Electric Car Motor Conversion – DIY Electric Vehicle Conversion

Most people nowadays are considering doing an electric car motor conversion. This is because of the rising fuel prices that inflated their car gasoline expense bill. With most household having more than one car, gasoline expenses have become a major issue. Unfortunately, sending a car to a professional garage to be retrofitted into an Electric Vehicle (EV) will cost more than $4000. The investment is too high for most car owners. An alternative is to do an electric car motor conversion via a Do It Yourself (DIY) project from home.

To initiate a DIY electric car conversion project from home is not a difficult process. As long as you have the necessary tools and workspace, you can do the retrofitting yourself. What you will need is a good EV conversion guide to assist you.

The idea of electric vehicle conversion is to replace the internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Without the engine, all its associated components such as gas tank, fuel line and radiator is also removed. This will create a lot of free space where a batteries rack can be installed. A series of lead acid batteries will supply the power to the electric motor. To control the speed of the EV, a variable resistant is attached between the batteries and the electric motor. It will act as the accelerator paddle of the car.

To retrofit a car to run on electric is definitely cost effective. If is even cheaper if you can spend some time sourcing for second hand electric motor and batteries. With gasoline prices expected to go higher, any solution that can cut fuel cost would be a blessing.

Are high gasoline prices stresses you out? Why not consider driving an Electric Car. Experience the cost saving benefits of an electric vehicle by exploring Electric Motor Conversion Guides. Download the first preview chapter of “Build Your Own Electric Car” e-book at http://www.cbElectricCar.com

