Last updated: September 11, 2009

To get to the point, I've completed this project enough that I'm driving it around Hamilton regularly, check out my page at EValbum.com

Thanks for taking the time to check this page out, I'm not sure what your expectations are, but I certainly had very high expectations of myself. So I'm a little disappointed on how long this project has taken. There are various reasons that contribute to this slowness, but mostly it is not having a garage, the right tools or lots of money. Also, I am not a "gear head" or or experienced in working with cars in anyway, this has been a great way to prove how well I can teach myself new things!. (I spent all of Jan., and half of Feb. working on modifying chargers indoors, while the truck was buried in snow.)

I'm sure you may be wondering why I started this project in the first place, well, read on.

My story of inspiration is a little long, but to sum it up, it started with learning about the Canadian, yet rather slow ZENN electric car. Then following Gavin and his EV conversion, and then doing months of research, reading, and part sourcing.

And now for the long version.

I didn't even think an electric car would be feasible until I saw the ZENN. It took a while to find out that it only goes 40km/h (something that enthusiasts like to omit), and I was annoyed to also read at the same time that if I wanted to go 100km/h, my only option is a $100k Tesla roadster. Surprisingly, people have been converting existing cars for years for a cost that averages $5000 - $10000USD. Long story short, motivated by gas prices and climate change, I decided to spend my unused student loan money to build my own electric car. Al Gore's film; An Inconvenient Truth was also a major source of inspiration. However I recommend watching these climate change vidoes instead of Al Gore's film.

The final straw was when gas it its peak here in southern Ontario last summer(2008). I calculated an ideal EV budget: $5000; how much gas would that buy me?, and how far/time would it get me?'

I drive a 95 Ford tempo, I live in Hamilton, a hypothetical job in Waterloo is about 70km one-way, a typical distance for an EV)
My car's gas efficiency is 10Km/L (at best), if I commuted every weekday, for 1 year and 3 weeks, and if gas stayed at $1.40/L, I would be spending $5000 in gasoline ALONE! (never mind maintenance costs) .
Gas is cheaper now, and probably won't ever get that high again, but the principle is still here, plus environmental stuff. Gas gets expensive when demand is high, and now people are buying hybrids faster than they can be built, people are converting to electric, and there are 100% electric cars coming out in 2009/10 (not soon enough for me), so demand is dropping, and you'll see, gas will drop in price too.

Furthermore, I have had difficulty obtaining the above mentioned "job in Waterloo". Though I've created this web site to demonstrate my skills and experience, I seem to be lacking the experience I require to launch the career that I want. Since starting this project, I have realized that my ideal career is now in the electric car industry. With down-turning economies and disappearing jobs, I want to be in the small list of individuals who have real-life experience with electric vehicles. (Which will increase in demand/popularity as battery technology starts to catch up in the next 1-4 years)

I made an intro video - the truck is an 1989 Ford Ranger!: (please note that all my videos are totally improvised with no script, and no editing. This is because I'm effectively alone in this project, and I'd rather dedicate time to working on the truck or this web site instead of editing video)

If you don't already know, I recommend the DIYelectriccar forums.
For a more basic page, check out my page at EValbum.com

As for who I am, check my main web site!