Although the first electric car was designed in the last decade of the 19th century, by the turn of the century, vehicles powered by fossil fuel became the sole mode of transportation. However, mounting pollution and rising fuel price have prompted automobile manufacturers to search for sustainable energy sources. Here are ten cars that had been converted into electric vehicles.
DIY Electric cars
1. Mercedes Benz ML 350
Mercedes Benz ML 350
SUVs are frequently blamed for polluting the environment owing to their low mileage. A Mercedes-Benz car propelled by an electric engine could be a befitting answer to the allegations lodged against the luxury vehicles by environmentalists. To prove that even the Mercedes-Benz vehicles could be powered by renewable energy, AMP, the renowned electric vehicle conversion company, has converted Mercedes-Benz ML350 into an all-electric vehicle. One thousand electric versions of ML350 will be supplied to the Icelandic company, Northern Lights Energy.
2. Audi TT
AudiTT
A group of Georgia Tech students has converted the popular Audi TT into a solar-assisted electric car. The Audi powertrain is powered by two batteries. To stay in tune with the eco friendly objective of the electric car, the batteries will be powered by built-in solar panels.
3. 1987 Porsche
1987 Porsche
For Purdue University students, a 1987 Porsche 924S with engine seemed to be the appropriate vehicle for designing an electric car. Jim Danielson and Sean Kleinschmidt, first year engineering students, replaced the original motor of the Porsche with a forklift motor powered by a deep-cycle lead acid marine battery. The converted 1987 electric Porsche could attain a top speed of 55 mph. A fully charged battery could propel the vehicle for about 50 miles.
4. 1994 Saturn
1994 Saturn
With their expertise in automobile engineering, volunteers at Burlington’s Good News Garage have proved that even a discarded 1994 Saturn could function as a zero-emission electric car. After spending $10,000 for fine-tuning the vehicle, the volunteers created an electric Saturn that covered 35 miles on battery power at 65 miles per hour peak speed. It takes six hours to recharge the car battery from a domestic power source.
5. 1996 Corvette
1996 Corvette
A Chevrolet Corvette that showcased its elegant profile while running on the road in the last decade had jumped on the electric car bandwagon. Wayne Bickley from California discarded the outdated powertrain of his 1996 Chevrolet Corvette and placed a DC electric motor and 18XS Power XP1000 batteries under the hood. Paired with clutchless six-speed gearbox, the electric Corvette could sprint at 85mph top speed and cover 20 miles on a single charge.
6. 1988 Mazda pickup
1988 Mazda pickup
Andrew Angelotti, a 16-year old, invested $6000 he earned as a part-time lifeguard to covert a 1988 Mazda pickup truck into an electric vehicle. The 9-inch, 60HP electric motor of the electric pickup truck is powered by 120 volts lead acid batteries. Although the vehicle might not boast of impressive performance, nonetheless, it is capable of attaining 55 miles per hour maximum speed and an average range of 40 miles on a single charge.
7. 1965 Shelby Daytona
1965 Shelby Daytona
By blending the classic with the modern, Raul Atkinson, a software engineer has chartered into the territory of eco friendly cars with an electric 1965 Shelby Daytona. 290 nickel-hydrogen batteries power the 3-phase AC induction motor. The electric car offers impressive specifications. From standstill, it can sprint at 60mph in 8 seconds. With a maximum range of 80 miles, the 1965 Shelby Daytona could run at a top speed of 100mph. In just 3 hours, the rundown battery could be fully recharged.
8. 1997 Geo Metro
1997 Geo Metro
To enable his 1997 Geo Metro to run on electric power, David Cloud has integrated 8-inch ADC motors to each rear wheel of the vehicle. The motor is powered by 12-volt lead acid batteries. The modifications in the Geo Metro power train have helped the car to attain a maximum range of 200 miles, which is significantly high in the electric car segment. It could attain 60 miles per hour speed from nil in 18 seconds and a maximum speed of 72 miles per hour.
9. 1960 Beetle
1960 Beetle
It took Olly and Sam Young six years to convert the 1960s Beetle into an electric car. The result was a classic Beetle propelled by two forlift truck motors powered by 60 12-volt batteries. The Beetle electric car created by the Young brothers could generate 1200lb ft of peak torque. After activating the engine, in just 3 seconds, the car could run at a speed of 60 miles per hour.
10. Dingy petrol van
Dingy petrol van
Peter Perkins’ Bedford Rascal van runs on electric engine powered by solar radiation. The 200w solar panels mounted on the exterior of the vehicle charge the batteries throughout the day. The batteries could also be charged from conventional power sources. In addition, a 400w small wind turbine is present to power the van in the absence of other energy sources.
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