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11 7 3/8 x 9 1/4 T echnical / Build Your Own Electric Vehicle / Leitman / 373-2 / Chapter 1 12 Build Your Own Elec tric Vehicle Electric Vehicles Save Money All this emotional stuff is nice, but let’s talk out-of-pocket dollars. Ask any electric vehicle conversion owner, and they’ll tell you it transports them where they want to go, is very reliable, and saves them money. Let’s examine separately the operating, purchase, and lifetime ownership costs and summarize the potential savings. Operating Costs Electric vehicles only consume electricity.

But don’t settle for an answer that says we’ll study it and get back to you. Settle only for action—who is going to do what by when and why. I leave you with a restatement of the problem, a possible framework for a solution, and some additional food for thought. Legacy of Internal Combustion Engine Is Environmental Problems Internal combustion engine technology and fuel should be priced to reflect its true social cost, not just its economic cost, because of the environmental problems it creates: • Our dependence on foreign oil and the subsequent security risk problem • The greenhouse problem • The air quality problems of our cities • Toxic waste problem • Toxic input fluids problem • Inefficiency problem Our gasoline’s cost should reflect our cost to defend foreign oil fields, reverse the greenhouse effect, and solve the air quality issues.

It’s that simple. Myth #3: Electric Vehicles Are Not Convenient The myth that electric cars are not effective as a real form of transportation or that they are not convenient is a really silly myth/rumor. Car companies and others have complained that there is not enough recharging infrastructure across the country or that you cannot charge the car anywhere you would like as with fueling up a car. ” The reality is that electric vehicles are extremely convenient. Recharging is as convenient as your nearest electrical outlet, especially for conversion cars using 100volt charging outlets.