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History of Hybrid Vehicle

Some people do believe that hybrid vehicle started in the early 1900’s. In fact, hybrid vehicles have been around longer than you think they are.  The start of the hybrid technology was believed to be in 1665, when Ferdinand Verbiest and Jesuit priest began to work on a plan to create a simple four wheeled vehicle that could run by steam of pulled by a horse. Then in 1769 when steam-powered carriage was invented. Although this carriage does have the speed of six miles per hour, it is still hard to maintain enough steam for a long distance ride.  It was then improved when British inventor Goldsworthy Gurney built a steam car that successfully completed an 85 mile round trip journey in ten-hour times. Then in 1893 Moritz Von Jacobi sailed an electric boat on the Neva, using an electromagnetic engine of one horse power.  And in or about that year is when Robert Anderson of Aberdeen, Scotland built the first electric vehicle. However, the vehicle brought lots of problems like the limited range and a battery power that was difficult to recharge.  It was later then improved by David Salomon in 1870 when he developed an electric car with a light electric motor, but still faced problems creating a battery that could easily be recharged.  Then in 1879, the first electric railway was built by Dr. Werner Von Siemens. The wheels on the vehicle were driven by an electric motor drawing its electricity from the rails which were insulated from the ground and connected to a generator.  And also in that decade, year 1886 the business investors in London gained interest in developing an electric taxicab. The design was powered by a 28 cell batter system that would drive a small electric motor. Even so, this one did not come into regular use.  It then came year 1888, a company built a four passenger carriage for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire it is powered by a one horse power motor and a 24 cell battery.  And on that same year, Manus Volk in Brighton, England made a three wheeled electric car.  Then in 1897, the London Electric cab Company began to provide the city with a regular service, using a cab powered by a 40 cell battery and a three horse power electric motor. It was called the “Belsey Cab” after its inventor, Walter Belsey. The cab can go up to fifty miles before the battery had to be recharged.  Come year 1897 where the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, built around electric cars over a two year period.
Then after that year came 1898, the year where the first world’s first hybrid car the Lohner Porsche petrol electric “mixte”,  which was built by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche of Germany. Porsche gave the nickname “Aunt Eulalia” to the first series of hybrids, but it was officially named as Semper Vivus, which means “always alive. The first hybrid car can travel a distance of forty miles on a battery power alone. This car used a petrol engine rotating at a constant speed to drive a dynamo, which charged a bank of accumulators. The accumulators then fed current to electric motors contained within the hubs of the front wheels. Therefore, there was no need of drive shafts, transmission, gears, straps, chains, or clutch. And because of the hybrid car quickly success thousands of hybrid cars were produced by companies such as Krieger, Lohner Porsche, and Auto Mixte in the year between 1902 and 1920.  
In 1900 the creation of gas and electric hybrid cars has been seen in Belgium. It was developed by Pieper, a Belgian carmaker.  He introduced a three and a half horsepower motor which the small gasoline engine was joined to an electric motor that is found under the seat. The electric motor was, in effect, a generator that recharges the batteries while driving. Nevertheless, when the car needed some extra power to make its way up to a steep incline, the electric motor would kick in and provide a boost to the gas engine. And because of the popularity of electric hybrid cars the Electric Vehicle Company built 2000 taxicabs, trucks, and buses, and set up a subsidiary cab and car rental companies from New York to Chicago in early 1904. In 1905 an American engineer named H. Piper filed a patent for a petrol-electric hybrid vehicle. His idea was to use an electric motor to assist an internal combustion engine, mainly to add the ICE to let the vehicle accelerate to 25 miles per hour in 10 seconds, Instead of the usual 30 miles per hour. Then after three and half years the patent was issued. By that time, the engines had become powerful enough to achieve this kind of performance of their own.
In 1910, a company by the name of Commercial Built Truck, which used a four cylinder gas engine to power a generator, eliminates the need for a transmission and Battery Park. This hybrid was built by company in Philadelphia until 1918. Steamers and electric hybrid cars were almost completely wiped out in 1913. Sales of electric cars dropped to 6,000 vehicles, while over 180,000 gasoline cars were sold. Lots of car makers who still believe in the idea of hybrid car still try their best to put the hybrid cars back to the production. Like Baker of Cleveland and Woods of Chicago two prominent electric vehicle makers offered hybrid cars that can reach a maximum speed of 35mph and achieved fuel efficiency of 48 mph. And the Woods Dual Power was more expensive and less powerful than its gasoline competition, and therefore sold poorly.
And it then considered that the year 1920 to 1965 become the dormant period for mass produced electric and hybrid cars. However, Hybrid vehicle technology did not disappear and its development continues. Lots of people still believe in the hybrid technology. Hybrid vehicle technology becomes the answer for most of the global problems. Just like in 1966; U.S Congress introduced first bills recommending use of the electric vehicle as a means to reduce air pollution. After a long quiet period, hybrid cars show up again in 1969. On that same year  General Motors 512 was designed, it runs entirely on electric power at a speed under ten miles per hour. The vehicle ran on a combination of electric power and gas combustion from 10 to 13 miles per hour. Arab oil embargo became a huge problem in 1973. The price of gasoline soared, which created new interest in electric vehicles. The U.S Department of Energy ran a test on many electric and hybrid vehicles produced by various of manufacturers this includes the hybrid known as the VW Taxi which was produced by Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, West Germany. The VW Taxi was shown at auto shows throughout the United States and Europe. It used a parallel hybrid configuration allowing flexible switching between the gasoline engine and electric motor and logged over 8,000 miles on the road. VW Taxi is considered to have the higher range of efficiency than any hybrid had ever exhibited up to that time.  In 1974, engineers Victor Wouk and Charlie Rosen were part of the Federal Clean Car Incentive Program, created a prototype hybrid gas electric vehicle using a Buick Skylark body. The vehicle was tested and certified to meet the strict guidelines for an EPA clean air auto program by The U.S Environmental Protection Agency, but later been rejected. The American Motors developed a fleet of electric powered vans and delivered 352 electric vans to the U.S Postal Service, which they tested extensively. Unfortunately, the project did not meet with the level of success that everyone had hoped.  The years 1976 to 1980 were the year that hybrid technology has been a good help. The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976 and U.S Congress enacted Public Law 94-413 were among  the law’s  objective to work with industry to improve batteries, motors, controllers and other hybrid electric components. And General Electric was chosen to construct a parallel hybrid sedan. And Toyota built a small sports car with a gas turbine generator supplying current to an electric motor, which makes it the first hybrid car for Toyota.  Audi introduced the first generation of the Audi Duo experimental vehicle in 1989. It is based on the Audi 100 Avanti Quattro. It has a 12.6 horsepower electric engine, which drove the rear wheel instead of the propeller shaft. And also use a nickel cadmium battery to supply the energy. Two years after that, Audi unveiled the second generation Duo, which is also based on the Audi 100 Avanti Quattro. Toyota came back by introducing the Prius in 1997, which is exclusive to its Japanese market. On that year, the Prius sold 18,000 cars and seemed to be the first significant mass marketed the hybrid vehicle in the world. Then Honda introduced the Insight, a lightweight hybrid two door model that cracked the American market in 1999. The vehicle could demonstrate a rating of 61 miles per gallon in the city and 70 miles per gallon on the highway.    
It then came 2000 the door of the new century is open for the hybrid technology. Lots of companies and car maker introduce and release lots of new and improve the hybrid vehicle of their own. Toyota released the first hybrid four door sedans available in the United States in 2000. And Honda introduces Honda Civic Hybrids, its second available hybrid gasoline electric car. The car appearance and drivability was and still is identical to the conventional Civic.  And in 2004 Toyota release the Toyota Prius II which won 2004 Car of the Year Awards from the Motor Trend Magazine and the North American Auto Show. The demand for Toyota Prius II was surprising, that they pumped up the production from 36,000 to 47,000 for the United States market. Lots of interested buyer’s waited up to six months to purchase the 2004 Prius. Furthermore, on September of that year, the Ford released the Escape Hybrid, the first American hybrid and the first SUV hybrid.  
The sudden increase of the oil product in 2007 had been a huge crisis all over the world. And because of that the production of hybrid cars and vehicle had increased. Lots of car companies and car makers around the world came up with lots of different kinds of hybrid vehicles. Some even convert their ordinary cars to hybrid cars. Lots of taxi cabs in the Philippines now a day’s had been using Autogas, used as an automotive transportation fuel or LP gas as an alternative to powered gasoline gas. The development of this kind of hybrid cars does help a lot of people who are having a problem with the oil price increase and become the answer to the oil price increase the problem in air pollution.

