Buy One or Convert One

So thanks to my blog, you’re finally interested in EVs! Now what? You’re seriously considering owning an EV, but do you buy one or convert one? Currently, the average price for an EV with decent range and amenities start at around $25K. This price could drop a little, granted the car qualifies for government rebates given for owning EVs, but in all honesty EVs are priced on the high side. The Chevy Volt is priced starting at a ridiculous $32,000. For that price, most consumers would just settle for a fully loaded Honda Accord. Heck, they get close to 30mpg and run forever. Nissan’s Leaf doesn’t do much better; it is priced with an MSRP of $33,000, but after government incentives would cost around $26K.

Now you’re thinking why buy or convert one, just buy a cheap gas car, but wait! The average annual savings with an EV is $500-$700 and that’s just in gas. Include maintenance costs into that equation and your savings could reach up to a $1500. With that kind of money saved, you could take your yearly vacation with no worries or do that remodel you always talked about.

For those who aren’t mechanically inclined and aren’t on a budget buying an EV would most definitely be the way to go. For people like myself, who love to work on cars and customize every aspect to fit their wants and needs, CONVERT! Not to mention, you’ll save some money on parts and labor. So take that old car with that tired engine that’s been sitting in your yard for ages, passed down from generation to generation, and go to work!

There are many companies that sell conversions kits that essentially have all the basic needs for a conversion minus the battery pack, which in most cases account for a majority of the cost. KTA services offer a complete conversion kit, for a small car, excluding the battery pack for around $7,000. The kit comes with the motor, controller, charger, and all other miscellaneous parts needed for the conversion. A basic battery pack of 10 deep-cycle, full-river batteries start at around $3,000. A premium quality lithium ion battery pack can cost upwards of $10,000 depending on capacity. EVmiata.com also offers conversion kits specifically for the Mazda Miata that costs around $10,000 without batteries. Right now, we’re only looking at around $13,000, not too shabby I would say and we haven’t gotten to the best part!

Getting in the garage or shop and going to work on a project is paradise for gear heads like myself.  There’s nothing more satisfying than putting on good music with some liquid relaxation and going to work in your sanctuary. The average EV conversion takes 40 hours to complete, with the most time spent on fabrication and wiring.

I think every gear head should try and tackle at least one EV conversion in their days. Not only will they gain respect for them, they may never go back to gas.