital depreciation schedules these
companies regularly replace (working) parts.

By asking the manager (or people with authority) politely and
explaining to them why you want the parts you will be surprised
how many free parts (that the company no longer wants) you
can get.

• Asking a friend whom likes working on cars. They may have
access to one.

AC Motors

AC (alternating current) motors are just like the ones found in
your home appliances.

A motor controller mechanism (discussed in chapter 3) comes
directly with an AC Motor.

One of the biggest advantages of AC motors is they can be used
for braking.
The energy used in braking can be converted into power, to
charge your batteries. (This is called regenerative braking, and
can be found in all the new electric cars produced by the car
companies.)

The regenerative capacity is built into the motor controller. This
is why the AC motor and controller are sold as a package.

AC motors can produce much higher power ranges (longer
driving distances before re-charging the batteries) for the same
sized motor when compared to DC.

Most AC motors are connected to the drive axle, however you
can connect them to the transmission.

The price of an AC motor can be much higher than a DC motor,
but has its advantages of regenerative braking and higher power
ranges.

If you are on a budget, we recommend DC. They are cheaper
and can be used in any vehicle.

Chapter 3

Motor controllers

A motor controller is needed to convert proper voltage between
the battery and the motor. It controls the speed of the vehicle
when you press the ‘gas’ pedal.

There are two choices of motor controllers: DC controllers
and AC controllers

DC Controllers

Smaller less expensive controllers are very limited and you can
expect slower acceleration. Ideally you should get a controller
that is designed to handle over 100-volt battery storage.

At this range you will have acceleration to match or even go
faster, than an average gasoline vehicle. It should be noted that
when you get into this range, your performance increases (but so
does the price).

AC controllers

As discussed previously, AC controllers come as a unit with an
AC motor.

AC controllers have been designed to take the regenerative
energy out of the braking to be used in charging the batteries.

If you choose an AC motor you will not need to find a separate
AC controller.

Where you can buy controllers:

http://www.motors.ebay.com/
http://www.beepscom.com/category_s/5.htm
http://www.evparts.com/
http://www.kta-ev.com/
http://www.evmerica.com
http://www.canev.com
http://www.metricmind.com/
http://www.cafeelectric.com
http://www.grassrootsev.com/control.htm
http://www.electricvehiclesusa.com/category_s/140.htm
http://www.ev-america.com/

Where you can find a FREE controller

As discussed in chapter 2, you can find free or cheap parts
(including motor controllers), by asking around at scrap metal
places and businesses in local industrial areas.

Chapter 4

Batteries

Batteries are at the heart of your electric car. They are used to
store DC electricity.

There are three types of rechargeable battery suitable for electric
car use. Those types are lead-acid batteries, nickel metal hydride
(NiMH) batteries, and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.

Lead-acid

Lead-acid batteries are the oldest form of rechargeable battery
still in use. They've been used in all types of cars - including
electric cars, since the 19th century. Lead-acid batteries are a
kind of wet cell battery and usually contain a mild solution of
sulfuric acid in an open container.

The major advantage of lead-acid batteries is they are well
understood and they have a low cost.

The have a recharge time of approximately 8 hours. They have
the lowest life cycle out of the batteries we are discussing.

Nickel metal hydride (NiMH)

They have a high energy density ie. a great deal of energy can
be packed into a relatively small battery.

When you use these batteries your driving range will be
increased (relative to lead-acid batteries).

These batteries don't contain any toxic metals so they're easy to
recycle.

They are not as susceptible to heat and they have a shorter
recharging time (relative to lead-acid batteries)

These batteries are ideal over lead acid batteries, however the
high cost is a major issue.

Lithium-ion (Li-ion)

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are even better than lead-acid &
nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries

They have a very high energy density, are lightweight, have a
long battery life and are quick to recharge.

However they are extremely expensive.

If you are on a budget we recommend lead acid batteries. They
are the easiest to obtain and they have the lowest cost.

When looking at particular types and brands of batteries you
need to consider these things:

• Weight – The lighter the battery the better.
• Amperage (amps) – The greater the amps, the longer your
driving range will be.
• Maintenance – Is it required?

All the above factors will play a part in determining the price of
the battery.

Batteries come in many sizes but try and look for batteries that
have at least a 20 hour rating, and have over 200 amps of power
usage.

You will need in the range of 20 batteries to run your vehicle
effectively.

As we mentioned, batteries can be expensive. In fact they can be
the biggest expense of your project.

How you can find FREE batteries:

Golf courses/shops

Golf cart batteries are recommended for electric car
conversions.

Ask your local golf course manager if you could have their old
golf cart batteries. They will probably be happy to give them
away, because otherwise they have to pay someone to remove
them.

You might find that some of the batteries don’t work, however
you can revive (recondition) them.

How to revive these old batteries

About 4 out of 5 ‘dead’ batteries are just ‘sulfated’ ie. Sulfate
crystals have developed on the surface of the plates inside the
battery. This happens when the batteries are left in an
undercharged state.

