You can see that blog post as an EV Conversion Kit Guide for dummies. It will not be a 100 pages post that will take you through every little bolt and adjustment that is possible, but it will be solid guidance on how to get that EV Car Conversion on the road!
Why do you want that EV Conversion?
The cost of an electric car hasn’t increased significantly in the last ten years. But thanks to technical innovation, we now have affordable alternatives to buying an electric automobile, such as electric car conversion kits and plenty of tools. The different kinds and applications of an electric automobile conversion kit will be covered in this article.
The transition from a fuel vehicle to an electric vehicle is also seen as a result of increased fuel prices and government efforts to minimize carbon emissions.
You don’t even need to purchase a brand-new electric automobile for that. Yes, you can convert your gas vehicle to an electric vehicle with an electric vehicle conversion kit.
You can even lengthen the life and purpose of that oldtimer and make it perform better and more reliable. Pretty cool.
By the way, it does make up for some very clean engine bays and some pretty hefty performance!
ICE vs EV
You currently see that the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powers the typical automobile. As soon as the gasoline ignites, it gets going. Inside that engine, it generates energy (explosions) and moves the pistons and rods. Through additional components like the transmission, axles, differentials and such, the motion of the engine is transmitted to the wheels. So, way different than the other form of ICE of you have in your cocktail or around your neck. Bling bling…
On the other hand, an electric car differs from vehicles powered by gasoline in three key ways. It contains batteries, a controller and an electric motor (or a few) in place of an engine. An electric car works on a controller that is powered by batteries rather than burning petrol.
What is an EV Conversion Kit?
Take keep it simple: It is kit for converting a normal gasoline-powered car to an electric car which includes the necessary parts and a set of instructions. These kits frequently include batteries, controllers, motors, cable harnesses, etc.
Although there are kits for cars powered by lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid battery-powered kits are the also widely used types of electric car conversion kits. However, keep in mind they are MUCH heavier.
For instance, Bosch has developed the small and effective conversion kit known as the Bosch eAxle. The kit offers battery and hybrid vehicle solutions.
The little unit has an electric motor, power electronics, and a transmission that fuels the axle of the car directly. The design requires less complexity while saving installation space. The scalable output ranges from 50 to 300 kW, the scalable torque ranges from 1000 to 5000 n and weights about 90 kg.
Also the big guys like GM and Ford have introduced an EV Crate Engine!
Model Specific EV Conversion Kit or an Universal Kit?
There are typically two different types of kits: Universal and Specific. Below is a detailed discussion of both of them:
Universal EV Car Conversion Kit
It mostly starts with this. A lot of people and/or companies got creative and collected parts of crashed EVs like a Tesla, BMW i3 of Nissan Leaf and made the parts works. This way you can just adjust these separate parts the way you like them to make it work on whatever car you have.
Besides this, there are also companies that supply you with experience in the form of an already semi-plug and play universal kit. A company like Fuel2Electric for example has such a kit as you can see below. They even have a Course…
Keep in mind this will take a lot of time and a decent skillset to do so. You will design and create on the go. The advantage you can “always” make it work how you want it to work. Your creativity and skillset are the limit in this one.
Besides this, there are also companies that supply you with experience in the form of an already semi-plug-and-play universal kit. A company like Fuel2Electric for example has such a kit as you can see below. They even have a Course…
Model Specific EV Car Conversion Kit
Some conversion kits, like those provided by EV West, are even created for particular vehicles such as a Porsche 911. The kit includes parts like:
Motor: HPEVS Dual AC-34
Controller: Curtis 1238 650 Amp, 96 Volt
Instrumentation: Xantrex Link Pro
Shunt: Deltec 600 Amp
Transmission Adapter Kit: EV West VW Air Cooled Billet Aluminum Transmission Adapter
Charger: Elcon PFC2500
J1772 Charge: Yes, J1772 Inlet, and Controller
Chill Plate: EV West
Throttle Control: Toyota Prius Hall Effect
DC/DC Converter: SEVCON DC/DC 300W Converter
Brake Transducer: EV West
BMS Controler: Dilithium
BMS Satellite: Dilithium
Thermistor Harness: Dilithium
Flywheel: EV West
Clutch: 200mm Solid Disc Exide Clutch
This is about all you need to convert your 911 into an electric-powered 911 except the batteries, which are very personal based on finance, range and performance needs. Needs will vary in this.
