80% of EV car conversions end in failure. This book is cheap insurance that you will fall into the 20% success side of the ledger.
I purchased another book, "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle". It got the only bad review I have ever written. How it got published is literally beyond me.
Hemp's book is THE definitive book you want if you are considering or even remotely interested in doing an EV. Just to give you a quick flavor, instead of saying batteries don't hold charges in the cold, Hemp details an insulated and automatically heated and inexpensively built battery box.
Hemp's book is a super read. I have read one of his other books and while it was an okay read his style of writing in this book is beyond impressive. Reads like a well written novel. Short, concise, informative, and easy to understand and NOT the least bit dull. I never made it past college. I'm not stupid, I am an ex-airline captain, I've built several homes, but this book, unlike Leitman's and Brant's is understandable.
The first half of the book addresses things that 99.99999% of economist overlook, what [...] "Crash Course" call's the Three E's. Energy, Environment and the Economy. Most people don't get that the economy is based on unsustainable growth. No matter what your thoughts are on AGW it is indisputable that peak population is depleting ALL the natural resources. Hemp gets this. While he doesn't claim this car is the answer he makes it clear that this technology is the necessary band aid until better technology is developed.
After the first half the second half details how to convert a vehicle. A diesel electric/series hybrid made such common sense to me that when I "Googled" it I was shocked to see all the nay-sayers out there on many popular EV blogs. I ordered the plans from Mother Earth for a car that was converted in the 1970s. I knew if a diesel hybrid was possible then at a time before EV's had access to off the shelf components it had to be not only possible today but easier to do today.
And it is.
Thank you William Hemp for not only doing this but making it open source and writing such a great read on how to do it.
The world needs more William Hemp's and less GM's. BTW Brant and Leitman should go work at GM on their Volt.
I would encourage all to watch "A Crude Awakening", Google "Crash Course," Google Dr. Albert Bartlett's the most important video.
Take care