The batteries can be taken apart and cleaned, but it is very
dangerous and needs to be done by a professional.

If you don’t want to pay a professional, we recommend you
have a look at the “Battery Reconditioning
Report”. It teaches you how to revive batteries yourself safely.
The creators of the report have a great knowledge of batteries.

You can take a look at it here:
http://www.electricity4gas.com/batteryreconditioning.html

Another source of FREE batteries:

Industrial centers

Forklift batteries are also good for electric car conversions.

Find an industrial center and within it there will be
manufacturing plants.

Ask to speak with the maintenance or operations manager of the
manufacturing plant. Ask the manager for their old forklift
batteries.

Industrial forklift batteries are very expensive and last up to 20
years. However due to maintenance and capital depreciation
schedules, these companies generally replace the battery every 5
years.

Battery Chargers

We recommend having a battery charger mounted in your
vehicle. This will allow you to recharge your vehicle anywhere,
anytime.

You can not just use an off the shelf charger from the store.
You will need a special battery charger.

Your charger should:

• Be adjustable to whatever battery voltage you are running in
your system.
• Shut off once your batteries are charged. (This is necessary to
ensure you do not end the battery life prematurely.)

Where you can buy batteries and chargers

http://www.beepscom.com/category_s/2.htm
http://www.evparts.com/cat-
Batteries+...+Street+Vehicle.htm#53
http://www.canev.com/KitsComp/Components/Chargers.html
http://www.metricmind.com/
http://www.manzanitamicro.com/
http://www.canev.com/KitsComp/Components/Chargers.html
http://www.electricvehiclesusa.com/category_s/153.htm

Battery Safety

When determining where to place the battery housing (ie. where
the batteries are kept), ensure the batteries are kept away from:

• electrical components, which can be a source of spark
• sources of heat or possible sources of open flame

Read all of the manufacturer's recommendations and warnings
about the safe use of batteries.

Chapter 5

In this chapter we take a closer look at the parts involved with
your electric vehicle conversion.

Connecting motor to drive train

After you take out the gas engine from your vehicle, you will
need to connect the electric motor to the drive train.

• Most of the recommended sources of motors come with an
adaptor kit. The kit makes it easy to attach the electric motor
to the drive train.

The adaptor bolts to the transmission (or housing of
transmission) and the electric motor bolts to the other side.

The adaptor must be mounted with the correct spacing and
aligned straight, so it will spin freely with the motor.

• A coupling device comes with the adaptor. The coupling
device connects the motor shaft with the shaft of the
transmission.

Electrical circuits

There is a contact on the adaptor that runs from the motor
controller. This is started with the ignition switch when you start
your electric car.

(Having a manual disconnect along this circuit, will ensure you
won’t get ‘zapped’ when you are working on your car.)

-----
Tip for when dealing with electrical circuits and lines: Use a
simple ammeter and voltmeter to measure power output and the
charging process.
-----

Auxiliary system (lighting, radio etc)

To maintain your ordinary vehicle battery and your on board
electrical systems (lighting, radio etc) there needs to be a simple
auxiliary 12 volt charging system.

A simple DC converter will take the high voltage of your large
DC motor and break it down to 12 volts.

OR (we recommend) mounting an alternator on the motor
assembly. To do this, a simple adaptor unit can be purchased
that will run your system at about 13.5 volts.

Fuses

All circuits should have fuses installed in line in case of a short
circuit. We recommend having fuses installed in both positive
and negative feeds.

Fuses are crucial. If for some reason there was an extreme
electrical charge, you want the fuse to blow, not your engine or
batteries.

-----
Convenience yip: Carry extra fuses with you in your car.
-----

Connecting the batteries

You will need about 35 feet of battery cable. Use large cable
such as 2.0 welding cable or bigger. It is flexible and large to
carry a lot of current.

The batteries connect to each other in series: negative (-) to
positive (+) and positive (+) to negative (-).

Color-code your wire: red is positive and black is negative.

You will want to crimp the ends of the wire effectively and seal
them too with a cable end sealer to prevent leaks of current. If
you don’t seal the end, you will reduce your power and range.

-----
Battery tip: When batteries are cold they hold about 50% of
their regular charge.

It’s simple and cheap to install a heater in the car and a small
heater near your battery boxes to keep them warm.
-----

The throttle (‘gas pedal’)

To make the car go, you put your foot on the pedal, the same as
you would in a gas car.

To make this happen, you need to mount a throttle box near
your throttle control (gas pedal linkage).

Braking/Stopping

A small vacuum pump and a reserve tank for fluid is needed to
power your brakes.

Chapter 6
In this chapter we get started with your electric vehicle
conversion.

-----
Tip before we start: Use a hoist for installing or removing heavy
parts. Make sure you have a partner to help you throughout this
process.
-----

Take measurements

The first step is to take and record various measurements. Once
the engine is removed it may seem like there is plenty of space,
but without proper planning it will quickly run out.

