There are many ways to convert a gasoline driven car to run on electricity. The easiest option is by using an electric car conversion kit. There are many electric vehicles (EV) retrofitting kit in the market, but how do we choose the right one for our car? In general, most kits are quite similar. You are given the option to choose the size of the electric motor. Obviously, a motor with a bigger horse power will give you better acceleration but it will be more expensive. You have to decide which one will be right for your budget.
The key difference on any electric car conversion kit is the metal adapter plate. The whole idea of an electric car conversion is to remove the internal combustion engine and replaces it with an electric motor. To generate torque, the motor is connected directly to the existing transmission unit. Unfortunately, the motor shaft and the transmission core has different diameter. You would have to device a way to connect the two shafts. This is where you use the adapter plate.
The adapter plate would have to be custom made for this purpose. Make sure you select the plate that is right for your donor car model. The key here is the location and dimension of the bolt holes. If the drilled holes are in the wrong location, you will not be able to bolt it to the transmission housing. The right adapter plate will line up the electric motor and the transmission shaft perfectly. Any misalignment will cause vibration that will reduce the efficiency of your homemade electric car.
