How To - EV Conversion Powertrain Design

Many important decisions must be made when planning to do an EV car or EV truck conversion. To do this right we suggest you start with the end in mind. This means know what your performance, range and budget are before you begin.

Let’s start with Performance

Often performance is measured in the elapsed time between zero and sixty miles per hour or the equivalent kilometers per hour. But that is just one method of rating or comparing a vehicle’s performance. Another might be top speed. Equally important, from an efficiency standpoint, is the vehicle's ability to reach the desired cruising speed and still be in the sweet spot of the motor. Still another aspect of performance might be the vehicle's hill-climbing ability commonly called grade ability. The electric vehicle gearbox selection is of major importance to all aspects of a vehicle's performance.

Range and Charging Rate

This should not be left to chance. Using available formulas backed by other's real-world experiences you can save money and time by making the right decisions the first time. Using appropriate formulas you can choose the right onboard charger and a proper battery pack, including the correct cell chemistry to reach your performance range, regen efficiency and charge goals.

Budget Considerations

This is where men vs boys or reality vs dreams come into play. We have all read about the guy who used an old forklift motor and a few lead acid batteries and converted his vehicle to electric power. On the other hand, there are those that spend a small fortune in creating their electric conversion dream. Where you will fit between a $600 and a $100,000 conversion is something only you can say. We know this; the more performance, reliability, longevity and safety you put into your build the higher the cost will be. Equally true is the more completely you plan your EV conversion on paper the closer you will meet your goals for performance, range and budget.

We at Torque Trends are professional powertrain consultants with years of experience. We have personally been involved in many budget builds as well as a few high dollar award-winning EV conversions. Some have garnered much publicity while others are the secrets of the owners or the companies behind them. We have been blessed with many wonderful opportunities to consult on EV conversions, especially on the EV transmission side of the projects. Companies like GKN, Nissan, Gear Vendors and Universities like CAL State, LA., Metropolitan University in Helsinki, and the University of Kentucky, to name a few, have found benefit in our consulting services and products. Add to this list many hundreds of students and customers like yourself and you start to get a glimpse into our vast hands-on experience with EV car conversion, EV truck conversion and EV gearbox consulting.