Welcome to Electric Vehicles WA

This website is currently being updated and expanded and will provide information to everyone who is interested in any aspect of electric vehicles and in particular the conversion to electric from internal combustion. Please check back soon.

Rob Mason (Electric Vehicles WA)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFORMATION

It is our view that electric cars will gradually replace petrol, diesel and hybrid cars as supplies of petroleum products become more and more expensive. Oil is not going to suddenly run out. It will become less plentiful and very costly to recover as exploration companies turn to lower grade oil shales.

Batteries as energy carriers can use any source of energy that has been converted to electricity. This includes solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and nuclear, all of which produce no greenhouse gases.

THE ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRIC OVER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
  1. Reduction in Pollution:
    Electric vehicles do not emit any health threatening gases or particles.

  2. Reduction in Greenhouse gases:
    Electric vehicles do not emit carbon dioxide. The power stations providing electricity emit carbon dioxide at the generating station if they use coal or gas.

  3. Efficiency:
    Electric motors are usually over 90% efficient. Regenerative braking recovers a large percentage of energy lost climbing hills or frequently stopping and starting.

  4. Cost:
    Electricity is very cheap. Electric cars cost only 2 or 3 cents per kilometre for power. Servicing is practically non-existent. There is no oil to change, radiators and hoses to maintain, exhaust systems to rust out and only one moving part to maintain. Brakes last considerably longer if regenerative braking is used.

  5. Convenience:
    Charging is done by simply plugging a lead into a socket and turning on the switch. Councils often provide incentives for electric cars. Free or cheap parking and use of special freeway lanes are provided in some US cities.
SOME DISADVANTAGES
  1. Cost:
    Electric vehicles are not yet mass produced so the manufacturing costs are high. Parts for conversions also are expensive especially batteries.

  2. Range:
    The maximum distance travelled between charges depends on how many batteries you have on board. Opportunity charging can offset this disadvantage somewhat. I charge my Mustang (se below) when I get to work and have sometimes plugged it in when visiting family or friends. Batteries do not have to be flat to put them on charge. In fact it is better to keep them as fully charged as possible.

  3. Servicing:
    Batteries need to be replaced after a few years. This cost would be about the same as servicing and maintenance cost for a petrol vehicle.
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY:

Electric cars are only as good as the battery, which provides electricity for the electric motor.

Battery technology has improved rapidly in the last decade and has reached a stage where electric cars can perform as well as petrol and diesel cars in terms of power and range. The cost is still high but this is mainly due to the low levels of production. Whilst hydrogen is being investigated as an alternative to petroleum products as a source of fuel, we believe it is still a long way off and further off than battery power.

Hydrogen is not freely available like petroleum and is only an energy carrier. The reason for this is that hydrogen has to be manufactured, stored, distributed to service stations, stored and then stored again in vehicles. It can then be burned in an internal combustion engine or converted to electricity in a fuel cell. Hydrogen is not cheap to make or store. Nor is it as safe as energy stored in batteries. Electricity on the other hand is readily available almost anywhere.


ROB MASON'S CONVERTED VEHICLES:

Ford Mustang:

Rob purchased this electric Ford Mustang from Jim Lissiman in 2005. It has done a faultless, maintenance free 7500 kilometres for a cost of $215 worth of electricity. He also has a Mitsubishi Triton ute which was converted to electric by John Bisby and is currently converting a BMW 318i