How To Make Your Own Electric Car
Jay Yarow|Jul. 1, 2009, 5:00 PM|1
Source: The Business Insider Green Sheet
Quote:
" Raul Atkinson, a software engineer, wanted an electric car, but couldn't find one on the market that was affordable or good looking. So did what any reasonable person would do, he built his own.
He calls it the Raptor. He spent 2,000 of his spare hours building it from a 1965 Shelby Cobra body kit.
NBC(via Jalopnik): The car runs on a 3-phase AC induction motor and is currently powered by 290 nickel metal hydride batteries (Atkinson says the next version will use a lithium ion battery). It can reach speeds up to 100 MPH and can travel from zero to 60 mph in about eight seconds. The time it takes to charge the car is typically three hours, which will allow it to travel up to 80 miles depending on the driving environment.
Atkinson estimates the car cost about $85,000, but he thinks it could be made for cheap as an alternative to the Prius.
Our unsolicited advice to Mr. Atkinson: forget the mass market. Go high end. Think Lamborghini, Porsche. You'll make a profit, and you'll be less susceptible to the rise and fall of gas prices. Rich people don't need to worry about that crap.
Atkinson's tracked the progress of building his car at Electric Marin Wheels. This gallery will give you a sense of what you're in for: "
http://www.electricmarinwheels.com/Home.html
Electric Powered Cobra
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