Hi I’m Shiela 30 years old. I love chatting and making friends. I enjoy listening to music reading books and watching movies. I am hoping i could make a good article and help other people. If you want to buy new or used car you can come and visit us at 645 North Main Street Layton, UT 84041 or call us at (866) 798-9527. You can also visit us in our website at Young Chevrolet.

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Dedicated Online E Bike, E Vehicle Auction Site

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What is an Electric Vehicle Conversion Specialist

Electric vehicle conversion refers to the modification of a conventional internal combustion engine or the ICR driven vehicle to one that is battery electric propulsion, thus creating a battery electric vehicle.

The career outlook for an Electric Vehicle Conversion Specialist is good. They make on average $39-$59 thousand a year. Electric vehicles are quickly becoming a mainstay in the auto arena.

Many major automobile manufacturers in the US have started performing ICE conversions, but due to lack of consumer demand, the programs had been terminated. However, a few re-builders specializing in electric car conversion have started offering new or remanufactured conversion to satisfy the limited demand. One major reason for the rather low demand is the high price of completed vehicles, which can double the price of a comparable ICE vehicle.

Why It’s Green

People who have owned and used electric vehicles points out that the ranges of these cars are adequate, and that it is more convenient to simply plug the car for charging rather than driving to get some gas. Aside from these, electric vehicles are also quiet if not totally silent and they are non-polluting because they use renewable energy rather than gas, which produces air pollutants.

