Don't Wait for the Chevy Volt

T-Bucket by Gary Stark ______ With the Chevy Volt being priced at $41,000 and the Nissan Leaf at $33,000 - less with federal tax credits; you can do better. Almost anyone can convert an existing ICE vehicle to an Electric Vehicle (EV).

Brandon Hollinger did 96 miles on a single charge with lead acid batteries. Approximate cost of Conversion $10,000. Read More The Saab 96 was his vehicle of choice. _______________________________

Electric Vehicles of America, Inc. (EVA) helped Brandon with component selection, engineering calculations, EV parts, Installation Manual, DVD, and more. Other customers have done S-10s, Datsun 240Z, BMWs, T-Buckets and other vehicles.

Electric Vehicles Charge Ahead in US

Construction to begin on thousands of charging stations for 'clean' cars. by Tom Banse, Voice of America Washington, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] What's billed as the biggest rollout of electric vehicle infrastructure in the world is about to begin in the United States. Urban planners are deciding where to locate more than 11,000 charging stations in 11 major cities. They want those stations up and running when the first mass-market electric cars from Nissan and General Motors go on sale at the end of this year. Read the full article at RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Image: Courtesy of ECOtality

CONTROLLER ENGINEERING - Help in the Selection

This month, Electric Vehicles of America, Inc. continues our series on engineering by discussing the Controller. The controller is the brains of the operation; it controls the energy going to the motor and can protect the motor from damaging itself.

The Controller should be sized properly for the application (weight, speed, terrain, etc.) and the voltage utilized. Selecting an undersized controller (e.g. 72V for a truck conversion) will decrease performance and eventually damage components. Selecting an oversize controller for the application increases the cost and decreases the efficiency of overall operation.

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EV Conversion Component Packages

Once again, we at EVA are trying our best to help you succeed in your EV project. We have made it easy for you to know exactly what you need, and see what other options you have for your conversion. With our component packages, you will find an itemized list of all the EV parts, their description, and exactly how many you’ll need along with a price list. Please find your application, and take a look at our packages, then give us a call at 603-569-2100. Truck Package - 144V System Truck Package - 120V System Car Package - 144V System Car Package - 120V System Car Package - 96V System Car Package - 72V System Motorcycle Package - 72V System Motorcycle Package - 48V System Tractor Package - 48V System Boat Package - 48V System

Compare, Compare, Compare!

At EVA, we ask that you.. Compare Our Products. Many EV component suppliers show every possible component on their web site. Our objective is to stock only the products we believe are best for 90% of EV users. So we encourage you to compare: The Advanced DC Motor to other motors. www.EVAlbum.com lists more than 2500 EVs (electric bicycles, scooters, cars, trucks, riding lawn mowers and more). It also lists manufacturers. Advanced DC Motors and Curtis controllers are the most popular. They are listed 4-5 times more frequent than their closest competitor. The reason is the reliability of this motor/controller combination. Compare performance. Advanced DC Motors provides motor curves for voltages up to 144V. Curtis controllers have smooth acceleration throughout its operating range. Curtis provides a complete Manual of ~50 pages to help guide in installation and troubleshooting. At EVA we are proud that we are consistent in our product offerings. We have seen too many manufacturers come and go in the EV business - leaving the customer without technical or parts support. For example, one controller manufacturer just moved to China leaving their U.S. customers without technical support. Compare Our Services At EVA “Customer Service is No. 1”. We provide the customer the information he needs before buying in order to purchase the best components for his application. EVA also provides a 1 inch Installation Manual and 1 hour DVD to guide the conversion process. We are also readily available by phone and email, if questions develop. In addition, our services continue with you and your EV after the sale. If you sell your vehicle, we serve the new owner. Basically, we are here to serve you for now and many years to come. Compare Our Prices Our prices are not only competitive, but they are probably the lowest Package Price you will find. In our EV Packages, we provide a detailed parts breakdown so you can see individual prices. You receive a package discount. You do not have to buy everything at once; you pay when the parts are shipped. Our price for shipping is also extremely low. Our shipping volume allows our shippers to give EVA significant discounts which are passed on to our customers. Thank you for comparing. It will allow you to have the best EV at the lowest price. Only One company is responsible. EVA assumes responsibility for system performance. EVA works with the manufacturers of EV parts to ensure an acceptable and cost effective system design for your Electric Vehicle! (Products Page)

EVA's Response to Chevy Volt

There is much excitment about the Chevy Volt coming to market - most of the excitement is generated by the manufacturer. There are even claims of 230 mpg! That is impressive! But it comes with a cost. The cost is estimated at $40,000. That is certainly more than what most people want to pay for a car. There must be alternatives. Here are a few alternatives for $40,000:

• Electric Vehicles of America, Inc. (EVA) (www.EVAmerica.com) can provide a 2010 Toyota Camry and an EV conversion. The conversion will be a battery operated vehicle that can be used in town. The Toyota Camry is one of America's Best Selling Sedans. http://autos.aol.com/gallery/best-selling-sedans
• EVA can provide a converted electric pick up truck and at least $20,000 cash back. Our trucks have been some of the most reliable EVs on the road. Some have been in operation since the early 1990s.
• EVA can provide a converted electric car and at least $25,000 cash back.
• EVA can sell you the parts and support for you to convert a vehicle and $30,000 cash back.

EVA has been providing EV Parts for the hobbyists, fleet managers, and industrial applications for 20 years! We are old enough to remember when GM introduced the Impact (later re-named the EV-1). We also remember that GM crushed all the EV-1s. A movie was made about GM and the EV-1; it was called "Who Killed the Electric Car?" EVA still provides technical support and parts for our customers - even our first conversions done 20 years ago. Now GM is now promoting the Chevy Volt. The question is for how long? If GM does not make a profit the first two years, will they cut off support and spare parts? Will they commit to 20 years of support like EVA has done?

Safety First Introduction

Introduction: Although Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been in existence for more than 100 years, their recent interest and development has occurred faster than the ability to establish industry standards. The purpose of this technical paper is to present the authors' experience in building an EV that can be safely operated and maintained as well as being crashworthy. The authors have extensive experience in building EVs and automotive testing. A good design results only from careful consideration of the specific EV being built. Each component and each modification to an existing vehicle must be considered relative to its impact on the conversion design and the safety of the overall vehicle. Therefore, any EV project should make use of a qualified engineer for critical decisions. The specific recommendations are intended to represent a conservative design for the protection of the driver, vehicle occupants, and the general public. There is no intention to supersede or negate any existing codes, standards, or governmental regulations. Safety is essential in any vehicle. We accept the explosive risk associated with gasoline vehicles because manufacturers have designed the vehicle to minimize the risk and everyone is aware of the risk. Similarly, everyone should be aware of the risk of electrical shock in an EV. If you have questions, comments, or have experienced EV safety problems, please contact: evamerica@aol.com Go to www.evamerica.com to read the entire "Safety First" article, written by Bob Batson of Electric Vehicles of America, Inc. & Michael Beebe of EV Motor Sports