We look at battery cables, how to hook up the batteries, install them in the car, and cable everything up!
For some great ideas on different vehicles converted to electric, check out the listing at the EV Album!
This video is one segment of an instructional video I created in 2010 from a home-built electric car I made in 2008. Of course, battery and motor technology has advanced quickly since then, and affordable, commercially-built, Electric Vehicles are now a reality.
This video series covers ONE low-tech and simple way of converting a car to electric. Many of these same ideas and techniques still apply to go-karts, motorcycles, boats, and lots of other projects. We hope that you enjoy watching these videos and learn a little something from them.
There are still a few copies of the original DVD for sale. Besides the video, the set also has a DVD-ROM with photos, web clips, and documents from the project.
All profits support our work and go towards future DIY Clean Transportation and Renewable Energy Projects.
For CURRENT electric vehicle, DIY, and renewable energy projects, please visit
Music Credit:
“B-Roll” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Watch more new videos about Car | Synthesized by Mindovermetal English
Very informative series. It helped me a lot in my simple ev conversation. I'm about to give a test drive. The only thing worries me is what about ground nagitive which is 60 volts to the body of the car. Won't it be dengerous. I'm not sure what to do. Any help would be great
Thanks so much for this EV vid series! I'm having trouble finding a fork lift motor at salvage yards. Any advice on motor specs if I search for a fork lift motor online? I'd like a max vehicle speed of at least 65MPH. Is this unrealistic for a fork lift motor, or can a controller affect its speed potential? Cheers!
still today you have one of the nicest well explained guide on how to convert a car to electric 🙂
By any chance do the battery cables able to charge a battery.
How did you decided where to install the 2/0 cables vs the 2 Awg cables? Is the amperage different in different parts of the system? Thanks!
I really like the series of videos that you have created for your build and the detail that you go to in each. For this battery video I have a concern with pressure fitting lead acid batteries (or any battery) into a battery box. I would worry about the batteries swelling and/or becoming overheated and having the casing split. This will lead to an acid spill in a closed environment causing an explosive environment as well as a respiratory hazard. I don'r recall seeing where you vented the battery box to the outside atmosphere? If these are not sealed lead acid batteries then you have an outgassing situation where the batteries release hydrogen, creating both an explosive and/or a respiration hazard. Setting this aside, great job with the videos and the build.
Love the drilling demonstration… great video!
Wonder how many miles with 5 batteries
A job well done is what i can say with what you achieved , please how many miles were you able to get out of the car with a full charged batteries ?
Its pretty good for dummies but HELL…You DO GO ON AND OOOON…. Do a short version one episode of the whole process. Best you tubers dont talk much. It was a good job. I enjoyed it. But I think you could become a real top vlogger if you just shut it…And insert text, maybe the occasional, explanation. IMHO
Hmmmm.….now that you've removed the engine etc, that is a huge weight off the front end……..possibly you would want to install some batteries, (if you intend to stay with lead acid type), in the front to balance the weight shift. With a change over type conversion like this the first and very first consideration would have been to use Lithium type batteries…….one guy on the Tube shows how to build not too costly lithium packs with 18650 type cells……THAT is definitely the way to go…..Lead acid is pre history or before 1900.
check out battery hook up dot com for your next battery upgrade and trash those heavy lead acid batteries.
how much time take to charge all battreis
What if you fix a charging alternator for additional power, i believe it can recharge batteries for additional distance.
Very good morning
Where did you spend thousands of dollars?
Who else is going through this wondering how he ends up doing acceleration control, PWM or ?
Using copper strip for the battery connection will make it look nicer
I silver solder all of my terminal lugs and I start with Sch 10 copper tube to ensure ample amperage and physical strength properties. Also it costs less than commerical terminal lugs.
Now of course, if you lack a drill press or a punch press, that may not be a desirable way to go, but any drill will work if you can slip a dowel into the opening and tape it to keep it steady while you drill, just be sure to secure it tightly and never press hard, because copper is soft, sticky and deforms much more than either aluminum or steel so be careful while you drill or you will break something.
By the way, you can get shrink tube up to 6 inches in diameter, so there is no limit that would go beyond the size battery cables you are using.
most cars have a petrol tank IF WAS DOING THIS I WOULD PUT THE POWER CELLS IN THE OLD PETROL TANK AND C UT THAT INTO HALVES AN INSTAL THE CELLS IN THE OLD [ERTOL TANK TO THEN CONNECT THE -NEGATIVE TO THE CAR BORDY OK REASON FOR INSTALLING THE BATTERY IN THE OLD PETER TANK IS THAT IT MAY BE HAZARD IN A CRASH IF THERE IN THE BOOT I DONT LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING BATTER LEAKS
CAR PETER IS BUILD FOR WHEN A CAR CRASHES TRY THAT IN STEAD
how is the cooling system of the batteries. What happens if the batteries get too hot?