Buy Your EV Chassis

Figure 5-9 Electric vehicle torque required versus torque availlable.

This is step three. Even if you go out to buy your EV ready-made, you still want to know what kind of a job the manufacturer has done, so you can decide if you’re getting the best model for you. In all other cases, you’ll be doing the optimizing, either by the choices you’ve made up front in chassis selection or by other decisions you make later on during the conversion. In this section, you’ll be looking at key points that contribute to buying smart:

• Review why conversion is best—the pro side • Why conversion might not be for you—the con side • How to get the best deal • Avoid off-brand, too old, abused, dirty, or rusty chassis • Keep your needs list handy • Buy or borrow the chassis manual • Sell unused engine parts