Electric Car Instructional DVDs
The whole idea is to be able to make your own electric car, for not a lot of money, and to be able to do it yourself!
The instructional video is almost two-hours of “hands-on” style instruction, taking the viewer through all the aspects of building an electric car, using the Electro-Metro as an example. As a companion to the video disc, also included is a computer DVD-ROM disc with 50 YouTube videos and over 600 high-resolution photographs of the project.
The DVDs debuted at the 2010 MREA Energy Fair where they quickly sold out!
Click the BUY NOW button in the right hand column to purchase a copy of the BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC CAR two-disc set.
The set is $29.99, and includes free shipping in the U.S. (Business name on the receipt will appear as “In-House Media.”) Click here for other payment options.
Build Your Own ELECTRIC CAR
If you enjoyed the DVD, please leave a comment letting others know!
If you think an ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE might be more up your alley, check out our MOTORCYCLE DVD!
What people are saying:
“It was “Who Killed the Electric Car” that got me interested in EV’s, but it was your instructables with the Geo that got me thinking, hey, this is a real thing. I could *actually* do this! Thanks for what you’re doing, and keep up the awesome work!”
- Kyle W.
(If you either can’t or prefer not to use Paypal, you can mail a check or money order in US Dollars to:
In-House Media, LLC
38 S. Main St. #455
Oconomowoc, WI 53066-7230
United States
Please include your name, address, and telephone number, and that it’s for the electric car DVD.)
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How much do you estimate it costs you to charge this vehicle from home?
It’s very inexpensive. About 2 cents per mile.
Can I order over the phone?
UPDATE: We now CAN take orders over the phone! If you need this, leave a message for me and we can arrange for an over-the-phone payment.
Hi ben i want to purchase ur product but ghana is not on the country list so how do i purchase…
Just click the “BUY NOW” button. I do not have any “country list” – I’m happy to sell to anybody anywhere in the world. Just press buy now, and enter your name and address information into the PayPal processing. If for whatever reason you can not or do not want to use Paypal, you can alternatively mail me a check.
Can you ship one of your DVD’s to india if i order?
Yes, we will ship to India.
Good job man. Have you done any work with a sterling engine to convert the wasted heat into electricity to aid in the charging of the batteries. or even run the other eletronics
I have NOT worked with Sterling engines.
There really ISN’T any waste heat in the electric car. The motor really doesn’t get warm at all, and the motor controller doesn’t even have heat sync fins on it. It’s amazing how little waste there is in the overall system.
Hi, I bought your DVD I have watched it about a dozen times. Great DVD! What kind of batteries do you have? How many? What is your range? I have decided to turn my 1989 tercel into electric. I would like to get about 50 miles. My plan is to buy a good motor and pot box; make my own controller, adapter plate, cables etc…
Hi Ben, great work on the conversion projects.
Quick question, is it easier to convert a rear wheel driver car or a front wheel drive car? Over in the UK most of our cars are front wheel driven, I’d suspect you’d need to power via the gearbox… is that correct?
Any ideas about offering the DVD as a paid digital download?
Cheers,
Ben
It’s not really any easier to convert rear vs. front-wheel drive cars. One advantage of rear-wheel is that you have more space. With a front-wheel drive car, there’s just more equipment crammed under the hood, making it a tighter space to work. Front-wheel drive typically has the engine mounted transverse, which can limit the diameter of the drive motor. In my Electric Geo Metro conversion, I used the physically largest motor that I could fit in there, without hitting the front passenger-side half-shaft.
On a rear-wheel drive vehicle, you tend to have move space to work, and can install a larger motor.
In general, an electric motor almost always takes the place of the original engine on the transmission or gearbox.
Right now, DVD is the best way to offer my instructional electric car and motorcycle videos out to everybody in the world. Other formats are either not as common or standardized, or have issues with copyright protection, data rates, and file sizes.
For quick and easy access to some good starting information on EV conversions, check out my YouTube Channel!
Ben
I saw the hybrid videos on youtube. Would you be so kind and explain to me what is the “on demand regulator” the generator is hook up to. Is this the propane regulator?
This is the way I understand it
1. Your propane is hook up to the rv generator using an ondemand regulator for the propane.
2. The generator is hook up to an analog battery charger.
3. The battery charger is hook up to the battery pack.
Since the generator does not produce enough energy to supply your current demand you are only able to extender your distance.
Is this correct?
Can you please tell me the manufacturer of the charger you are using in this layout
I started my ev conversion, just finish purchasing from paul the revolt controller. I have your DVDs. Electrical parts are on the way in.
Yes, Bob, you are pretty much dead on.
Yes, the “on-demand-regulator” is a propane regulator, but it doesn’t control propane pressure – it’s more like a reed valve that allows the propane to flow, as long as there is vacuum from the engine. It’s sort of a combination safety device/regulator.
Everything else you have said here is correct. The charger was a K&W BC-20. It’s an older analog charger. I have since decided that I would prefer to run the Metro as a dedicated electric car. Saves space and noise not carrying that generator. If I had a more powerful generator, it WOULD push the car down the road continuously – that’s really all a Chevy Volt is.
I am starting a new hybrid project, which will keep the internal combustion engine under the hood, where it belongs, and add an additional electric motor. See that on my “SuperTruck” page.
http://300mpg.org/projects/supertruck/
Great !!! I want to build an electric car but would like to do it with someone so we can split the cost and put in what we know about cars together. Will order the DVDs.
Thanks
hi ben,
i’m from indonesia.
how do ordering without using paypal?
Paypal is the only electronic form of payment I am taking right now. You could also mail a check or money order. For somebody overseas, you could contact me directly, and I could take a credit card over the phone. I have Paypal’s “PayPal Here” card reader for smart phone. I could do an order over the phone and manually punch in Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover cards.
Hey Ben:
Is a forklift CROWN DC MOTOR, 36-48 volts, 8″ round be a good motor or do I need something bigger?
Doc.
Probably be fine for a small car. Is it nice and heavy?
There’s a great thread on DIY Electric car with some comments from Jim Husted and others. It should help you decide if the motor will work for your project or not.
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/using-forklift-motor-and-choosing-good-7598.html
am in kenya n i want to purchase ua products
We ship anywhere in the world. Click the “BUY NOW” button to place your order.
Hi Ben,
Enjoyed your video. I am at the planning stage in the conversion of an old Land Rover similar to what Adventure EV (http://adventure-ev.com/) did but I am toying with the options on drives. I am leaning towards a DC motor using P&S DIY controller but I am wondering about hill climbs which gets me thinking about an AC motor. How does you car handle hills? The roads where I live are best described as “rolling”.
Mark
If you are in a hilly area, you want as high of a system voltage as you can get. Going up long, sustained hills will take more power than just about anything else. Power is your voltage times your amperage. By using a higher-voltage system, you minimize the number of amps needed to do the same amount of work. Remember, your motor can only pull so many amps, your batteries can only put out so many amps, more amps means more heat, and you need thicker cables for higher amperage.
In general, the only down-side to higher amperage is that motor controllers, chargers, etc. tend to cost more. A car running at 144V with an Open Revolt motor controller should be a fair combination of power and affordability.
In addition to cars India has millions of 3 wheelers used as publi transport. I would like to eonvert one of them and see it run in busy streets of Bangalore. It will be a life changer for the poor 3 wheeler drivers.
Hey I love how cheesy you made that commercial I think it really worked and can’t wait to order a DVD off you. Thanks
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