Removing wiring

Do not remove all the wires when you remove the gas engine.
Some of the wires will be used when you install the electric
motor.

You must keep a proper record of where all the wires go. You
could use a roll of tape, and attach it to the wires to help you
keep a record.

The following wiring must be kept:

• control wires and dash mount wires (they come in bundles)
• ignition wires
• coil wires
• starter wire
• speedometer wiring

Heavy ground wires can be removed.

Unneeded parts to take off your car:

• Remove the exhaust system. Your new electric car won’t
produce exhaust.

• Remove the fuel system and gas tank. They are no longer
needed.

Run your car empty of gas before removing. Gas is very
flammable, so be careful of sparks when removing the gas tank
and the fuel lines.

• Remove the engine radiator and fans. They are no longer
needed.

• For now you need to remove the power steering pump and air
conditioning. However make sure you keep them, because
you can re-install them later on (discussed in chapter 7).

• Remove the engine. Once you have unbolted the mounts, you
can remove the engine.

You will notice that you have to remove the engine at an angle
so it can clear the engine compartment.

Before removing the engine, drain out all transmission fluid.

Parts to keep/the building process:

• Removing the transmission (temporarily): Once the engine is
out, disconnect the transmission and install the electric motor
and adaptor kit. Once the electric motor is mounted, you will
reinstall the transmission, by bolting it to the transmission
mounts once again.

When reinstalling the transmission/motor assembly, measure the
distance from the flywheel to the engine block. You must keep
the same distance when hooking up the electric motor to the
transmission.

• The adaptor kit provides a coupler (joiner) to fit the flywheel
to the rear shaft of your motor.

(You will need to remove the flywheel, which is attached to the
transmission first)

The coupler has a spacer that goes on first and this will provide
the right distance to the housing for the flywheel.

• First you should fit the adaptor to the motor, then attach the
flywheel, then bolt on the clutch.

This whole assembly is then attached to the housing of the
transmission.

-----
Side Note: How easy this process is depends on your type of
vehicle.

A rear wheel drive vehicle has more room under the hood.

The major vehicles used in conversions all have special adaptors
made to do the conversion. Before deciding on what type of
vehicle you want to convert, we recommend you ask the opinion
of the adaptor supply houses.

A few companies that sell adaptors:

http://www.grassrotsev.com/catalog.htm
http://www.canev.com/
http://www.evparts.com

-----

After this is completed you can put the whole motor and
transmission system back in the vehicle.

When placing it back in the vehicle, the motor/transmission
needs to align (be at the same height) with the drive shaft.
The transmission support members are then bolted back in
place.

Securing the motor/transmission assembly

The DC motor used is strong enough to move itself out of
position, if it is not secured.

Commercial motor mounts are available for purchase, but you
can build your own for a fraction of the cost.

You can make a cradle assembly (frame), by welding a few
pieces of angle iron together. The frame can be bolted into the
motor mount holes found on the DC electric motor.

When designing/making the frame, make sure all parts will fit,
before you start welding. NEVER weld near the electric motor,
as it will damage it.

Chapter 7
In this chapter we look at further steps involved in your electric
vehicle conversion.

Battery placement

The batteries can go in the engine compartment or in the frame
somewhere (back seat or trunk of car for example). If you are
converting a truck you can also place the batteries in the bed.

A few things to consider, when deciding where to place the
batteries:

• The closer the batteries are placed to the motor assembly the
less wire is used.

• If you use lead acid batteries, they require monthly
maintenance. (You will need easy access to maintain them.)

• Consider if you have any passengers and their safety near the
batteries. (Sealed batteries are safer in the case of accidents or
with passengers close by.)

• You can place batteries in the trunk space effectively,
however it reduces your hauling capabilities.

• After taking out the gas engine and installing the electric
motor, there will be spare space. You can place battery holder
frames (and batteries) in this location.

However you can not take all the space with batteries, because
the controller and charger also need to be mounted in this area.

• Batteries are heavy, so when you install them check how the
car suspension is handling the weight. Mounting the batteries
in various locations should help ‘balance it out’.

-----
Side note: You should aim to have at least 20 batteries. The
range of your vehicle is determined by your battery capacity.
The more batteries you have the longer you can travel between
charges.
-----

Building racks for your batteries

Regardless of where the batteries are placed you need to build a
rack/compartment to hold and secure them.

Steel, stainless steel or angle iron is recommended for the
bottom plate to hold your batteries. Do some simple welding to
create the edges that hold the batteries in.

You could easily find this material at rubbish tips or industrial
yards.

Re-installing power steering pump & air conditioning

The power steering pump/system and air conditioning can be
remounted. If you mount them just above the electric motor you
should be able to retain the original hoses from the former gas
motor.

These devices will run on a pulley system, powered by the
electric motor. The pulleys must align straight (kept on the same
centerline) or the belt will run off.

Take your time and use a small level to get it right.

You can usually use the same pulley assembly, which was used
on the old gas motor.

The pulley probably won’t fit immediately because the electric
motor shaft is a different size to the gas motor.

