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> If electric cars ever become widespread I have a strong suspicion that soon enough after that we will be able to build electric cars from kits, cheap and wit

> If electric cars ever become widespread I have a strong suspicion that soon enough after that we will be able to build electric cars from kits, cheap and with no frills. We are on a cusp of a new technological revolution.

itsoktocry 5y ago
>soon enough after that we will be able to build electric cars from kits I'm skeptical. An internal combustion engine is a complicated, engineering marvel. But a complete engine, as a unit, isn't difficult to remove/insert. It's big, heavy and awkward, sure (so are electric motors and batteries), but an experienced person can do an engine swap in a couple of hours. And yet there aren't many people building ICE cars from kits. Why not? Because the drivetrain is only one part of what makes a good car good.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- userbinator 5y ago
  And yet there aren't many people building ICE cars from kits. Why not? Quite frankly, speaking as someone who is a bit of an automotive enthusiast, you'll probably find even less EVs, because EVs are sterile and boring. They can definitely be fast, but I suspect the average auto enthusiast is not only interested in speed. The sounds and smells of an ICE are far more appealing to the type of people who tend to build custom cars.
- kingsuper20 5y ago
  I think it would be a cool idea on a vintage car, but is still too expensive.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  >And yet there aren't many people building ICE cars from kits. Why not? There is basically no market for kit cars because if people want a particular kind of vehicle it probably already exists. If they want a particular kind of powertrain it probably already exists. So it's just a case of getting them and combining them. And there are kits that make the most popular combinations a bolt in deal.
nerd_light 5y ago
May I ask why you think that? (Sincere question, not meant to be snarky). Even assuming electric car assembly is simpler than an ICE powered car, there are still a lot of large, heavy, and expensive components. And that's setting aside all the regulations around it being a "street legal" vehicle, which can place odd constraints and vary from location to location. I could see there being ways to build your own, just as you could build your own house or laptop if you acquire the right parts. What makes you think that people will broadly want and use kits? (or am I misinterpreting what you're saying?)
- Koshkin 5y ago
  The overall mechanics of an electric car is (or can be made, if it's not a conversion) so much simpler; the battery is, in fact, modular, each piece weighing about the same as or less than a regular car battery. I can easily imagine a market for consumer EVs assembled not by huge plants but rather by small local shops as well as enthusiasts. The age of the large brands dominating is coming to an end...
smolder 5y ago
There are relatively simple conversion kits that have good motors and controllers and allow for regenerative braking. I don't see building an EV getting much simpler than that.
wyre 5y ago
A few years ago I found a source selling EV conversion kits for vintage vehicles. It’s definitely a possibility to DIY an electric car. I could imagine it being like DIY synthesizer kits. Do it yourself if you have the skills and time to put it all together, or spend a bit more for it to come pre assembled, or “some assembly required”. I would be curious about the safety regulations behind this.
psychlops 5y ago
The first collisions of speeding custom modified cars will put an end to any individual innovation there.
- jpindar 5y ago
  There have been collisions of speeding custom modified cars since there have been cars. Why would electric ones be any different?
ClumsyPilot 5y ago
I am confused, why would someone want a car from a kit? It's made of hundreds of parts, some weight more than a grown man and you could seriously injure yourself or assemble it incorrectly. It's not gonna be an ikea kit. We've created assembly lines for this exact reason and they are really good at their job, why would you go backwards unless you are seriously into DIY or an arctic explorer flatpacking them?
elihu 5y ago
You can sort of do that now by buying a gas-powered car and a conversion kit. It just tends to be expensive, and the kits don't always include batteries and battery boxes. Example: https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=167 https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&pro... I wish EV tax credits applied to conversions and not just new vehicles. It would make conversions a lot more economical, and maybe we'd start seeing low-cost mass-produced conversion kits designed for popular vehicle models.

itsoktocry 5y ago

>soon enough after that we will be able to build electric cars from kits I'm skeptical. An internal combustion engine is a complicated, engineering marvel. But a complete engine, as a unit, isn't difficult to remove/insert. It's big, heavy and awkward, sure (so are electric motors and batteries), but an experienced person can do an engine swap in a couple of hours. And yet there aren't many people building ICE cars from kits. Why not? Because the drivetrain is only one part of what makes a good car good.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
userbinator 5y ago
And yet there aren't many people building ICE cars from kits. Why not? Quite frankly, speaking as someone who is a bit of an automotive enthusiast, you'll probably find even less EVs, because EVs are sterile and boring. They can definitely be fast, but I suspect the average auto enthusiast is not only interested in speed. The sounds and smells of an ICE are far more appealing to the type of people who tend to build custom cars.
kingsuper20 5y ago
I think it would be a cool idea on a vintage car, but is still too expensive.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
>And yet there aren't many people building ICE cars from kits. Why not? There is basically no market for kit cars because if people want a particular kind of vehicle it probably already exists. If they want a particular kind of powertrain it probably already exists. So it's just a case of getting them and combining them. And there are kits that make the most popular combinations a bolt in deal.

nerd_light 5y ago

May I ask why you think that? (Sincere question, not meant to be snarky). Even assuming electric car assembly is simpler than an ICE powered car, there are still a lot of large, heavy, and expensive components. And that's setting aside all the regulations around it being a "street legal" vehicle, which can place odd constraints and vary from location to location. I could see there being ways to build your own, just as you could build your own house or laptop if you acquire the right parts. What makes you think that people will broadly want and use kits? (or am I misinterpreting what you're saying?)

Koshkin 5y ago
The overall mechanics of an electric car is (or can be made, if it's not a conversion) so much simpler; the battery is, in fact, modular, each piece weighing about the same as or less than a regular car battery. I can easily imagine a market for consumer EVs assembled not by huge plants but rather by small local shops as well as enthusiasts. The age of the large brands dominating is coming to an end...

smolder 5y ago

There are relatively simple conversion kits that have good motors and controllers and allow for regenerative braking. I don't see building an EV getting much simpler than that.

wyre 5y ago

A few years ago I found a source selling EV conversion kits for vintage vehicles. It’s definitely a possibility to DIY an electric car. I could imagine it being like DIY synthesizer kits. Do it yourself if you have the skills and time to put it all together, or spend a bit more for it to come pre assembled, or “some assembly required”. I would be curious about the safety regulations behind this.

psychlops 5y ago

The first collisions of speeding custom modified cars will put an end to any individual innovation there.

jpindar 5y ago
There have been collisions of speeding custom modified cars since there have been cars. Why would electric ones be any different?

ClumsyPilot 5y ago

I am confused, why would someone want a car from a kit? It's made of hundreds of parts, some weight more than a grown man and you could seriously injure yourself or assemble it incorrectly. It's not gonna be an ikea kit. We've created assembly lines for this exact reason and they are really good at their job, why would you go backwards unless you are seriously into DIY or an arctic explorer flatpacking them?

elihu 5y ago

You can sort of do that now by buying a gas-powered car and a conversion kit. It just tends to be expensive, and the kits don't always include batteries and battery boxes. Example: https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=167 https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&pro... I wish EV tax credits applied to conversions and not just new vehicles. It would make conversions a lot more economical, and maybe we'd start seeing low-cost mass-produced conversion kits designed for popular vehicle models.