Professional and Personal Qualities

Generally, people without experience or modest knowledge in mechanics and electrical devices should not attempt to maintain or operate a ‘home made’ electric vehicle.

A career as Electric Vehicle Conversion Specialist is hard to come by in most states due to the lack of demand for electric vehicles. But in some places, and where companies manufacture electric vehicles, an electric car conversion specialist may be highly demanded.

Skills and Trainings

If you are planning to become an electric vehicle conversion specialist, you need a wide range of skills to be able to perform your duties. For instance, you’d need to have knowledge on automobile surveying and be able to identify problems in potential conversion vehicles. Such skill will be required to identify and purchase a good used ICE vehicle and will come handy especially when the conversion is done by another builder.

Aside from that, basic mechanics knowledge is also required as a builder should be able to manufacture small brackets for mounting sensors, switches and relays. Some other required skills and training for would-be electric car conversion specialists should include machine shop skills, welding, automotive mechanics, basic electric skills, as well as basic electronic skills.

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The Luxury in the 2008 Lexus Lx 570 Full-size Luxury Utility Vehicle

The all-new third-generation LX features more technological advancements that provide additional power, safety, roominess, both on- and off-road capability, and most importantly, luxury.

Vice President and General Manager, Bob Carter, of Lexus Division Group said the all-new LX 570 is packed with the luxury appointments and seamless technology our buyers expect of a Lexus vehicle. He also said this vehicle sets a high-water mark for Lexus by providing more on- and off-highway prowess than ever before, while at the same time providing the amount of interior space, comfort, luxury and ride quality our customers demand.

This all-new car from Lexus has improved power performance from. It is equipped with a powerful 5.7-liter V8 engine that will produce 381 horsepower. The engine will be matched to a new six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission designed and built for large tasks. Both the engine and transmission are controlled and linked by sophisticated electronic management systems that help ensure optimal performance and fuel economy, with minimal emissions at all times.

With its upgraded power train matched with a new chassis and suspension system, the LX 570 has a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds.

A Four-Wheel Electro-Hydraulic Suspension with Active Height Control (AHC) and Adaptive Variable Suspension is used. The new cross-linked system allows each wheel to react to the driving surface it is in contact with and also to react to the actions of the opposing wheels. Using a valve at each corner and a center or master valve, the cross-linked suspension system detects the extension or deflection of each of the LX 570’s 20-inch wheels and counters that with appropriate response at the opposite wheels.

The Lexus LX 570 also includes a new Crawl Control feature for increased throttle control when maneuvering over rough or difficult surfaces. In low range, Crawl Control will help maintain appropriate low speeds allowing the driver to concentrate on steering the car on the desired path. Similar to cruise control in maintaining vehicle speed, Crawl Control also actuates a set of virtual locking differentials to minimize tire slippage and to maximize chassis behavior.

While Crawl Control can be compared in some ways to cruise control, the driver constantly maintains control over the vehicle. Without canceling the Crawl Control mode, the driver can reduce vehicle speed by braking, or alter the speed higher or lower by adjusting a speed selector switch.

The new LX 570 also features a multi-terrain ABS braking system. This new technology is designed to help reduce stopping distances on slippery surfaces such as sand or gravel.

Among its other advanced technologies, the Lexus LX 570 also offer a new blind corner monitor feature designed for use in urban settings such as exiting a parking garage. With cameras located within the grille and under the passenger side-view mirror, the driver can easily check hard-to-view areas by simply pressing a button on the dashboard and viewing the camera images on the navigation screen.

The luxury styling of the new LX 570 emphasizes the Lexus identity by combining the muscular strength and sense of security expected in a four-wheel-drive utility vehicle with the simplistic originality of the Lexus L-finesse design theme. It is therefore more dynamic and refined than its predecessor. The bold theme of the new LX carries over from front to rear with a wide stance and brawny cabin proportions that are accented with subtle character lines and luxury touches such as chrome-plated door handles and moldings. Added to these is the cargo rack.

