If you really dig around during that era, you'll also find a few books and magazine articles about converting certain small cars (things like the Gremlin and Pi

If you really dig around during that era, you'll also find a few books and magazine articles about converting certain small cars (things like the Gremlin and Pinto) to all-electric drive trains - and even custom hybrid drive-trains. The main downsides of the time were lack of battery technology and effective motor controllers (most affordable - for the time - controllers were for brushed motors).