Thank you for taking the time to consider my question. I have a 1969 VW beetle. I have replaced the pans, had the motor in and out, and rewired the car myself. I have access to a basic machine shop, though this is a hobby and I am not a mechanic by trade. I have seen a complete conversion kit on EV west for 19K. If I sourced parts myself and was willing to use salvaged parts, for example, from a wrecked leaf or volt how much could I save on the conversion. I am looking for a 72MPH top speed. Range of 50-70 miles.
Rough Budget Estimate
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Hi
You could buy a complete damaged Leaf for about $4000 - and that would give you all the parts that you would need
Or a forklift motor - I paid $100
a Paul & Sabrina controller - $600
And a Volt battery - I paid $1800
Then about $1000 for the other bits
Just keep reading and see what people have managed
You could buy a complete damaged Leaf for about $4000 - and that would give you all the parts that you would need
Or a forklift motor - I paid $100
a Paul & Sabrina controller - $600
And a Volt battery - I paid $1800
Then about $1000 for the other bits
Just keep reading and see what people have managed
Volkswagen VW Beetle/Bug EV Conversion Complete Kit, Regen Brakes, Battery Packs 1956-1977
You could look at the components provided, price them out individually, and look for opportunities for savings.
This kit uses 180 Ah CALB LiFePO4 prismatic cells. They certainly work, but are the most expensive way to go now. They are $259 each from EV West, and if the kit uses 38 of them (as suggested by the total capacity) that's almost $10,000 for the battery alone. Salvaging from a wrecked Leaf, Volt, or Tesla should be much cheaper... but takes more work.
You could look at the components provided, price them out individually, and look for opportunities for savings.
This kit uses 180 Ah CALB LiFePO4 prismatic cells. They certainly work, but are the most expensive way to go now. They are $259 each from EV West, and if the kit uses 38 of them (as suggested by the total capacity) that's almost $10,000 for the battery alone. Salvaging from a wrecked Leaf, Volt, or Tesla should be much cheaper... but takes more work.
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Thanks for the advise guys! Had not heard of using a forklift motor before. Was looking at the "ForkenSwift Project" on electric-cars-are-for-girls and feeling rather encouraged. I'll be further researching this in my free time. Thanks again!
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I saw that threat and liked it too. Very interesting turning that BMW to an EV for 1000 euros. Unbelievable.
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