To overcome this problem you can grind the pulley (not the
shaft) to make it fit.

Mounting other battery related parts

Plywood is recommended when building a rack for controller,
contacts & battery charger.

You may want to consider a variation of a shelf design that fits
the controller and battery charger in securely.

Placing the shelf/rack on slight tilt is recommended, so water
will drain away and not sit on the surface.

When placing the components in your rack/shelf:

• Put the volt meter on top. Also put the charger on top so it is
easy to access, when you need to plug in a charge.

• Put the DC converter (that charges your 12 volt system) on
the bottom, along with the main contactor.

Above are just our suggestions of how to set your
wiring/electrical. Set it up however you think is practical.

Below is an example of a wiring diagram from an electric
vehicle.

(Diagram is not drawn to scale)

Connecting the batteries
The batteries connect to each other in series: negative (-) to
positive (+) and positive (+) to negative (-).

Color-code your wire: red is positive and black is negative.

Starting with the first battery connect positive to negative on the
next battery, and negative to positive, and so on.

As mentioned previously, you should use large cable such as 2.0
welding cable or bigger. It is flexible and large to carry a lot of
current.

(You will want to crimp the ends of the wire effectively and seal
them too with a cable end sealer to prevent leaks of current. If
you don’t seal the end, you will reduce your power and range.)

The cable is connected to each battery forming a series and
finally it is connected to the motor controller.

-----
Safety tips & recommendations:

You are working with high voltages. We recommend:

• Using rubber ended tools
• Do not cross your tools across the battery terminals

• Never ground the wires, only connect them in series. In your
gas-powered car your electric supply is grounded, but this is
never the case with an electric car.
-----

After you have connected the series, you need to hook up your
remaining wires (the ones you marked earlier for easy
identification.)

If you are in doubt with any of the wiring, seek help from a
competent mechanical friend or automotive electrician.
There is always a real danger when dealing with high voltages
of electricity, so please be careful.

Chapter 8

Final checks to make & steps to take

• Check that the throttle connections are working properly. If
it’s not connected properly an error message will show. If it is
set properly there is about 150 ohms of resistance necessary
to control the throttle.

• You can not have your foot on the gas pedal when you are
starting the vehicle or the controller interface will not open
properly. (This is a safety feature that prevents the vehicle
from moving the instant it is turned on.)

• Check total voltage and the manual disconnect is set properly.

• Check all the fuses for correct installation.

• Use an e-meter to monitor the on board electrical and
charging system. The e-meter will tell you the voltage and
amps being used.

• The light bulb test - The whole idea of this test is that if there
is a short in the system, the light bulb will take the current
and not your motor.

You need to wire a 100-watt light bulb to the positive lead of the
batteries in line with the circuit. Take an extension cord and
wire a light socket in it.

The light should only turn on briefly and then go out. If it stays
on then there is a problem that you have to fix, which is most
likely a short in your wiring.

• Connect your final battery leads. Use gloves for this
connection, as there will be a spark when the capacitors in the
DC converter get charged up.

(Example) Under the hood of an electric car.

Congratulations it’s time to drive!

A few things to remember when driving an electric vehicle:

• When the car is stopped the power steering pump is not
running. Easing on the power (‘gas’ pedal) will get it turning
easily.
• If you are stopped and need to turn the wheel just push in the
clutch, which disengages the transmission, and slowly press
the power pedal and make your turn.

-----
Final tips to keep the cost of your conversion low:

• Make sure you look for free and cheap parts from the sources
mentioned in the manual.

• Consider purchasing other parts & supplies second hand.

• Sell the unneeded parts (such as gas motor & gas tank) you
removed from your vehicle to your local car
scrapping/wrecking place, or you could place an ad in your
local paper, or list the parts on ebay.
-----

Chapter 9

Helpful Resources:

If you are seeking some assistance in converting your vehicle to
electric or want to learn more about electric vehicles, you could
join or ask for help from an Electric Vehicle Association.

Generally the members of Electric Vehicle Associations are
happy to help others, learn from each other, and advance the
development of electric vehicles.

-----
Please note that Electricity4Gas has no direct contact with the
Electric Vehicle Associations listed. They have made no
endorsement of Electricity4Gas.
------

Links to various Electric Vehicle Associations are below:

Australia
Australian Electric Vehicle Assocation inc
http://www.aeva.asn.au/

Asia Pacific
Electric Vehicle Association of Asia Pacific
http://www.evaap.org/

Europe

Electric Auto Association Europe
http://www.eaaeurope.org/

UK

The Battery Vehicle Society
http://www.batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk

Electric Auto Association
– Arguably the biggest electric vehicle association in the world.
http://www.eaaev.org/

Below are a list of Electric Auto Association chapters, split up
into countries and states & provinces.