The LX 570 is huge and very masculine that the cargo racks, at a glace can be seen as a truck cargo tracks. These are very essential in putting up additional loads to the vehicle.

The cut-line above the front fenders adds to the performance image of the new LX while the wheel arches add an element of ruggedness to its clean profile. The running boards are fitted closer to the body to provide a more integrated appearance.

In the rear, the LX features a sculpted rear door for a more dynamic look and wide combination lights for a large size vision. The combination lights and license plate are accentuated with tasteful chrome accents. A six-spoke 20-inch alloy wheel design creates a two-dimensional appearance that is very sporty yet elegant.

The styling is complemented with Adaptive Front Headlights, a power back door, puddle lamps, headlight washers and a front wiper deicer.

The interior is very spacious. And for enhanced safety, the new LX features a segment-leading 10 standard airbags including driver- and front-passenger knee airbags, second-row seat-mounted side airbags and third-row curtains. Among the many safety features on the new LX are Active Front Headrests, a first for a Lexus utility vehicle, second-row seat belt, and a direct tire pressure monitor system.

The Lexus LX 570 has indeed several luxury amenities. Additional to those mentioned earlier are theclimate controlled front seats and heated rear seats, a 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio system with Reference Surround Sound and a hard disc drive capable of storing up to 2,000 songs, a rear seat entertainment system with a nine-inch screen, the Lexus Intuitive Park Assist, a first-in-its-class Pre-Collision System with Adaptive Cruise Control and Lexus Link.

Luxury packages further include semi-aniline leather interior trim, a cool box in the front center console, illuminated scuff plates, unique wheel finish, a Smart Card key, and Bubinga wood trim, a wood used to craft fine furniture, instruments.

Gertrude Sayzer finished her degree in Marketing at Western New England College. She is passionate about writing and loves to travel as well. At present, this 32 year-old mother of three works full-time at an Ad agency in Boston.

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Cps the World Leader in Alsic Products Now Offers Pin Fin Coolers for Hybrid Electric Vehicle Igbt Power Modules

 

High reliability, CTE compatibility, and light weight, along with strength, and stiffness are key factors in the design of coolers for power modules in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) applications. CPS AlSiC coolers meet this challenge with optimum thermal performance and consistent reliability throughout the application life cycle.

Liquid cooling is the most effective way to dissipate heat (1 – 2KW) in HEV power module applications. CPS AlSiC coolers cost effectively offer the pin fin geometries that are required for effective liquid cooling. In addition, CPS AlSiC coolers provide an isotropic thermal expansion that is compatible with device/electronic substrate to reduce mechanically induced stresses during power thermal cycling for improved electronics and module reliability. The AlSiC device compatible thermal expansion (8 ppm/°C) simplifies IGBT assembly compared to Cu pin fin coolers (17 ppm/°C) thermal expansion, eliminating the need for stress compensation layers that increase thermal resistance, assembly complexity and module cost.

AlSiC is a lightweight material (1/3 that of Cu), which makes it an ideal cooler material for the weight-sensitive hybrid electric (HEV), electric vehicle (EV) application and in kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS). AlSiC also has higher strength and stiffness than Cu, which, combined with its lightweight nature, makes AlSiC coolers more tolerant of shock and vibration.

The CPS AlSiC fabrication process efficiently produces both the composite material and fabricates the product geometry in one process step. CPS can work with customers to provide designs that are fabricated to shape requiring no finished machining for very cost effective cooler production.

