Electric Vehicle Conversion Help

THE MOST INFORMATIVE WEB SITE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CONVERSION

Bill of Materials

Note: This table shows estimated costs of main components - prices are not those of any one advertiser/dealer.

Item #	Main Components	Approximate Cost
1	Electric motor	$1600 to $2500
*2	*Motor mount	$250
3	Motor controller	$1400 to $3000
4	Speed-control variable resistor with micro switch (PB6)	$90
*5	*System control box with contactor (contactor alone $150 to $200)	$500
6	High-current shunt	$60
7	High-current fuse (400 to 600 amps.)	$60+
8	High-current circuit breaker (250+ amps.)	$100+
9	Current meter (ammeter)	$70
10	Voltmeter (to match voltage range of battery bank)	$70
11	Clutch-plate hub adapter and motor-to-transmission adapter kit	$750+
12	Main battery-bank charger	$600 to $3000
13	12-V battery charger and 12-V deep-cycle battery (optional)	$170
14	High-voltage to low-voltage converter (optional charger for 12V battery)	$200
15	Batteries (6-V golf cart)	$70 to $200+ each
*16	*Battery rack(s)	$500
17	#2 or larger insulated cabling	$2.50+ per foot
18	Battery terminals	$2.50 each
19	Cable terminal lugs (high-current lugs)	$2.50 each
20	Misc. low-current wiring and terminal ends	$25
21	Leaf spring extension kit or new shocks with springs for rear	$25 to $120
22	Air shocks (optional)	$130
23	Vacuum pump & switch kit for power brakes	$250

Notes:

- You may be able to fabricate those items marked with an asterisk * and save money. For the system control box, see the Wiring Diagrams page.

- Item 14 is a method of supplying 12-V DC to your EV. A high-to-low voltage DC-to-DC converter can be used instead of having a 12-V battery. Item 13 may not be the best way to go if you do a lot of night driving.

- Item 21 is not needed if batteries are mounted behind cab as I have done.

- Item 22 is optional.

Some suppliers offer kits for certain conversions – most commonly for the Chevy S10 and Geo Metro. These kits may save a little money but may not be complete – additional hardware and system components are usually needed to complete the conversion.