Check out this electric bug conversation with a 70 mile range! Thanks Andrew! – Link.
18 thoughts on “Electric VW bug”
Comments are closed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Support Make:
Join Make: Community Today
Join Make: Community Today
I saw a Ford Siemens motor on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Siemens-EV-Electric-Vehicle-New-Crate-Motor_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQihZ013QQitemZ230190976497QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
That would do the trick. But. The real trick is getting the controller.
Nice VW article though.
Great build although I can’t say I’d pay 30 Gs for it. I need to wonder why the seller thinks this is worth more than a Prius?
Its not worth 30G, a typical conversion (144V and a controller with matched motor) would cost around 2 grand for the controller, 1500-2000 for a motor and for 12 SLA 50 AH batteries, around 1400. Ad in contactors, charger, meters, wiring and a vintage car, you MIGHT get around 10 grand for parts, another 2-3g’s for assembly.
Worth more than a prius? Maybe, but only because its zero emission vehicle (in states where wind, solar and water power is used). Plus, they’re cheap to run, maybe 2-3 bucks a week for 20 miles a day. Compare that to a 55mpg Prius? thats 3 gallons or so of gas, so about 10 bucks? It adds up. Plus, no messy maintenance of the engine (oil change, coolant fluid, oil leaks).
I might be biased because I’m converting a motorcycle…lol
$30K for a 30-year-old economy car with no engine?
yikes! Get a decent midsize pickup truck with a blown engine for $700-1,000.. get some golf cart batteries… get a good second-hand 12-14hp gas lawn tractor motor and an electric forklift motor….Instant hybrid! bet you get more range, payload and room for about half that…
probably less if you settle for armature switching
and a manual control on the EC motor–don’t need no stinking computer, eh?
Or, How ’bout this strategy? Buy a 1989 Cavalier for $500…gets 37-39 mpg.(even more if you turn off the A/C and drive naked…)buy $29,500 worth of gasoline…about 10K gallons retail, a lot more than that wholesale.. drive the cav 200-250,000 miles on half the gas, sell the other half in a couple
years when the price hits $5/gal. (don’t forget the stabil)
woof-woof…
wa8wtejuno.com
for this price, I would expect a conversion with an AC motor/inverter and a hybrid li-poly battery pack. Check out Victor’s stuff at Metric Mind
well, I’ve MADE a few VW’s….
$30K?!? Not at that fit and finish level.
I have crash tested a VW bug. The containment (hold downs/spill catching) for those batteries, in case of accident, is lacking.
not worth 30k at that level with that old stuff in it… lot of work went into that though… maybe around 20k. Maybe… with a nav and a stereo.. and a heater
Maybe if it had nav/ stereo/ and new parts not old GE motor….maybe worth 30 with all that work… oh and sealed batteries… but this is worth under 20k.
Well the point of having a sale of $30K is to tell you all, I do not want to sell but I will if you give me this amount, It is one hell of a nice car and very comfortable to rid in. I got to take a ride in this bug and it is real nice. I have an EV Ghia with the same motor. The motor may be old but todays technology is not really any further advanced for DC motors. As long as it is in good condition and the brushes are good then the motor is worth using. GE make an excellent EV motor. Good prices used and excellent life. If a bearing dies just replace it. No parts to wear out you know except the brushes which are abundant and cheap.
:)