About CPS Technologies Corporation

CPS Technologies Corporation is the worldwide leader in the design and high-volume production of metal matrix composites. CPS uses a net-shape fabrication process, including patented QuickSet™ injection molding and QuickCast™ infiltration. AlSiC components are used in applications in the wireless communications infrastructure, high-performance microprocessor, motor controller, and other microelectronic markets. CPS is a publicly traded company (symbol “CPSH”). CPS’ customers include TI, Motorola, HP, Infineon, Agilent and Amkor. For more information on CPS’ AlSiC components, contact Mark Occhionero marco@alsic.com at 1 (508) 222-0614 x 242 or Samuel Hopp shop@alsic.com at 1 (508) 222-0614 x 242 at or visit www.alsic.com.

Darren Kincaid, a WSI SEO Expert, provides top quality but affordable website design, search engine optimization (SEO) , internet marketing, pay-per-click (PPC), web hosting, and business management solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses in Virginia, the United States, and around the world.

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Instant Vehicle Finance –provides instant cash for purchasing vehicle

In the current time in order to deal with the speed of life there is a need to increase ones own speed. So it becomes necessary to use vehicles for personal and commercial needs. It is not necessary that always there is sufficient amount of cash in hands; there the need of loans occurs. If there is not much time and looking for a little cash by fast means then Instant vehicle finance is a noticeable option available in the market. This fiscal help provides cash in very little time than any other financial system. This plan is usually unsecured by nature and less time is consumed in documentation.

This scheme is available in two forms: secured and unsecured. Secured form demands collateral against the loan amount. Collateral can be of any type, it can be property like home, or even the vehicle deal papers can also work as collateral. The amount borrowed depends on the value of the collateral pledged. This is easily available with low interest rates due to the presence of collateral.

Unsecured form is available without the demand of collateral against the amount. So the interest rates of this type are higher than the secured forms due to absence of collateral. The borrower has to give a verification of having a regular job to ensure his repaying capability. The repayment term differs in both forms. It is longer for the secured forms and shorter for the unsecured forms. So the unsecured form of this monetary help is good for buying low rates vehicles.

The online mode to access this service is best suited. With less documentation this facility can be easily availed by any borrower. In order to attain this there is a requirement to submit the evidence of service and address. Just fill the online application form with all the personal details and get fulfil the dream of buying a new vehicle as it takes very less time to get approved. Before applying for this scheme a genuine search for various deals is necessary to know about different terms and conditions available in the market

Elizabeth Swann is currently working as an expert author for Instant Auto Online Loan. She writes for loans and finance and provides advices on such issues. For more
details Instant Vehicle Finance, Instant auto loans, Online instant auto loans, Instant approval auto loans visit
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Driver Safety: Dangers of Riding Unrestrained in a Vehicle

- Child killed after being thrown from the back of a pickup truck.

- Teen seriously injured after tow-line breaks sending sled crashing into a tree.

- Skateboarder in critical condition after “skitching” behind pickup

- Teen sentenced for friend’s skitching death

- Teen charged in “car surfing” death

Headlines such as these reveal the fact that people still don’t seem to understand the dangers of riding unrestrained in a vehicle or using a vehicle recreationally. It is unfortunate that it often takes a tragedy to teach people about the dangers of these activities.

Riding in the cargo area of a pickup truck – You see it all the time, people using the cargo area of a pickup truck as passenger space. This is an extremely dangerous practice, especially for children. Drivers seem to forget that there are simple laws of physics that come into play in the operation of a motor vehicle and these laws can’t be broken.

The law of inertia says that an object in motion will remain in motion until stopped by an opposing force. That means that a passenger, unrestrained in the cargo area of a pickup truck, will continue in motion if the truck suddenly stops or turns (centrifugal force). No matter how strong a person might be, it is very hard to overcome these forces just by trying to hold on. The situation becomes worse when the passenger is seated in a lawn chair or some other type of chair in the cargo bed. In that case, there is no way for the passenger to hold on.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children who ride in the cargo area are disproportionately injured or killed, in both crash and non-crash events. The non-crash events involve those sudden turns, swerves, or quick stops that result in the passenger being ejected from the vehicle. Even at low speeds the results can be disastrous. Adding the weight and speed into a force calculator created by Georgia State University shows that a 60 pound child striking the concrete at 25 mph experiences a crash force of more than 1250 pounds. The AAP states that: “Persons who are injured when traveling in cargo areas of pickup trucks are more likely to sustain multiple injuries and injuries of greater severity and have a greater likelihood of death than do occupants in the cab.”

