This is a great book for the EV enthusiast. I was a little surprised that the pages of the book seem like xerox copies. But the quality of the information is very impressive.

Very good introduction to EV conversions. Worth the price just for the practical tips and process information. Written in the early 90's, so it lacks information on newer motor systems (eschews AC because of complexity) and recent battery technology (lithium ion, etc.). It really could use and update... I'm sure there have been advances in the last 15 years. Mr. Brown is still offering workshops in EV conversion in Seattle and runs a conversion supply company (Electro Automotive). Interestingly he offers newer AC kits through his operation. If you're serious about converting to electric, this book is a good place to start.

author michael p. brown says this book is a step by step of what is involved in converting a petrol to electric and that is exactly what you get for a novice ev converter its all you will need --- bar a lot of motivation

The book is a quick read and goes over the details of constructing an EV. Focuses mainly on the construction and is light on the background and concepts.

The book is a quick read and goes over the details of constructing an EV. Focuses mainly on the construction and is light on the background and concepts.

in an era of gloabal warming, high gas prices and a growing feeling of helplessness its nice to have a book that tells you haw you can make a positive impact by doing your own conversion.

the steps are clear the layout is concise and when there are options they discuss pros and cons of your choices.

This well written, thoughtful book was written in 1993, and badly needs to be updated. The technologies have changed (batteries, motors, controllers), and the candidates for cars to convert have changed (for example, you need to be very careful with the computer-driven dashboards and controls of most cars built in the past 8-10 years).
It is a little shocking that this book (and Bob Brant's Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, published in 1994 and not upbdated) are the only ones available for this exciting, rapidly changing field.

First, the copy I got in 2007 is 126 pages with a color cover, bound with the kind of black fabric binding material they use at Kinko's. The pages are in order and all but a couple of the photos are perfectly clear. Oh, and it has an index; that's a nice touch missing from some books.

First published in 1989 but updated in 1990, and 1993. In *my* experience this makes it a very recent book on this subject. The electric car fad peaked back in the 70's and most books date from that time.

Brown actually attempts to take you through the step-by-step of converting your car to battery power. He includes component selection, wiring techniques, advice on battery boxes, etc. There's a lot of detail here.

He does skimp in some critical areas however. The machining of the mounting plate that adapts the electric motor to the old flywheel is kind of glossed over. I'm not sure your friendly local machine shop will help you with this, but I may be mistaken.

And since he lives in California, the fact that the resulting car will have no heater, no defroster, and no air conditioning doesn't matter to him. Oh, and you'll be adding 800 pounds to the weight to your selected vehicle.

I just don't see anyone actually doing this in 2007. You'd do better to buy a Prius or Insight, and maybe get one of the "plug-in" kits. Then at least you'd have a real car at the end of the day.

No one's ever sold a modern mass-produced battery powered electric car at a reasonable price, and I think with all the hybrids on the road, the sun has really set on the idea of a short-range battery only car.

What I REALLY wish he'd write about is how to convert a riding lawn mower to battery power. That's a project more of us could tackle, and you'd actually have something better than the original when you were done.

The book is somewhat interesting but the information in the book is old.
Information of engines and batteries was not up to date.
In my copy the pages was not in order (page 41 was followed by 40 the next was 42 and so on).
As I understand it the book was an icon when it came but now I'm sure there are better books.

The Topic is good, however the "book" is extremely disappointing. First, it states here that the book is paperback. I guess in the strictest sense that is true... however I was quite taken back when I ordered it here from Amazon.com - and received about 70 Xeroxed pages stapled together. Hardly what I expected for a "paperback". Getting past that, the material although relavent, is extremely outdated. If you want to build a high-end golf cart this might help. But if you want to delve into something modern (circa 2007) you won't find it here.
I'm sorry to sound so harse but it is the truth. I'm also sorry to say: Shame on Amazon... you shouldn't advertise this as a "paperback" when you're really selling what amounts to a handful of photocopied pages.

Nice technical data, but some of the ideas need to be updated for the next generation of home built and home converted. Would LOVE to see an update that adds some of the newer battery and hybrid ideas that are becoming more realistic for consumers.

I am building an electric car convert an 1980 VW IC engine Rabbit to one powered by batteries, utilizing information in convert it and the plan from Electric Automobile. It goes into background and clarify procedures critical in the construction of the Vechile which will help reduce green house gases.

The book is excellent for EV conversions. It shows technical points and educates as well. Web searches will bring you up to date on available equipment but the basic systems are explained well in "Convert It".

Michael Brown does a great job laying out the basics in an easy to follow way. Buying this book was a great investment and first step in starting my conversion. This information is NOT available on the web in as concise a format. All the basics still hold, but some of the information is out of date.

(Sorry if you are from another language culture and didn't "get" the title, it's a play on Wealth/Wolf and Sheep/Cheap)

This book is a great step by step guide that pretty much any novice could follow to convert a petrol/gasoline car to full electric operation. It covers everything from selecting a donor car body to your first test-drive.

Starting at the basics, some material probably goes back over old ground, for those people who have experience being backyard tinkerers with old cars and electrical gizmos.

