What Makes A Vehicle A Good Choice For Electric Vehicle Conversion?

With many reasons to break free of having to buy gasoline or diesel fuel at the pump, drivers are looking into electric vehicle conversion options more than ever before. While technically any gas or diesel vehicle can be transformed with enough hard work into an electric vehicle (EV), it's more expensive for some models than others. If you're trying to make your project as budget-friendly as possible, starting with a vehicle that has the right features to make a good EV will significantly simplify the process. Consider putting emphasis on these particular features when choosing a vehicle for your EV conversion.

Relatively Light Weight

The electric motor or motors used in the conversion will provide the most power to a relatively lightweight car. You can't subtract the engine weight from the car when factoring in the total weight because the equipment used for the battery system and the motors combined tend to add just as much weight or more to compensate. Sedans, light pickup trucks, compact cars, and many sports cars are popular for this reason.

Space for Batteries

It can be tricky to find space for batteries on some smaller sedans and compact cars. The battery system is usually the single most space-consuming part of the EV conversion. The more batteries you add to the vehicle, generally the farther you can go. Investing in higher-quality batteries will produce more power, better responsiveness when driving, and a longer range before a recharge is needed. The engine compartment may be appropriate once the engine is removed, but it may need to be retrofitted to make it appropriate for holding the batteries and protecting them from water splashing up from below.

Extra Weight Capacity

Most electric vehicle conversion parts add up to weigh as much as the original engine or even a few hundred pounds more. Make sure the chassis in particular can handle the extra weight. Small SUVs and light pickup trucks tend to excel at this thanks to their towing and cargo hauling capacity, not to mention offering more space for battery storage.

Stop and Go Driving

Any vehicle you prefer to use for stop-and-go driving will be a good choice for converting to an EV. Electric motors tend to suffer less wear and tear over time from traffic or running errands on a daily basis than combustion engines. This could be a family vehicle like a crossover SUV or sedan that you use on a daily commute. 

For more information about electric vehicle conversion parts, contact a local company.