That is prohibitive for most enthusiasts for any vehicle other than exotics.
The value of the donor car is completely irrelevant so if I can do it on a worthless Freelander for £5k then it could be done to a valuable classic for the same money. 
The cost of professional conversions is still prohibitively expensive so it will be fun to achieve my goal of a complete conversion for under £5k
What the range will be for that money is another matter though.
I have enough lead acid batteries to use for testing but still haven't decided what batteries to use for my conversion. To be honest I've been putting off purchasing until I really have to which may prove to be a mistake but I'm so busy with work at the minute I'm not spending much time on the conversion.
Believe it or not a 9" grinder with a stainless steel cutting disk, then rounded off the sharp bits with a flap disk.
Don't be rushing the coupler at the expense of your own projects John. I'm working 6 days a week atm so I don't have much time to work on it anyway.I absolutely agree that EV conversion companies are charging way to much, effectively limiting this kind of conversion to the super rich, where they are converting prestige vehicles.
I see nothing wrong with a DIY budget EV conversion, as long as it is done sensibly and methodically, there won't be an issue.
Range (or lack of) is potentially the most important issue with any EV conversion, not just for the DIYer, but also for the professionally done conversions.
Many conventional ICE engine cars simply don't have the space for the batteries, unless extensive body modifications are done. This is one area that the FL1 is at an advantage, as there's plenty of "wasted space" in it's design, which can be utilised with only minor modifications to the body.
Batteries is an interesting, complex and likely expensive issue.
There are a few battery chemistry options available, each with benefits and drawbacks.
Lead Acid (Pb) for instance is has quite a few benefits, but just as many drawbacks, which means it's not ideal for a long term power option, however I believe Pb to be an ideal concept testind power source, simply because it's easy and relatively cheap to use.
Then there are the Lithium based batteries, which are best as long term power source. There are a few different types of Lithium battery, again all having benefits and drawbacks, but the main drawback with all Lithium battery technologies is cost.
Looks to be coming on just fine Ali.
You'll be needing that coupler soon I can see.
I have 50 or 60 of them so enough to drive it a short distance but I'm seriously considering the pack I listed above. I know it is a little bit degraded but it's a 30kWh pack for just over £3k. It would keep me very close to the £5k total I've been aiming for and should provide a very useable 100 mile range.I'm thinking you could probably use lots of those Pb batteries for testing Ali.
Another Late Brake EV video, which is pretty interesting.
That's the way I'd be testing the concept myself.
It's a bit spendy Ali, but it'll do what you need.
That's the way I'd be testing the concept myself.
It's a bit spendy Ali, but it'll do what you need.
How much would 30kWh of new 18650s cost?
It's such a pain that batteries are so expensive over here. In the US, used Lithium batteries are much cheaper.
and I'd forgotten the tesla have over 8000 cells in some of their packs.
Yes the Leaf pack has the BMS built in but it still has 96 connections as it has 48 modules and each module is two cells.