(Thanks to http://www.eaaev.org/eaachapters.html for this list)

Canada
Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa
Web Site: evco.ca
Contact: Alan Poulsen <info@evco.ca>, (613) 271-0940
Mailing: P.O. Box 4044, Ottawa, ON K1S5B1
Meetings: 7:30pm-10pm, last Monday of the Month
Location: The Green Room in the Canada Science and
Technology Museum, 1867 St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, 1867
St.Laurent, Ottawa ON
Please check with guard for room location

Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: veva.bc.ca
Contact: Haakon MacCallum <info@veva.bc.ca>, (604) 527-
4288
Mailing: 4053 West 32nd Avenue, Vancouver BC V65 1Z5
Meetings: 7:30pm, 3rd Wednesday of the month (Please check
web site for details)
Location:BCIT Electrical SE1 Bldg. Cafeteria — see map on

web site. All are welcome to join us beforehand (6pm - 6:30) at
The White Spot Restaurant, 4129 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby, BC
(North-East corner of Lougheed Hwy & Gilmore, 1st traffic
light East of Boundary & Lougheed).

Germany
EAA Deutschland
Web Site: eaa-deutschland.org
Contact: Ruediger Hild <ruediger.hild@gmx.de>, 0049-6136-
7520540
Mailing: Forststr. 18, 66538 Neunkirchen/Saarland/Deutschland
Meetings: Please contact us for meeting times and locations

USA
Alaska

Alaska EAA
Web Site: alaskaEVA.org
Contact: Mike Willmon <electrabishi@ak.net>, (907) 868-5710
Mailing: Attn Mike Willmon, 2550 Denali Suite 1, Anchorage,
AK 99503
Meetings: 8pm - 9pm, 3rd Friday of the month
Location: Kaladi Brothers, Brayton Drive, Anchorage, AK
99503

Arizona

Borderland Electric Vehicle Association
Contact: Donna Austin<donnagaustin@mindspring.com>, (520)
432-5151
Mailing: P.O Box 1222, Bisbee, AZ 85603
Meetings: First meeting 5:30pm July 11th

Location: Copper Queen Library,6 Main Street, Bisbee, Arizona
85603

Flagstaff EAA
Web Site: flagstaffeaa.org/index.html
Contact: Barkley Coggin <president@flagstaffeaa.org>, (928)
637-4444
Mailing: 6215 Rinker Circle, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Meetings: 4pm - 6pm, 1st Sunday of the month
Location: American Legion Hall on Birch and Humphries
Streets, Flagstaff, AZ

Phoenix EAA
Web Site: phoenixeaa.com
Contact: Jim Stack <jstackeaa@yahoo.com>, (480) 659-5513
Mailing: Attn. Sam DiMarco, 1070 E. Jupiter Place, Chandler,
AZ 85225
Meetings: 9am, 4th Saturday of the month Location: Please see
web site for location

Tucson EVA2
Web Site: teva2.com
Contact: Rush Dougherty <Info@teva2.org>, (520) 240-7493
Mailing: Rush Dougherty, 12800 W Big Valley St, Tucson AZ,
85736
Meetings: 9am, 3rd Saturday of the month
Location: Room E, UMC, 1501 N Campbell Av, Tucson AZ,
85724

California

Central Coast EAA
Web Site: eaacc.org
Contact: Will Beckett <will@becketts.ws>, (831) 688-8669

Mailing: 323 Los Altos Drive, Aptos, CA 95003
Meetings: Call or see web site for meeting information.
Location: Calvary Church, 8065 Valencia Street, Aptos, CA
95003

Chico EAA
Web Site: geocities.com/chicoeaa
Contact: Chuck Alldrin <chicoeaa@gmail.com>, (530) 899-
1835
Mailing: 39 Lakewood Way, Chico, CA 95926
Meetings: 11am to 1pm, 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: York Publishing/Videomaker 1350 E. 9th, Chico, CA
95926 , one block west of 99E, corner of Bartlet & 9th St.

East (SF) Bay EAA
Web Site: ebeaa.org
Contact: Ed Thorpe <EAA-contact@excite.com>, (510) 864-
0662
Mailing: 2 Smith Ct, Alameda, CA 94502-7786
Meetings: 10am-12noon, 4th Saturday of the month
Location: Alameda First Baptist Church, 1515 Santa Clara
Avenue, Alameda, CA

EVA of Southern California
Contact: Leo Galcher <leo4marg@mac.com>, (949) 492-8115
Mailing: 35 Maracay, San Clemente, CA 92672
Meetings: 10am, 3rd Saturday of the month
Location: Air Quality Management District(AQMD), 21865
Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA (off Hwy 60 and Hwy 57)

Greater Sacramento EAA
Contact: Tim Hastrup <tim.hastrup@surewest.net>, (916) 791-
1902
Mailing: 8392 West Granite Drive, Granite Bay, CA 95746
Meetings: 12noon, 3rd Tuesday of February, May, August, and

November
Location: Cool River Pizza, 6200 Stanford Ranch Road,
Rocklin, CA 95677

Konocti EAA
Web Site: konoctieaa.org
Contact: Dr. Randy Sun <rsun@mchsi.com>, (707) 263-3030
Mailing: 800 S. Main Street, Lakeport, CA 95453
Meetings: 11am, last Friday of the month
Location: Sun Dental, 800 S Main Street, Lakeport, CA (Please
see our web site under Future Meetings for Up-to-date meeting
time and location.)

