# The First Step: Researching your EV



## mattW (Sep 14, 2007)

This page is intended to be the first stop for anyone who has decided to create their own DIY EV. The following websites and resources are staples of the DIY electric car builder's diet. They are a great place to start, will answer many of your questions and provide plenty of inspiration for your conversion. This list is intended to be short and sweet, referring to only the most popular and useful resources for the DIYer, it does not intend to be a comprehensive list.

*Blogs:
*
EVconvert.com is a very popular, detailed and useful blog of a ford probe conversion. It is a pretty comprehensive guide to the conversion process and the site is filled with tools and resources.
Forkenswift is the patron saint of budget EV conversions. This forklift cross Suzuki swift went from petrol to electric on a shoestring. This is a must see for anyone who is wants an EV for less.
KiwiEV is our very own EV world celebrity. The first and only EV conversion that I know of that has been documented by video courtesy of YouTube. The inspiration for many who may have doubted their mechanical/electrical ability, as Gavin who only knew how to change his oil produces a very impressive conversion.
*Tools:
*
The EV Calculator, courtesy of Jerry from EV convert, is an incredibly useful (and humbling) tool for range, weight and top speed estimates. It has plenty of variables and information about various components.
The EV Photo Album is a huge database of worldwide EV conversions. With options to search by vehicle make, date, region or particular components it is a fantastic way to source parts and to find out what is possible in the EV world.
*Inspiration:
*
The Tesla Roadster is perhaps one of the most impressive (and expensive) electric cars under development offering high end sports car performance and a 200-250 mile range.
The Aptera Type1e is an efficiency/safety focussed electric car with cutting edge aerodynamics, impressive range and a reasonable price tag.
*Books:
*
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant is a classic of the EV field though somewhat dated (1992). It is _the textbook_ for EV conversions and the new edition came out in 2008. The 1992 and 2008 editions are the same, but the newer one provides an updated version on the specifics, like cost.
Convert It! by Michael Brown is in more of a booklet format and is a good foundational guide to DC conversions.
**Please note:* Just to make sure this page doesn't get too large or filled with spam please post any additions to this wiki topic into the comments section for review before adding them.


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## simplythere (Aug 18, 2015)

This page suggests the "very" popular blog to look at EV is evconvert.com. My concern is that it is 2015 and there is not much new information on that site??


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