Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, Third Edition

by Seth Leitman, Bob Brant

BUILD, CONVERT, OR BUY A STATE-OF-THE-ART ELECTRIC VEHICLEThoroughly revised and expanded, Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, Third Edition, is your go-to guide for converting an internal combustion engine vehicle to electric or building an EV from the ground up. You'll also find out about the wide variety of EVs available for purchase and how they're being built. This new edition details all the latest breakthroughs, including AC propulsion and regenerative braking systems, intelligent controllers, batteries, and charging technologies.

Filled with updated photos, this cutting-edge resource fully describes each component--motor, battery, controller, charger, and chassis--and provides illustrated, step-by-step instructions on how to assemble all the parts. Exclusive web content features current supplier and dealer lists. Custom-built for environmentalists, engineers, students, hobbyists, and mechanics, this hands-on guide puts you in the fast lane toward a cost-effective, reliable green machine.

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, Third Edition,

Environmental impact and energy savingsThe best EV for you--purchase trade-offs, conversion trade-offs, and conversion costsChassis and designDifferent types of electric motors and controllersLithium EV batteriesChargers and electrical systemsEV builds and conversionsLicensing and insuring your EVDriving and maintenanceList of manufacturers and dealers regularly updated on website

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book needs an editor very, very badly. The writing is all over the place. Sentances and paragraphs in one chapter are recycled two chapters later. You turn the page, ready to futher digest the info given, and the author is talking about something else entirely with no introduction. There's places where the phrase "is good" appears, when the author clearly meant to write "do not." Single paragraphs veer from subject to subject.

As much as I want to learn from this book, I've had to sit it down too many times in confusion.

[Reeds Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offered great technical insight into the engineering process of EVs! I’m an electrical engineer so I already have some background on this topic. Even if I didn't, the process is covered in the book pretty thoroughly. I enjoyed all the details about why you would even want to build an EV to begin with. I think it added a lot to the design aspect of the process. When I was reading I often recalled information brought up in the first sections about why EVs are good. It gave me a more rounded perspective on the topic as a whole. For those interested in electric vehicles, this book is a great read.

[Shawn Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of misinformation but overall ok

His reasons to go electric is misinformed. To think your car will never need maintenance is foolish If its man made, it will break. Secondly, the production of a car is not green. Lithium ion batteries will die, disposal of them is not green. But all his tech info is good. We do need to move away from petrol, but all electric might not be the final solution.