North (SF) Bay EAA
Web Site: nbeaa.org
Contact: Chris Jones <chris_b_jones@prodigy.net>, (707) 577-
2391 (weekdays)
Mailing: c/o Agilent Technologies, 1400 Fountaingrove
Parkway, mailstop 3LSV, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Meetings: Typically 10am to 12noon, 2nd Saturday of the
month, check web site for details
Location: Please check web site for details

EVA of San Diego
Web Site: evaosd.com
Contact: Bill Hammons <ncsdca@att.net>, (858) 268-1759
Mailing: 1638 Minden Drive, San Diego, CA 92111
Meetings: 7pm, 4th Tuesday of the month
Location: Regional Transportation Center, corner of El Cajon &
I-15,, in the "Autotorium", San Diego CA

San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: sfeva.org
Contact: Dale Miller <dalewmiller@gmail.com>, (415) 491-
0910

Mailing: 87 Mt. Tallac Ct., San Rafael, CA 94903
Meetings: 11am to 1pm, 1st Saturday of the month
Location: Luscious Garage, 459 Clementina Street, San
Francisco, CA

San Francisco Peninsula EAA
Contact: Bill Carroll <billceaa@yahoo.com>, (650) 589-2491
Mailing: 160 Ramona Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080-
5936
Meetings: 10am, 1st Saturday of the month
Location: San Bruno Library, 701 Angus Avenue, San Bruno,
CA

San Jose EAA
Web Site: geocities.com/sjeaa
Contact: Terry Wilson <historian@eaaev.org>, (408) 446-9357
Mailing: SJEAA, 20157 Las Ondas San Jose CA 95014
Meetings: 10am, 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Reid Hillview Airport -- 2500 Cunningham Rd. San
Jose, Ca.

Silicon Valley EAA
Web Site: eaasv.org
Contact: Jerry Pohorsky <JerryP819@aol.com>, (408) 464-
0711
Mailing: 1691 Berna Street, Santa Clara, CA 95050
Meetings: 3rd Saturday (Jan-Nov) mostly held at HP Palo Alto
CA level A
Location: Bldg 20a Auditorium, Hewlett-Packard, 3000
Hanover St Palo Alto CA

Ventura County EAA
Web Site: geocities.com/vceaa
Contact: Bruce Tucker <tuckerb2@adelphia.net>, (805) 495-
1026

Mailing: 283 Bethany Court, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-2013
Meetings: Please contact Bruce for time and location

Florida

Florida EAA
Web Site: floridaeaa.org
Contact: Shawn Waggoner <shawn@suncoast.net>, (561) 543-
9223
Mailing: 8343 Blue Cypress, Lake Worth, FL 33467
Meetings: 9:30am, 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Coastal Tire and Auto, 35 SW 1st Avenue, Boca
Raton, FL

Georgia

EV Club of the South
Web Site: evclubsouth.org
Contact: David Kennington<d_kennington@bellsouth.net>,
(770) 944-3066
Mailing: 897 Woodman Trail, Austell, GA 30168
Meetings: 6pm, 1st Wednesday of the month
Location: please check our web site Calendar for locations.

Idaho

Panhandle Electric Vehicle Association
Contact: Gordy Ormesher <EVCarClub@hotmail.com>, (208)
660-8539
Mailing: 2025 E. Foxborough Court, Hayden, ID 83835
Meetings: 6:30pm, 2nd Monday of the month
Location: Go Green Electric, Post Falls, ID

Illinois

Fox Valley EAA
Web Site: fveaa.org
Contact: Ted Lowe <ted.lowe@fveaa.org>, (630) 260-0424
Mailing: P.O. Box 214, Wheaton, IL 60189-0214
Meetings: 6:30pm, 3rd Friday of the month
Location: Packer Engineering, 1976 N Washington St,
Naperville, IL 60563

Kansas
See Mid America EAA Kansas City, MO

Massachusetts

New England EAA
Web Site: neeaa.org/
Contact: Bob Rice <bobrice@snet.net>, (203) 530-4942
Mailing: 29 Lovers Lane, Killingworth, CT 06419
Meetings: 2pm-5pm, 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Please contact us for location

Pioneer Valley EAA
Web Site: pveaa.org
Contact: Karen Jones <PVEAA@comcast.com>
Mailing: P O box 153, Amherst, MA 01004-0153
Meetings: 2pm, 3rd Saturday of the month (Jan - June; Sept -
Nov)
Location: Please contact us for location
Michigan

Michigan EAA
Coming Web Site: michiganEAA.org
Contact: Larry Tuttle <larrytuttle@gmail.com>, (734) 995-9904
Mailing: 1620 Baldwin Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Meetings: Please contact us for meeting information

