Determining Best EV Donor Cars (Electric Vehicle Conversion)

After you have considered what exactly you will need from your EV, (# passengers, cargo capacity, distance per charge, etc.) it appears that the curb weight of the vehicle is one of the most important aspects to consider. You are going to be adding nearly 3/4 of a ton of batteries to this puppy (in some cases), so the lighter you start, the better. MPG is stated here as it generally relates to the overall aerodynamic performance/ efficiency of the car or truck. The sample below are simply for comparison, and as the numbers have been culled from the internet - I can not guarentee accuracy. Not necessarily the absolute best choices. That has yet to be determined.

Year Vehicle Style Curb Weight MPG

1990 Geo Metro 2dr hatch 1650 lbs 38

1999 Hyundai Accent 2 dr hatch 2088 lbs 28/37

2000 Chevy s10 2 dr, 2wd, short 3,040 lbs. 23/29

2000 Chevy Camaro 2 dr coupe 3,306 19/30

2000 Jeep Cherokee 2 dr 2 wd 3,014 lbs. 20/24

Keep in mind that Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle, including all fluids without passengers or any cargo. Vehicles with a larger gasoline capacity will have a larger amout of weight attributed to the fuel. Example, the 1990 Geo Metro has a 10.6 gallon tank or holds approximately 84 lbs of gas, while the 2000 S10, with a 19 gallon capacity holds about. Keep this in mind when choosing a donor.

While I was compiling this list - I found someone else had already done the same, and with a little more detail. Check i t out at DIY Electric Car.

Other tips I keep coming across are;

1. Don't reinvent the wheel with your first conversion

Find something that has been done before. It means the parts exist, and potentially someone to ask for guidance should you hit a snag.

2. Use a car less that 10 years old.

As cars get older, parts are harder to locate. Factor in that you may not need replacement manufacturer parts until years in the future - so this seems like a darn good tip.