According to studies cited by the AAP, “Of the deaths that occurred as a result of cargo area occupants being ejected, 40% were children and adolescents 17 years or younger. Cargo area passengers were 3 times more likely to die than were occupants in the cab. Compared with restrained cab occupants, the risk of death for those in the cargo area was 8 times higher.”

Car surfing – Car surfing has become a popular sport over the past few years, primarily involving male teens or young adults. In this activity, the “surfer” tries to ride on the hood, top, or trunk of the car as if he or she is surfing. The popularity of this “sport” has increased due to the prevalence of car surfing videos on Youtube.com. The higher the speed, the more exciting the activity but the results are the same; teens thrown from the vehicle and suffering traumatic injury when they slam into the roadway. Georgia State’s force calculator shows that a 150 pound male striking the roadway at 25 mph will experience a crash force of 1.5 tons.

A simple search of the headlines around the US and Canada will show recent events involving the death or serious injuries resulting from this sport. The tragedy is compounded when the driver (usually the victim’s friend) is charged with vehicular homicide and faces severe jail terms as a result.

Towboarding” – Again, as a result of Youtube videos, this winter sport involves someone riding a snow board, skis, or a sled while attached to a vehicle by a tow rope. When the car turns or stops the snowboard has no choice but to continue traveling in a straight line until it smashes into the back of the car or slams into a tree.

Skitching” – Skitching refers to the act of riding a skate board while hitched to a car, either holding onto the car or being towed by a rope. Deaths or injuries in this sport often occur when the skateboarder slips or falls off of the skateboard striking the roadway or run over by the tow vehicle or another car. Headline searches show several instances of death and serious injury as a result of this sport in recent weeks.

Cars and pickup trucks are designed for one thing; transporting passengers who are securely restrained inside the vehicle. Using the vehicle in ways for which it wasn’t designed invites tragic consequences.

For more information on driving safety, visit: http://www.nationalsafetycommission.com/

 

Dave Herron works for the National Safety Commission as a driver safety educator and trainer. He contributes to the weekly Driver Safety Alerts and develops driver safety courses.

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The Complete Guide to Fleet Vehicle Tracking Systems

Over the past five years GPS vehicle tracking systems prices have dropped considerably and business owners are reaping the benefits of low priced vehicle tracking devices with an ROI of only a few months.

Fleet vehicle tracking can bring numerous benefits to a business from increasing productivity to reduced costs but before engaging on a long term contract with any vehicle tracking company, there are some vital facts you should know. This article will help you make a wise decision.

What is Vehicle Tracking and how does it works?

Vehicle Tracking systems use a combination of GPS technology, mobile phone network, internet, digital mapping and vehicle tracking devices with software to enable business owners to monitor their vehicles exact locations, as well as a complete set of information that tells what route was used, when the vehicle was turned ON/OFF, speed and even fuel consumption.

The principles of Vehicle Tracking Systems are quite simple. Using information sent by GPS satellites orbiting the Earth, a GPS receiver calculates the vehicles exact location on the Earth’s surface and sends the information via the mobile phone network to a remote server which can then be accessed by a computer via the internet, all the information is overlaid on a digital map area allowing you to see the location of each and every one of your vehicles with street level accuracy.

