Looking for a Donor Truck to Convert to EV? Or Some Crazy Little Vehicles that are Already Electric?

Normally this is an ad-free space of course, but here are two sale offerings I do want to publicize this week.

A friend of the web-sleuth who turns up all those great articles for the weekly EV news round-up is looking to sell his Ford Ranger for six hundred bucks.  It has new brakes and is an ideal subject for conversion, will need some body work.  

Owner drives an electric del Sol that he converted so he knows what he's talking about:

“I am selling my 1997 Ford Ranger Pick-up.  It has just over 150k miles.  I am asking $600.00.  It needs a clutch, shocks and exhaust system - plus the gas gauge does not work.
It needs a right front fender and a paint job. The cost of doing all this work is over $3,000 parts and labor. 

I just put brakes on it, including new rotors and brake drums.  It has 15" Jeep Cherokee 5-spoke steel wheels and Bridgestone Revo tires.  

This truck would make a great donor for conversion to an EV. It has a 5 speed manual transmission, manual steering, no air conditioning and crank down windows. Because of the conversion no exhaust system needed, gas gauge not needed, no clutch needed, heavy duty shocks would replace worn shocks. The fenders and hood I would change out with a one piece fiberglass tilt front end. I was planning on converting the truck myself, but would rather concentrate on doing more work to my del Sol.”

click here to inquire and I'll forward the info on!

If you're not ready to do your own conversion, how about a cute little relatively low-voltage run-around vehicle for the property?  Here are 4 from the studio of Val Bertoia, artist & EV owner -- just click on the photos to get to his for sale page. 

The 50/50 Miracle Insight, Val's full-battery-electric conversion of an Insight Hybrid by Stephen Miracle of Burlington, VT can be seen on the EV-ent in Macungie website.  Val's on the ad hoc planning committee along with Bob & Don Young from Macungie, the father-and-son team who founded the EV-ent, our fearless leader Anna Digate, and me.   But he didn't ask me to post this ad, it's just that he's gonna be out of town for the EV-ent itself so he won't be able to show any of these funky numbers, which is too bad!  It occurred to me that if someone bought one of course they should bring it right on over to display at the EV-ent, where all kinds of electric-powered vehicles are welcome!  Last year we had 2 home-converted lawn tractors and a racing e-kart as well as a variety of converted ICE cars and trucks ranging from the classic to the contemporary. 

So bring on the EV's in every flavor, shape & size.  I am jazzed for April 30!

Last ad - don't forget to check out the New Technology, Small Business & Inventors Conference on March 4 & 5 in Philadelphia at the Logan Free Library.  Saturday morning will be devoted to EV's -- detailed schedule is up now here and it's all free!