For those who desire to convert a gasoline powered car to an electric one, the right knowledge and skills are required. Many books and tutorials are available and it is worthwhile to seek some out.  After gaining basic knowledge, the starting point is to choose an appropriate "donor" car and to decide if a conversion kit will be used. If using a conversion kit, it is advisable to use a custom kit if one is available for the model being converted.  If not, a universal kit is recommended.

There are some key considerations when choosing the vehicle to convert. A working manual transmission is needed for the electric motor. Automatic transmissions are too complicated and inefficient to work with, and most books, manuals and tutorials do not cover them. A vehicle without a solid body and frame is a waste of time. Gross vehicle weight rating has to be suitable to handle the weight of the batteries as well. Lastly, use of a commonly available donor vehicle is advised to ensure readily available replacement parts in the future.

To do the conversion, first the engine, transmission, gas tank and exhaust system are removed.  Once the gasoline components have been removed, an adapter plate is attached to the manual transmission.  If done with an automatic transmission, a big chunk of available motor energy is lost.  To create a reduction gear for the electric motor to gain maximum efficiency, the existing manual transmission is pinned into second or third gear.

Once appropriate space has been designated, the batteries can be installed.  Positioning for weight distribution is important, or the vehicle may not drive properly.  This may require some experimentation.  Once the batteries are placed, the controller and motor are wired to the batteries.  Additional small electric motors may be necessary for power steering and air conditioning systems.  After variable resistors are hooked to the accelerator pedal, they are connected to the controller.

To create heat for a heating system, a small electric or ceramic water heater will need to be installed.  To operate the brake booster, a vacuum pump is necessary as well.  A charging system is needed for the batteries and a DC-to-DC converter is necessary for the accessory battery.  A voltmeter replaces the gas gauge.  Last, a large relay called a contactor is installed to connect and disconnect the battery pack to and from the controller so the car can be turned on and off.  The ignition switch is then wired to the contactor and is also re-wired to turn on all the new electrical components installed.

For those who are passionate about the benefits of an electric vehicle, and who have the mechanical knowledge, time, money and skill to properly do an electric vehicle conversion project, the personal satisfaction will be immense.  Probably no other automotive do it yourself project will bring more satisfaction.  Doing the job oneself is definitely the least costly way to have an electric vehicle as well.

Doing an electric vehicle conversion requires a significant investment of time, effort and resources, and may test the limits of one's knowledge, skills and patience.  Other considerations include accepting that the vehicle may not perform as well as it did before the conversion, since the vehicle was originally designed to be powered by gasoline.  If certain components in the vehicle begin to malfunction over time, troubleshooting and repair may not be straight forward either, and the assistance of a trained professional may be costly.   While new electric vehicle purchases are being financed with loans, it may not be possible to get a loan to carry out a conversion.