Vehicle Car Center: DIY Hybrid Car Kits Electrifying The Market

There are some folks who are thinking about owning a hybrid vehicle, yet are not ready to make the financial commitment of buying a new one. They may also not be ready to give up their main form of commute and are considering an inexpensive alternative for short trips around town. There are companies offering DIY hybrid car kits for people who like to tinker with mechanics and want a smaller investment in saving fuel costs.

When considering a DIY hybrid car project, the first thing to consider is the type of vehicle you want to convert. If the vehicle is going to be used only by you, a small two-seater vehicle may provide enough interior room and sill leave space for the batteries, but may prove to ride rough. Consider a slightly larger car with a front and back seat, in which the back seat can be removed to install the batteries needed to run the electric motor when it switches from gas power.

Many people have successfully turned a small pick-up truck into a DIY hybrid car, but the weight of the vehicle has been an issue, especially when acceleration from a stop. Using electric at slow speeds make them slower on take off, yet saves a lot of gasoline usage.

Finding Parts For DIY Hybrid Cars

Remember, the vehicle is called a hybrid because it operates on both gasoline and electric. Buying a kit is one thing, getting all the parts to fit into the vehicle is another. The engine compartment will have to be able to house both engines and most of the DIY hybrid car kits have instructions on how to add the electric motor and converge it into the drive train of the vehicle,

Unfortunately, very few DIY hybrid car kits are make and model specific so you will have to find the vehicles into which everything will fit. Many of the older vehicles will have sufficient room under the hood, but finding replacement parts can be an issue on aged vehicles. The gasoline engine will still have to work efficiently and with a lack of available parts could turn your DIY hybrid car into an electric vehicle that needs another method of keeping the batteries charged.

Heavy mechanical work may not be for everyone and building a DIY hybrid car will take a large degree of mechanical knowledge. Having a donor car to convert that is free or reasonably priced, along with the cost of the DIY hybrid car conversion instructions and parts can cost between $4,000 and $6,000 if the cost of your labor is not included.