MR2 Zero Emissions Vehicle
Well, I've spent the last 3 years converting a 1986 Toyota MR2 to electric so that I could use the excess energy generated from the solar panels on my roof.
If I had the money, I would just get one of these.
But I am still a ways from being able to afford one of these. In the mean time, my converted electric MR2 is contributing negligible green house gases to the atmosphere of this beautiful planet we called Earth.
And it is saving me money! (Calculation based on gas efficiency of 32 mpg, and the daily prices of the 87 octane gas from the gas station where I usually fill up my Toyota Corolla)
The 3.6kw solar system we installed in Jan. 2008 costed $22,500 after all the tax breaks. Without the car, we would pay off the panels in 20 years ($90/month savings), with the MR2, the payoff is expected to accelerate to approximately 9 years by saving an additional $120/month in gas. Actual payoff is tracked in the following graph
In order to replace my gasoline car for most of my daily driving, my plug-in electric has a range of 80-100 miles on a single charge with mostly freeway driving. This allows me to get to and from work everyday and also give me flexibility to get around most of the beautiful Bay Area from my centrally located home in Castro Valley, CA.
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have questions about any content on my blog, my goal is to share my experience with as many people as I can. Perhaps it will motivate you to build/buy your own EVs that run on sustainable, clean energy sources.
Continue to my EV project blog.....