Minnesota

Minnesota EAA
Web Site: mneaaev.wikidot.com
Contact: Craig Mueller <president@mn.eaaev.org>, (612) 414-
1736
Mailing: 4000 Overlook Drive, Bloomington, MN 55437
Meetings: 7pm to 8:30pm, Last Thursday of each month, CDT
Location: Location changes, please check web site for details

Missouri

Mid America EAA
Web Site: maeaa.org
Contact: Mike Chancey <eaa@maeaa.org>, (816) 822-8079
Mailing: 1700 East 80th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131-2361
Meetings: 1:30pm, 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Location changes, please check web site for details

Gateway Electric Vehicle
Web Site: gatewayev.org
Contact: George Moellenhoff <nowev@sbcglobal.net>, (314)
963-1358
Mailing: 741 Eckrich Place, St. Louis, MO 63119
Meetings: Monthly, Please contact us for for details
Nevada

Alternative Transportation Club, EAA
Web Site: electricnevada.org
Contact: Bob Tregilus <lakeport104@yahoo.com>, (775) 826-
4514
Mailing: 2805 W. Pinenut Ct, Reno, NV 89509
Meetings: 6pm, Monthly, see web site or call for details
Location: Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive, Reno, NV

Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: lveva.org
Contact: William Kuehl <bill2k2000@yahoo.com>, (702) 636-
0304
Mailing: 2816 El Campo Grande Avenue, North Las Vegas, NV
89031-1176
Meetings: 10am to 12noon, 3rd Saturday of the month
Location: Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd, Las
Vegas, NV

New York

Long Island Electric Auto Association
Web Site: lieaa.org/home
Contact: Michael Anzalone <MJA@lieaa.org>, (631) 944-1104
Mailing: 18 Garwood Street, Centereach, NY 11720
Location: Lupton Hall at SUNY Farmingdale, Farmingdale,NY

North Carolina

Coastal Carolinas Wilmington
Contact: Page Paterson <pagepaterson@mac.com>, (910) 686-
9129

Mailing: 1317 Middle Sound, Wilmington, NC 28411
Meetings: Please contact us for time and date

Piedmont Carolina Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: opecthis.info
Contact: Clifford Metcalf <cliffordm2458@yahoo.com >, (704)
624-3397
Mailing: 1021 Timber Wood Ct, Matthews, NC 28105
Location: Charlotte Energy Solutions, 337 Baldwin Avenue,
Charlotte, NC

Electric Cars of Roanoke Valley
Contact: Harold Miller <EV@schoollink.net>, (252) 534-1258
Mailing: 567 Miller Trail Jackson NC 27845
Location: Economic Development Building in Jackson, NC

Triad Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: localaction.biz/TEVA
Contact: Jack Martin <jmartin@hotsheet.com>, (336) 213-5225
Mailing: 2053 Willow Spring Lane, Burlington, NC 27215
Meetings: 9am, 1st Saturday of the month
Location: T.S. Designs, 2053 Willow Spring Lane, Burlington,
NC

Triangle EAA
Web Site: rtpnet.org/teaa
Contact: Peter Eckhoff <teaa@rtpnet.org>, (919) 477-9697
Mailing: 9 Sedley Place, Durham, NC 27705-2191
Meetings: 3rd Saturday of the month
Location: Advanced Energy, 909 Capability Drive, Raleigh, NC
Oregon

Oregon Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: oeva.org
Contact: Rick Barnes <barnes.rick@verizon.net>,
Mailing: 19100 SW Vista Street, Aloha, OR 97006
Meetings: 7:30pm, 2nd Thursday of the month
Location:PCG Building, Two World Trace Center, SW corner
of 1st and Salmon, Portland

Pennsylvania

Eastern Electric Vehicle Club
Web Site: eevc.info
Contact: Peter G. Cleaveland <easternev@aol.com>, (610) 828-
7630
Mailing: P.O. Box 134, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0134
Meetings: 7:00 p.m. 2nd Wednesday of the month
Location: Room 35, Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, 201 E.
Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA

Three Rivers EVA
Web Site: threeriverseva.org
Contact: Jonathan Belak <jbelak@paelectrics.com>, (724) 387-
8210
Mailing: 5847 Washington Avenue, Export, PA 15632-1331
Meetings: 10:00 a.m. 3rd Saturday of the month
Location: PA Electrics, 5847 Washington Avenue, Export, PA

Texas

Alamo City EAA
Web Site: aceaa.org
Contact: Alfonzo Ranjel <acranjel@sbcglobal.net>, (210) 389-
2339

Mailing: 9211 Autumn Branches, San Antonio TX 78254
Meetings: 3:00 p.m. 3rd Sunday of January, March, May, June,
July, August and October
Location: Please subscribe to mail list at ACEAA.ORG for
latest update.

