Self build Electric Cars

There is a fair bit on Youtube about cars that have been converted. I think it will be easier to build a high performance electric vehicle than it will a petrol one soon.

Honda IMA hybrids are very cheap, seen them go for £500

There are a couple of electric conversion websites I'll try to find links for.

Sent from merry christmas using proboards

Are you SURE that's how it works? As Toyota's Hybrid drive has always used the electric part more as a first gear than any worthwhile drivetrain.

Hybrid Synergy Drive is a classic group of meaningless marketing-curse word words

I have driven a yaris hybrid recently, it did indeed start on the petrol motor, but then after a while switched over to all electric and it drove on that for the rest of the journey. It was a pleasant experience, although a little 'antiseptic'. I am intrigued by all this electric-jiggery-pokery, not sure i'm a fan but it is a very interesting idea.

When I used to deliver demonstrator vehicles, admittedly a few years ago, we had Honda as one of the Manufacturers.
The Honda Hybrids I drove then were the absolute worst 'cars' I had ever had ther misfortune of moving, Particularly if you needed to get a wiggle on, for example turning right at a busy interchange, or joining fast moving traffic.

6000 rpm indicated would get you around 25mph! At the same time you went deaf from the screaming, although that may have been me as well as the car!

I would hope that things have moved on apace since then (they could hardly have got worse) but if this is an accuate measure of hybrids I wouldn't drive one again, let alone waste time modifying.

Bit late to this thread but I think converting classics to electric is going to become a thing. With London sticking a new enviro tax on pre Euro 4 petrol and pre euro 6 diesels, other cities are watching and waiting to follow once the bugs are ironed out. This is in addition to the existing congestion charge, and it's already in discussion to roll out to the N & S Circular roads.

tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2017/november/gla---ultra-low-emission-zone-will-start-in-2019

Much as I'd love to rant about the above, it's going to level the playing field a bit for converted electric vehicles driving around towns. If you do less than 50 miles a day, it's relatively easy

Certainly battery tech has a way to go. Tesla freed up their patents but the technology is not simple to reproduce - aluminium sonic bonding anyone? The biggest bang per buck commercially available is Lithium Ion but that's the one that burns and gives off oxygen to burn even more when it overcharges. One cell can go wrong and cause the next one to overcharge and cause a chain reaction. Lithium Iron Phosphate is stable but less energy density and more expensive.

If you know your required range, you can budget for that. No point paying for 150 mile range if you only need 20 per day. Plus as time goes on, replacing with newer, better batteries is less hassle than replacing engines.

This guy's doing a great job I think

www.facebook.com/LondonElectricCars/

OP what range do you need?

For books I recently borrowed 'Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles' by James D Halderman & Tony Martin from my college library. Has good explanations of the hybrid drive systems and systems like regenerative braking and stop/start units. Worth a read through if you are looking to gain an understanding of different types if electric vehicles. It's an American book so some of the references and view points appear a bit different for my European brain.