| There has been a lot of interest on alternative energy | | | | lower RPM compared to an engine. An automatic |
| source for cars lately. This is due to the rising gasoline | | | | transmission would need a high RPM to have a |
| prices at the local station. Since an internal combustion | | | | smooth gear shifting. A conventional electric motor |
| engine is totally dependent on fossil fuel for power, | | | | may not be able to achieve that kind speed required. |
| anytime there is a conflict in the Middle East, the prices | | | | A manual transmission on the other hand does not |
| for gasoline will go higher. Many car owners are | | | | have this issue. |
| considering adopting an electric vehicle (EV). For the | | | | An electric motor generally can produce high torque |
| time being, there is only a limited selection of electric | | | | forces even at low revolution. Due to the high turning |
| vehicle models from car manufacturers. Most of them | | | | force, the car will be able to move even though it is in |
| are still relatively expensive. An alternative solution is to | | | | second, third or fourth gear. Therefore it is always a |
| do an EV conversion yourself from your home | | | | good idea to select a donor car with a manual |
| garage. | | | | transmission for an EV retrofitting project. |
| If you are considering starting a DIY electric car | | | | If you are not familiar with the workings of a car, most |
| conversion project from home, it is a good idea to | | | | of the information above may not make any sense to |
| choose a donor car with a manual transmission. There | | | | you. For car owners that would like to know more |
| are a few logical reasons behind this. The key would | | | | about the science of electric vehicle, there are many |
| be the speed of the electric motor that you will use to | | | | EV conversion guides available from the web. |
| replace the engine. Most electric motor will have a | | | | |