I've heard one complaint that this book is "just a photocopy" this is quite wrong. However the book has been published in a cheaper, lower quantity print-run style that some folks will be familiar with, similar to some in-house productions of workbook-readers or manuals used in a technical training college. A better looking presentation is normally expected for a book costing US $ 25, however the information in this book, although now somewhat dated, is organised and laid out clearly and with a limited number of photos and drawings, it is easy to understand and worth every penny to a novice converter.

I would look forward, at some future date, to a substantially updated and fully revised edition of this book, being published and bound in a better manner.

Until that does happen, (if ever) I'd have no hesitation in recommending this as one of the several texts that any novice car converter should read before starting their first Electric Car conversion project.

Catherine Jemma, Outback Western Australia. (Experienced car and electric tinkerer.........novice future EV converter)

If you read, or are at least amused by, the lunacy of San Francisco newspapers, then you'll understand the title to this review. Ms. Prange is a regular contributior to the Letters to the Editor page. She lives in an alternate universe where reality has no meaning. However, consistent whining, paranoia, and conspiracy theories abound. I can't imagine anyone following her advice or that of her husband based on their irrational logic. And you want to get behind the wheel of a car designed by them? I believe Ms. Prange's latest project is constructing a house that resembles a pair of Birkenstocks.

Conversion to electric cars is a step in the right direction, but even an electric car has to be charged. What does one do when local electricity costs are sky high? While electric cars have their place, more immediate and practical methods may better inspire society at large to consider and implement ideas of fuel efficiency and sustainability.

What the author may want to concentrate on is a book about converting conventional cars to use hybrid technologies. Consider conversion of cars to use hybrid technology as a bridge to more widespread electric car use.

Its like any new technology, trend, something as simple as organic foods or perhaps as old as the introduction of the fork. The sooner the masses can afford and practically use the new technology, the sooner it will be accepted.

Thank you for bringing accessibility to electric cars. I'd love to see a follow up book to instruct how to install electric assist hybrid technology in their existing cars.

Conversion to electric cars is a step in the right direction, but even an electric car has to be charged. What does one do when local electricity costs are sky high? While electric cars have their place, more immediate and practical methods may better inspire society at large to consider and implement ideas of fuel efficiency and sustainability.

What the author may want to concentrate on is a book about converting conventional cars to use hybrid technologies. Consider conversion of cars to use hybrid technology as a bridge to more widespread electric car use.

Its like any new technology, trend, something as simple as organic foods or perhaps as old as the introduction of the fork. The sooner the masses can afford and practically use the new technology, the sooner it will be accepted.

Thank you for bringing accessibility to electric cars. I'd love to see a follow up book to instruct how to install electric assist hybrid technology in their existing cars.

Having built and developed several electrical vehicles and prototypes, I put this book up there among the classics as a good introduction for anyone interested in building an electrical conversion vehicle. I worked on my first vehicle in 1989 and I wish that I had some of the helpful hints that are provided in this book to asist me along. By the way, ironically, possessing two PhD,s ; one in in Electrical Engineering, I have been struck by lightening twice. The first was when I was working on my first electric/solar vehicle.

Having built and developed several electrical vehicles and prototypes, I put this book up there among the classics as a good introduction for anyone interested in building an electrical conversion vehicle. I worked on my first vehicle in 1989 and I wish that I had some of the helpful hints that are provided in this book to asist me along. By the way, ironically, possessing two PhD,s ; one in in Electrical Engineering, I have been struck by lightening twice. The first was when I was working on my first electric/solar vehicle.

i have been looking at converting my car to electric but wasn't expecting to get a book that some one choose to write and then sell for $24 and it was just a copy of a copy there is no isbn # the least they could have done was went to a publishist and got it published for what i got it was a $5 book

I have an interest in all environmental solutions, but from a more technical side and I was searching for an economical mode of transport, which could also be an ongoing project for the future months. "Convert It" is a great read and it really shows you the basic rules and tips in both technical detail but in a user friendly layout. I would recommend it as a great starting block and as an essential library piece for any future electric car-converting enthusiast.

Since the converted Renaults of the late 1960s and the Mechanix Illustrated plans-built cars built on British sports car chassis in the early 1970s, a number of hobbyists and promoters have built electric cars out of regular production cars, with slowly improving but not radically worthwhile results.

Not counting either the cost of one's own time and effort-it is a hobby project, after all-or the charging electricity, electric cars still don't make economic sense when you factor in the battery life cycle costs and the fact that most electric conversions won't go 60 miles at highway speeds-the round trip distance, with a stop at the supermarket, of most commuters-on one charge. Understanding employers who allow employees to charge their batterymobile while at work can help, but that covers only a few-and many of those would quit once the novelty factor wore off.

A hybrid car might make more sense, but the ideology of most of the electro-car crusaders won't have them building or promoting them.

As with the burger grease burning advocates, this makes a suitable hobby project for those so amused and this book does a reasonable job of explaining the process. The actual hardware has changed somewhat-microcontroller based controls are de rigeur today and no one uses surplus turbine starting motor-generators any longer (to the relief of the warjet community,we are sure)-but the physics, and to a first approximation, the operating parameters, have not.

If you want to build an electric vehicle, start with this reference. Clearlly the writter show that he built this stuffs and give us good proccedures and building hints.

Convert it does not make to long process of car conversion a breeze, but it is an excelent resource. The book is full of excelent pictures that bring the informative writing to life. The information in this book can be easily appiled to every car conversion and is of great help.