The Benefits of Vehicle Tracking Systems

Dispatch and allocate new jobs to the nearest vehicles
Provide transparency to your team’s whereabouts
Improved health and safety
Control and reduce your overtime costs
Confirm ETA’s and offer enhanced customer service
Control personal vehicle usage and eliminate moonlighting
Improve your route planning
Reducing the average speed of your vehicles
Lower insurance premiums
Let employees take vehicles home at night
Tax reductions
Proof of parking ticket validity

Choosing the best Vehicle Tracking Supplier

With so many vehicle tracking suppliers claiming to be the best, it is easy make a mistake and choose one that won’t fulfil your fleet needs. Bare in mind that there is no such thing as the best vehicle tracking supplier. The best supplier is the one that meet your fleet requirements, offers good customer support at low costs, are reliable and well established. Watch out for hidden costs!

Hidden Costs – There are a number of potential hidden costs with a tracking system, such as:

* Installation fees

* Monthly subscription fees

* Annual software licence fees

* Separate mobile carrier fees for GPRS data transfer

* Polling Fees (when you want to discover where a vehicle is right now)

* Callout fees for repairs even if under warranty

* Uninstall/Reinstall fees when you want to move the hardware from one vehicle to another

* Software update fees

* Additional software user fees

Ask your sales rep for all of the potential costs of their vehicle tracking systems – in writing! That way if you suddenly start receiving surprise invoices you are on solid ground to contest them.

By following the instructions on this vehicle tracking guide I’m certain you will choose the right fleet vehicle tracking system to keep track of all your vehicles.

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Electric Car Conversion – Electric Car Plans – Build Electric Car – Electric Vehicle Conversion

lectric Car Conversion Kits

Check the turning circle before buying the kit.

There are electric car conversion kits available from retailers and these can be fitted by someone with a good mechanical background. Before buying a conversion kit to fit to your car, it would firstly, be wise to check to see what type of car the electric car conversion kit is suitable for.

Most of the electric cars will do a mileage of between 30 to70, so if you have a daily average mileage that is within this range then having an electric car conversion kit fitted in your vehicle makes a lot of sense.

Another important aspect regarding the electric car conversion kit is to be familiar with which type of hybrid car model its best suited for having it fitted. Having one for short range travel and fitted to a light weight car would be ideal whereas a pickup van or truck is more suitable for utility purposes. Some of the more advanced electric car conversion kits have also been used in cars that can be used for short races and sportier driving, but these are few and far between.

A typical electric car conversion kit may enable a car to travel at speeds of up to 25 mph with a payload of between two and four passengers and costs less than ten thousand dollars.

The electric car conversion kit should be well designed and manufactured and should include the motor, controllers and battery chargers. Add to this the need to change the batteries every year which will add a further three hundred dollars ($300) to the cost. However, this is still considerably cheaper than costs for gasoline, anti-freezing, hosing, filters, belts, radiator repairs, exhaust system and tune-up of engines that ordinary gas driven cars entail.

At present, there are very few electric vehicles available and so converting the gasoline driven car with the help of an electric car conversion kit is a good choice to make as building your own electric vehicle is a fun-filled experience that is both rewarding and exhilarating and poses a challenge to the user.

Since electric vehicles do not pollute the environment they are a good alternative technology to the gas driven cars. There are a number of factors that need to be considered before settling on one particular electric car conversion kit.

* You may begin with selecting the driving range that you intend to travel with your electric vehicle and select a kit that will best serve your purpose.

* Secondly, there is the need to have proper and adequate set of tools and supplies along with an appropriate amount of free space where to do the conversion.

* Then, you need to be familiar with the components and know how to remove the ICE components and replace them with the electric vehicle components.

* Next, install the motor, components, battery box and batteries and also install the propulsion wiring, auxiliary power system and the traction pack changing system as well as displays and controls.

* Make sure that everything will have been tested before actually putting the electric vehicle in to normal use.

That’s it enjoy the pollution free and cheaper method of transport that is open to you now thanks to your purchase of a electric car conversion kit.

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Electric Vehicles | Street Legal Electric Vehicles | Street Legal Electric Cars