Sierra Blogging Post Archives

Ever get the feeling that auto manufacturers promising to increase mileage and/or create electric cars are all talk and no action? If so, you could do what a handful of people are doing all over the country and take matters into your hands.

Converting your gas guzzler into a battery-powered vehicle may be easier than you think. Take Larry Horsely, for instance. He recently converted his pick-up truck to run on batteries by ripping out his gasoline-powered motor and installing some new parts. Now he just plugs his truck into an outlet in the garage overnight and skips the gas station in the morning.



The conversion cost Horsely about $12,000, which, according to parts dealers, is about right. Sick and tired of waiting for automobile manufacturers to make him an electric car, Horsely just did it himself. And he says anyone with the slightest knowledge of car maintenance can do it themselves, too.

The entire process is "basically straightforward," he said in the article on CNN, after four months driving it on electric.

"Anyone who has basic mechanical skills can build one of these," Horsley said. "But it takes time," he said, about three months. Most of that period was spent waiting for the parts to be shipped.

The main drawbacks of electric vehicles are that they aren't very fast and they can't travel long distances on a single charge. But if you're just going to work and back, or running errands around town, an electric vehicle may suit you just fine. To learn more about converting your vehicle to an electric one, check out Electric Vehicles of America. They sell the parts you'll need to curb your gasoline habit.