Convert 71 to Electric

[chuck101]

I have been thinking about doing an electric conversion for awhile now. Buy a beater car and swap the engine with electric.
I decided against it because I don't have room for another car, but my bus engine is tired and needs to be rebuilt or replaced so this might be a good time to just go ahead and convert the bus.

My problem is that I don't know where to begin as far as designing a system that would meet my needs and budget. Does anyone know of a place that will design me a system? I figure I can have some fabrication shop help with the metal work for battery boxes and motor mounts.

I figure that a turnkey motor for my bus is going to run me about $3000 give or take for a good one from steelbuggin or another turnkey shop. So that is about my budget.
I am hoping that I can get the local battery supplier to sponsor my bus and reduce or cover the battery costs. Any bus is a head turner, so I think they will go for it. Slap a couple of their stickers on the side windows... I think I should be on budget if they sponsor me and I am left buying controllers and motor.
Thanks.
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71 Transporter

[MarkWard]

I came across this on ebay. Might be a place to start your quest. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Electric-Vehicle-Co...0107157208

or for general information. http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/build.html

[4Doora]

There's a sight that sells kits to put in vws http://www.e-volks.com/about.html

But after buying the motor, and all the batteries necessary to complete a conversion, it would be cheaper to buy yourself a turnkey.
Plus, you don't get very far on one charge (i think about 100 miles, but don't take my word for it)
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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

[chuck101]

Thanks for the info. I am hoping to get the batteries donated and that this will put me even with what a turnkey might cost me.
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71 Transporter

[Redd73]

if you are doing this for environmental reasons i would personally see if i could find a diesel swap and build a veggie oil conversion instead. not too great for long roadtrips but it would be a great daily.
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"...theres nowhere to go but everywhere." - Kerouac

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73 Westy 2000cc w/dual solex (engine code GE) + aftermarket AC

[MarkWard]

You'll need to get a short peice of chain to drag on the ground behind the bus to get that "exhaust" noise we all recognize. Can't imagine a bus that made no noise. I have all the interior panels out of mine and with a stock muffler, I can't hear myself think going down the road.

[chuck101]

Haha. This is true.... I am thinking of doing it more for the fairly ease of conversion, much less heat, complexity and moving parts, and to not be at the mercy of OPEC quite as much.
I would consider a diesel conversion, but I am leaning towards electric at this time.
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71 Transporter

[Jeff Geisen]

... unbeleiveable! I think you are serious.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[stupidsongs2]

A bus is a little heavy for an electric conversion; you'll burn up all your battery power pretty quick.

I'd buy a motorless / transmissonless beetle for a few hundred then just shove a electric motor and a differential in it.

[deronmoped]

I talked with a guy that has a real nice EV at the Earth day event we have here in San Diego and what we ended up talking about was how the batteries would sulfate if not maintained correctly. He had a big solar array on the bed of his truck that was used just to keep the batteries from sulfating.

I always though a electric vehicle would be cool, but the more I look into building one the more I find it is just a novelty.

I would wait a few years till they get a good cheap lithium ion battery, then were crusin.

Deron.

[Redd73]

it SOUNDS like a cool idea but the reality seems like it would be a lot more trouble than it was worth.
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"...theres nowhere to go but everywhere." - Kerouac

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73 Westy 2000cc w/dual solex (engine code GE) + aftermarket AC

[i_am_cool_fred]

what my question is is why couldn't you put a big truck altenator or something on that motor also so the batteries would charge, it seems that that would help alot. the main question is what can you do to keep the batteries charged? then the rest would just fall into place.
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proud owner of a defunct 1979 sunroof kombi


Brian Denning, as seen on Gearz TV

[[email protected]]

A friend of our family used to run an Electric Conversion company called Eco-Electric in Tucson. They would convert a car to electric for an owner - and it would be custom. This was in about 1994-1999. They had a way of eliminating a lot of waste energy - yet I don't recall WHAT they did - I USED to know. I do know - that John had an older Toyota Pickup they had converted - and it would run about 100 miles on a charge at 50mph.

But the best part? They were able to run Airconditioning. How - I don't recall again. LOL - wish I could locate him....
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Ryan

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1963 Beetle
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[MarkWard]

In Tucson they could have had a "swamp cooler" for air conditioning. They utilize the evaporation of water for cooling. Would take very little energy to operate. Just an idea.

[Redd73]

[mycoleptodiscus]

The bus is a poor choice for an electric conversion because it is so un-aerodynamic. I have driven my friend's converted B-Series Mazda pickup and around town it's fine, but on the freeway it really pulls amps like they are going out of style. You can only pull so many amps/per unit time out of a battery. From his extensive research, the best cars are light and aerodynamic. That said, they are a little scary at first because the only noise you hear is the rubber on the road.

[Duncwarw]

It has been done as mentioned.

The main problem is the batteries. Eventually, the prices of the right batteries will come down but unless you're a millionaire, you're stuck with lots of lead acid traction batteries.

I think the bus is a great platform for conversion as you have both the space and the load capacity for all those batteries. Range will be a problem with standard batteries but they say 90% don't need a great range in our daily lives.

Forget big alternators and solar panels. Like the man says, no free lunch.
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“To find yourself, think for yourself”
Socrates, 470 BC - 399 BC

[Jeff Geisen]

... if we could just achieve perpetual motion.

Then again, if that were to happen, can you imagine the economic unrest that would result?

Keep buyin' gasoline, help support the economy!
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[mightyart]

http://www.monkeywork.com/p/Bus1.html
It's been done lot's o times
Search on the internet and you'll find several sites, an early rabbit is the easiest car to convert, you can buy kits for them.
I used to think electric was the way to go untill I found out that our antiqated power grid couldn't handle it if more people were changing their cars to.

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My Art:
http://www.instagram.com/flynn8552/

[Rocknrod]

Always thought this would be cool if one lived on a river and had a micro-hydro generator out back. Don't plug in to the grid...
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1971 Westfalia with a high top.
http://71vwbus.blogspot.com/ - Pictures and words... Oh My!