

So Smart: Electric ForTwo Arrives This Fall - edw519
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/08/smart-ev/

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coryrc
My company converts vehicles from gasoline to electric.

www.pacificev.com

Expensive, yes, but we've reached cost parity with gasoline. Unfortunately,
buying batteries that last 150,000 miles is like pre-buying your gasoline for
the same time period, which is too much for most people. Some, though, have
other motivations.

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hughprime
Wow, that's interesting. Can you tell us more about what kind of vehicles
people get converted? I was thinking the other day that if I had more money
I'd get an electric conversion done on a DeLorean.

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coryrc
I've had lots of ideas of things to do with a DeLorean. With a hundred
kilowatts at your disposal you can make a very impressive flux-capacitor look-
alike!

People get all kinds converted; DIYers tend toward older pickup trucks (carry
lots of batteries, very simple electronics). I've designed all the electronics
to interface with the ABS system, radio controls, etc in modern cars like the
Mini Cooper. People also liked the RAV-4 platform for versatility, one of the
reasons Toyota made that their first (production) EV.

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hughprime
I'd probably steer clear of the hardcore BTTF modifications like a flux
capacitor, though I'd have to at least have a "This sucker's electrical"
bumper sticker. And maybe a "1.21 x 10^-4 GW" label somewhere.

Anyway, I'll keep it in mind if I mysteriously find myself with ~$50K to waste
on a toy in the near future. :)

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ojbyrne
It sounds like a great idea, and even a major innovation, except Smart cars
are so fucking overpriced that only hipsters buy them.

