Mike Parker, the Turlock Adult School Teacher hosting the class this summer, is working with Abran Quevedo, the auto shop instructor at the San Dieguito Academy High School auto shop, in Encinitas (north of San Diego), California.

It is Quevedo’s 1990 Cabriolet that is being converted (and has already been trailered up from San Diego to Turlock for the class).

For the conversion itself, the duo is using a basic Voltsrabbit conversion kit from Electro Automotive, a company that has been working on electric car conversions since 1979.

The conversion kit is based on an 8" brushed series DC motor from Advanced DC Motors.

The team is using 2 lead-acid battery packs with 8 batteries each (for a total of 16—96 volts) and a Group 45 accessory battery. An additional four batteries may go under the back seat for a total of 20 batteries, which will provide a total of 120 DC volts.

The onboard Russco charger plugs into a normal household 120 volt grounded receptacle on a 15-amp circuit. If the battery pack is completely discharged, it will fully recharge it overnight, gradually tapering to a low current “finish” charge as the batteries come up to full.

A 96-volt Voltsrabbit system provides a top speed of 65 mph and a range of 60–80 miles under good conditions (flat roads, smooth traffic flow, efficient driving style). A 108-volt option includes two extra batteries under the back seat, for a top speed of 75 mph, and an extra 10% in range.

In addition to the Turlock project, Quevedo has towed a 1980 Cabriolet from Gilroy to Encinitas for conversion by his Auto Shop students this fall. Why do this? I’ll let both of them explain.

Because the hand writing is on the wall and gas price is going up and up and I believe it’s NOT coming back down ever. But,what an exciting time to be a part of the auto industry!

With so many rapid changes coming and going daily I feel that it’s time to slow down and take a good look at the electric car conversion idea. There are millions and millions of potential electric car conversions sitting in, and wasting away in, used car part lots and garages and backyards all over the country.

Yes, there are issues. There are battery technology issues, trip range issues, and affordability issues. However, with gas prices going up and up these issues diminish more and more in light of the air quality issue, the smog-related cardiovascular disease issue and the global warming issue.

Is an affordable conversion electric car for the common man and woman a worthwhile goal? I think so, as you know, most of our traveling time in cars involves short distance driving. Conversion is not cheap, but it avoids the escalating gasoline prices and, no smog, no noise, no oil changes, no leaking antifreeze, and no more overheating, just environmentally sustainable short range transportation.

—Abran Quevedo

Can it be true? Can we predict the future by inventing the future? By simply going and doing it? We’ll see.

Abran and I are only a microscopic speck in the Pantheon of good works being done and being dreamed of being done by all of us. We all want to make a difference.

One way to make a difference is to find out what is needed and wanted in the neighborhood. Then go out and you provide what’s needed and wanted. And finally, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

—Mike Parker

For information or registration information for the class ($300 tuition), contact:
[email protected] or call the Turlock Adult School office 209.667.0643.

Information on class content is available from Mike Parker, [email protected], cell phone 209.988.2487.