[Key]

Hello All,
I'm new to the world of conversions and trying very hard to navigate all of the different EV Kits. I don't have the money to build a super car, but I'd like to build something that is scalable.
Could I use a cheaper kit with a higher voltage range so that I could upgrade the motor in the future? Does this even make sense?
I have also been looking at using a Nissan Leaf as my kit, but I see a lot of people have issues when attempting the Leaf transplant.
Could someone suggest a nice middle of the road kit? Or offer advice on the Leaf conversion. This will be my first attempt to do any kind of conversion and I'm not sure electrically inclined...

 

[john61ct]

Start with a gokart? Or maybe ebikes?

 

[Key]

I already have the car and it's just sitting there wasting away...

 

[OR-Carl]

Hello, and welcome. I am no expert, and at the rate I am going, will not be driving my project for another year (if there are not any more crazy world shattering events to mess up my plans). Even with a bit of battery background, I still remember just how daunting it was to get started. It seems to me that the first thing you need to do is decide what it is you want, and how much you are willing to spend to get it. If your only goal is to be driving a little compact car past the gas station - a used leaf is hard to beat for the money.

If you really want to dive into a big project (and it will probably take much longer than you think it will) then there are several routes to take. The old school approach is to buy a DC motor like a warp 9 or the new AC hyper 9, buy an adapter plate, and off-the-shelf prismatic LiFePo batteries. This is probably what you would get if you bought a "kit" assuming they still sell those. The whole thing might run you 20,000 bucks? Its the least technically challenging, but its also not a very good deal, considering what you get will basically be comparable to that used Leaf I mentioned (but at more than twice the price and many many many times more work).

There are cheaper (and basically just as good, or better) options for most of those main parts, like using a DC forklift motor (saves you 2 grand) using battery packs from a wrecked production EV (saves you 5 grand or more), but each one adds a little bit more work. Thats the route I am trying to take - I am going to get a used forklift motor and use some Tesla battery modules to power an S-10. My budget is around 12k. I am thinking of it mostly as a fun project, and I think that is key. Most people do not seem to finish their conversions...

Anyway, I wont even get into using salvaged production EV parts, as it is daunting on a whole other level. Hope this has not completely scared you off, It really is a fun hobby, honest!