I want to convert my car into electric are there any grants in california for that?
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at
11:02 am
I have a rare vw bus that I want to convert it into electric. I work on forklifts and they are using the same Technology that would be used to do the conversion. I would do all the work myself but I need grant money to help with purchasing batteries.
Related posts:
- Convert2EV – Convert Your Car To Electric – Now Converting At 1:40. Best Converting Electric Car Site On CB. New Conversion Testing....
Tagged with: batteries • conversion • forklifts • money • vw bus
Filed under: Electric Car Conversion
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I just bought an electric truck which was converted from a regular Mazda pickup. I live in Calif and hunted around for rebates also. Several just expired last Fall and the only thing remaining insists that the batteries be sealed (mine aren't). And the note on the money says that it's only good until the money runs out. I didn't qualify so I didn't pursue it to find out if there was any money left.
I did call the power company (PG&E, northern calif) and they had a little department setup to handle electrics. The woman I talked to was very excited, perhaps b/c she gets very few calls. Anyhow, she said she'd move my account from an E1 to an E9. That would lower my charges from 31 cents / kilowatt hour to 5 cents. That would make the car's direct costs less than 2.5 cents per mile. She wants me to do an "energy audit" on my house first.
A VW bus is aerodynamically bad and thus a poor choice for conversion – unless you want to keep it below 35 mph.
The cost of conversion would likely run about $8000 (motor, controller, misc, plus batteries). There may be some rebate programs starting up soon but you probably shouldn't count on it.
I've listed two good books below.
good luck.
im sure that you could pilfer enough parts from work to do the job. Probably no grants, but think of all the money you will save by doing it anyway, and all those green hippy chicks you could impress.
it's dangerous to do that. You can get electrocuted VERY easily fooling around with that stuff. And just because it's DC and not AC , doesn't mean it's safe.
One little mis-step, one bad ground, one naked wire, and bzzzzz… you're fried chicken.
no. People come on here looking for electric conversions weekly. The kits, besides batteries, cost $3000 to $5000. They forget about brakes, steering, and steering that rely on an engine to run them. Then add in the batteries AND THE COST of electricity in CA which is the highest in the nation.
BTW CA is the only state that had a net loss in population last year and that if you overpaid the the state in income taxes, you will not get your money they owe you and if you owe the state money, they will foreclose on your house to get the money due them. I'd move if I was you……