AustinEV: the Austin Area EAA
Web Site: austinev.org
Contact: Aaron Choate <austinev-info@austinev.org>, (512)
524-7159
Mailing: PO Box 49153, Austin, TX 78765
Meetings: Please see our web site

Houston EAA
Web Site: heaa.org
Contact: Dale Brooks <brooksdale@usa.net>, (713) 218-6785
Mailing: 8541 Hatton Street, Houston, TX 77025-3807
Meetings: 6:30pm, 3rd Thursday of the month
Location: Room 280, 2nd Floor, The Citizen Environmental
Center, 3015 Richmond Avenue, Houston, TX

North Texas EAA
Web: http://nteaa.org/
Contact: John L. Brecher <jlbrecher@verizon.net>, (214) 703-
5975
Mailing: 1128 Rock Creek Drive, Garland, TX 75040
Meetings: 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Time and Place for the upcoming meeting is posted at
the NTEAA Yahoo Group

Utah

Utah EV Coalition
Web Site: saltflats.com. Utah Salt Flats Racing Association
meeting (USFRA); we are the Official Bonneville Salt Flats AF
Racing Events Coordinators.
Contact: Kent Singleton <kent@saltflats.com>, (801) 644-0903
Mailing: 325 E. 2550 N #83, North Ogden, UT 84414
Location: Totems Restaurant, 538 S. Redwood Rd, Salt Lake
City, UT, (801) 975-0401. You'll meet BYU Electric Team,
WSU-EV Design Team other land speed racing celebrities.
Always a great turn out.

Washington

Seattle Electric Vehicle Association
Web Site: seattleeva.org
Contact: Steven S. Lough <stevenslough@comcast.net>, (206)
524-1351
Mailing: 6021 32nd. Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115-7230
Meetings: 7pm, 2nd Tuesday of the month
Location: 4310 Thackary Place, Seattle, WA Please see our web
site for details

Washington D.C.

EVA of Washington DC
Web Site: evadc.org
Contact: David Goldstein <goldie.ev1@juno.com>, (301) 869-
4954
Mailing: 9140 Centerway Rd, Gaitherburg, MD 20879-1882
Meetings: 7pm, 2nd or 3rd Tuesday of the month
Location: National Institute of Health, building 31-C, 6th Floor
Bethesda MD
Please check our web site for current information

Wisconsin
Southern Wisconsin EV Proliferation
Web Site: emissionsfreecars.com
Contact: Mike Turner <mike.turner@emissionsfreecars.com>,
(920) 261-7057
Mailing: 808 Fieldcrest Ct, Watertown, WI 53511
Meetings: Please contact us for date and location

Chapter 10

My Home-Made Renewable Solar & Wind Energy
Recommendation

How to power your electric car for free, and slash your
home electricity bill by 80% or even eliminate it completely!

I wanted to share my experience in purchasing a product that
many other people recommended: GreenDiyEnergy.

I've been researching for many ways to generate renewable
energy from your home.

It can be done. But until very recently this was very, very
expensive.

Luckily, the team at GreenDiyEnergy figured out a way to build
a solar or wind generator for $200 or even $100.

I don't personally know the creators of GreenDiyEnergy, and I
was a little skeptical at first when I saw the website. However,
seeing that they provided a 60-day money-back guarantee, I
decided to give it a fair trial. And I was very pleasantly
surprized by the whole experience with their product.

It taught me how to easily build a solar or wind generator. And
although I know how to build an electric car, I've never had
experience building a renewable energy resource for my home.
The book has specific details on where to get every piece and
instructions on how to put everything together.

After about 6 hours spent on it and $170 invested, I had my own
solar panel.

After another 5 hours spent and $120, I had my own wind mill
generator.

I just had to try both these systems. And I had a lot of fun while
building them.

Is "Home Made Energy" The Best Solution
For The Energy Problems We Are Facing?

I would say a big YES! Otherwise I wouldn't even bother to
write about this.

You can buy a wind or solar generator and pay someone to
install it. But from my research this will cost you at least a
couple thousands dollars.

And the DIY products from GreenDiyEnergy will generate all
the electricity you need.

To me it was like buying "free gold". I save more on my
monthly bill than I invested in the whole system.

This small thing that I've done for my home will save me this
year thousands of dollars.

Plus, I have learned a lot from the GreenDiyEnergy guide.

Everything is explained very straight forward and it contains
information that you need to know.

Otherwise you can rely on someone else. And you probably
know how costly and frustrating this can be some times...
So, if you consume any electricity at all, this product is for you.
I mean, you can even take your generators to family picnics.
Yes, that means portable electricity!

If you want to save money on your electricity bill, be energy
independent, and help our environment, then click the website
link below to find out more about GreenDiyEnergy.

http://www.electricity4gas.com/greendiyenergy.html

From all of us at Electricity4Gas.com, thankyou for
doing your part to help the environment.

Enjoy driving your electric car and enjoy all the
money you will save, never again paying for gas!

© Electricity4Gas.com

No Part of this document shall be reproduced or resold without
permission from an authorised representative at
Electricity4Gas.com

We reserve the right to prosecute and seek damages from an
individual or company that violates this, under 17 U.S.C. §
506(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 2319.

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