# California Registration for EV?



## McRat (Jul 10, 2012)

If you home build an EV and it meets the vehicle code for safety equipment. how do you get it registered if it was a gasoline vehicle?

Obviously, it won't pass SMOG testing since the OBDII port and emissions equipment is missing.

Couldn't find anything on the DMV site, or even a phone number to ask this kind of question.

I'm first registering a piece-together EV motorcycle (front frame is off-road listed, but there was a street version as well), then a 2001 EV ex-ICE hybrid.


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## dladd (Jun 1, 2011)

McRat said:


> If you home build an EV and it meets the vehicle code for safety equipment. how do you get it registered if it was a gasoline vehicle?
> 
> Obviously, it won't pass SMOG testing since the OBDII port and emissions equipment is missing.
> 
> ...


I took my completed car down to the DMV and had it inspected there. It was a very quick check. pop the hood, yup, no more gas motor there!. She checked the "E" box on her paperwork, went back inside and handed it to someone else who changed it to "E" in the computer. Done.

BUT!!! It's a whole nother deal if you are starting with a non-street legal motorcycle. The laws are pretty tight on conversions (dual sporters can no longer street register converted dirt bikes through any normal channels) so you'll probably have to go with one of the specialists who takes your bike, takes $500 or so dollars, and returns it to you with a plate. I believe they do it through the "special construction" route, but I don't really know. If there is any way you can start with a street legal frame, I believe you will save yourself some significant headaches in this area.

As an aside, the DMV does not care about safety stuff, just CARB related issues.


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## PThompson509 (Jul 9, 2009)

From what I've found out, if you have converted an ICE to an EV, you will need to follow these steps:

1) Make an appointment with BAR (http://www.bar.ca.gov/) for an inspection. They will take a look to make sure there is no gasoline hiding, and fill out a form.

2) Make a copy or three of that form.

3) Make an appointment with the DMV (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/home/dmv.htm) to change your registration. This will require two clerks - one in your local office and one in Sacramento. Only the clerk in Sacramento can change your registration to E (make sure it is not Q).

4) Once your EV is registered as type E, you should be able to get the carpool sticker. (http://dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm)

I'm still on step 1, due to heavy work load.

Cheers, Peter


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## ricklearned (Mar 3, 2012)

Well I have some time to figure this out. I probably will improve my chances if I get things like rear fenders, a working horn, backup lights and a dash that doesn't have wires going everywhere. LOL 

I do have a target of getting those things done by year end so I can get whatever tax credits for 2012. My car is registered but someday it might be nice to have one of those carpool lane stickers too. (Of course that would be after I up my wattage to another 10KW.


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## dladd (Jun 1, 2011)

PThompson509 said:


> 4) Once your EV is registered as type E, you should be able to get the carpool sticker. (http://dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm)


unfortunately, this part is not correct.  It's easy to get the motive type changed to E, but that is not all there is for getting a white sticker. I was denied, as were a few others I've read about. They are now supposedly only issuing the stickers to cars that are on the approved ARB list, which means factory made EV's only. there's a thread about it here..

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/california-clear-air-sticker-60090.html


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## JoeG (Jul 18, 2010)

My California DMV registration experience was like dladd's. First, I made an online appointment for registration. Then when I went in they said, after much internal conversation, I had to get the conversion verified, so they gave me a one day travel permit to bring it in( I had it not operational while I did the conversion.) When I brought it in the first verification guy said they didn't do that there, I had to take it to a BAR station. After much discussion, and the manager's helpful intervention, they did the verification there. I then went in to finish the change from non-operational to operational status. The person at the desk, after listening to my conversion story, spent about 10 minutes trying to complete the transaction with no luck. In the end they took my paperwork and gave me a temporary permit 30 day permit, saying that Sacramento had to do the change to "E" mode of power. My permit expires in a few days and still no word from the DMV. My DMV in Winnetka,Ca said they had never done this conversion transaction before, so that might be why people have different experiances. It's just not done much. My advice is to make an online appointment with your local DMV and take it from there. 
Joe


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## PThompson509 (Jul 9, 2009)

dladd said:


> unfortunately, this part is not correct.  It's easy to get the motive type changed to E, but that is not all there is for getting a white sticker. I was denied, as were a few others I've read about. They are now supposedly only issuing the stickers to cars that are on the approved ARB list, which means factory made EV's only. there's a thread about it here..
> 
> http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/california-clear-air-sticker-60090.html


Bummer. Well, I'll deal with the idiots^H^H^H^H^H^H people at ARB later this year - too much going on at home right now. I'll be happy to raise a stink about it once I get my E type.

Cheers, Peter


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## McRat (Jul 10, 2012)

Well...

Yup, the DMV told me to go to a CARB place. But they also gave me some "Special Construction" docs for vehicles with no vin number.

If you are converting something that has never been registered before, life might get a LOT simplier.


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## ricklearned (Mar 3, 2012)

Sooo,,,,, if I were to buy a Porsche Speedster roller (no VIN) and put an electric motor in it, then it would be easier to get a California diamond lane sticker than my battery bug which has a VIN?


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## mizlplix (May 1, 2011)

I am in Arizona. Traditionally, we always could title/plate a bath tub in one trip through DMV. AZ is one of two states in the USA that you can title a reproduction/replica as the original vehicle. Arkansas being the other.

My 1930 Model A Speedster is a perfect example. It was totally constructed my me of pieces, over the course of many years in my shop. I had no title only a huge envelope of papers and photos of the whole process.

A quote from my build thread:



> "The People in the DMV were in rare form today. The inspector didnt even get within 10 feet of the car, and the title clerk went to bat for me with her boss and got the bonded title changed to a regular one. I was looking for Rod Serling to step in at some point..."


The DMV inspector was a lazy, rude, middle aged female inspector-in-training. Her boss gave this problem to her as a test case....LOL

Problem 1: Not a factory frame-no MSO or certificate of origin.
Problem 2: No gas tank, pipes or visible motor.....
Problem 3: August in AZ = 106 F. and an outside inspection bay= they only did an Inspection #1 not an inspection #3.

I was treated like I was something to be scraped off her shoe.

She just filled out the inspection form from 10' away, not even getting close to the car. (Which worked out fantastically for me!)

I was there 2 1/2 hours and saw 2 clerks and 1 inspector and was out of there......After years of dread, this was like a commuted sentence.

I hope yours works out as well.

Miz


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

mizlplix said:


> I am in Arizona. Traditionally, we always could title/plate a bath tub in one trip through DMV.


Is AZ the place where a corpse can hold a DL for decades, or is that NM?


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## Mo_Bandy (Aug 25, 2009)

PThompson509 said:


> From what I've found out, if you have converted an ICE to an EV, you will need to follow these steps:
> 
> 1) Make an appointment with BAR (http://www.bar.ca.gov/) for an inspection. They will take a look to make sure there is no gasoline hiding, and fill out a form.
> 
> ...


I went through the exact steps 3 years ago with my Corvette I converted to a BEV. I had everything complete in one day.

Feb marked my 3rd year as a BEV.

It was much easier than Iexpected.

MO


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