Build Your Own Electric Vehicle: Edition 2

Seth Leitman · Bob Brant

Jul 2008 · McGraw Hill Professional

About this ebook

Go Green-Go Electric! Faster, Cheaper, More Reliable While Saving Energy and the Environment

“Empowering people with the tools to convert their own vehicles provides an immediate path away from petroleum dependence and should be part of the solutions portfolio.” – Chelsea Sexton, Co-founder, Plug In America and featured in Who Killed the Electric Car?

“Create a superior driving experience, strengthen America, and restore the planet’s ecosystems...that’s the promise of this book and it’s well worth a read!” – Josh Dorfman, Founder & CEO – Vivavi, Modern Green Furniture Store; Author, The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living.

This new, updated edition of Build Your Own Electric Vehicle contains everything that made the first edition so popular while adding all the technological advances and new parts that are readily available on the market today.

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle gets on the expressway to a green, ecologically sound, cost-effective way that even can look cool, too!

This comprehensive how-to goes through the process of transforming an internal combustion engine vehicle to electric or even building an EV from scratch for as much or even cheaper than purchasing a traditional car. The book describes each component in detail---motor, battery, controller, charger, and chassis---and provides step-by-step instructions on how to put them all together.

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, Second Edition, covers:

• EV vs. Combustible Engine Overview
• Environmental and Energy Savings
• EV Evolution since the First Electric Car
• Current Purchase and Conversion Costs
• Chassis and Design
• Today's Best Motors
• Battery Discharging/Charging Styles
• Electrical Systems
• Licensing and Insurance Issues
• Driving
• Maintenance
• Related Clubs and Associations
• Additional Resources

Ratings and reviews

This updated edition (2008) discusses recent electric car developments (like Tesla) including battery improvements, but feels disjointed in its organization and lacks coherence. This edition is not nearly as good as the first edition (written by Bob Brant alone). Though the first edition is somewhat dated (i.e. 1994), it is a far better book -- more organized and understandable. Despite the title, neither edition is truly a step by step manual on how to build an electric car, as they both leave too much specific info out of them for the novice. The first edition gives the reader a basic understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it and is not a bad place for the complete beginner to start. But most people would probably need a lot more detailed info to actually build an electric car.

The lead in preview is a bit long with too much filler history and US centric facts and figures. SO in the actual book skip to the nitty-gritty and resource info if you want the guts. Diagrams are clear and easy to understand with supporting text. Photographs were a bit of a letdown. Colour would have been nice and also a more proffessional rather than a snapper aproach could be taken. Next edition might be upgraded by approaching the industry to sponsor the photos to keep the cost down and better enhance their product placement in this otherwise excellent and educational guide to 'Build Your Own Electric Vehicle'.

This book is for the novice. It is sloppy in its equations, some of which do not have variables explained. The authors or publisher should make a spreadsheet available. The prices are dated. The best thing about this book is that is promotes ICE to electric conversions well and may inspire some one to do a conversion.

About the author

Seth Leitman, (Briarcliff Manor, NY) is currently President and Managing Member of the ETS Energy Store, LCC, which provides energy efficiency, electric transportation and organic, natural, and sustainable products for business and home use (from energ-efficient bulbs to electric vehicle conversion referrals). Previously, he worked for the New York State Power Authority and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, where he helped develop, market, and manage electric and hybrid vehicle programs serving New York State and the New York metropolitan area. Seth is the consulting editor for a series of upcoming titles called the “Green Guru Guides,” which focus on implementing environmentally friendly technologies and making them work for you.

Bob Brant was the forward-thinking author of the now classic first edition of Build Your Own Electric Vehicle.