Have you ever considered building your own car? I thought not. Egon Ressel, a Peachland man, had no such qualms. He spent four years and nearly $20,000 making an electric car, almost from scratch, in his own backyard shop.

As snowbirds, Egon and his wife Ursula spent many winters in the U.S., where they encountered electric vehicles firsthand. “I got intrigued about them,” says Ressel. He began wondering if he could make one. “I knew people who had done conversions–taking a gas-powered car, and putting an electric motor in it.” Building one from the ground up was a bigger challenge, one he decided to take on in 2001. “I just wanted to see if I could do it, and get some fun out of it,” he says.

With a background in heating and plumbing, Ressel had some mechanical experience, but not in electronics. So the first step was extensive research (using books and the internet) in order to develop the plans: “I had to get it in my mind first.” The idea that emerged was a light, three-wheeled vehicle built on a V.W. beetle axle. It had to be as light as possible in order to have enough power. The final product weighs around 1,600 pounds, (which sounds like a lot but not in comparison to your average car or truck). The three-wheeled design cuts down on road resistance.

Next Ressel located a company in California to supply the electric motor and electronic controls. They also supplied a lot of know-how and advice. “They helped me to figure out what I needed and how to put it all together,” says Ressel. Of course these became the most expensive parts of the car, particularly since they had to be shipped from the U.S.

Next Ressel purchased an old V.W. Beetle for 50 dollars. Because Beetles don’t have a conventional frame, and are lightweight, they are often used for go-carts and take-apart projects. The rear axle became the base for Ressel’s electric car. He also used the V.W. transmission, adapting it to electric. Then he purchased a Harley Davidson golf cart, from which he salvaged the steering system. The electrical work came next. The car uses a combination of high and low voltage systems working off a 72 volt battery. It charges overnight on household power supply. Two comfy seats came from a Mazda sports car.

At this stage, a test drive confirmed all systems go. It worked! To finish the car, Ressel constructed the body out of sheets of urethane foam, sandwiched between thin layers of fiberglass. It was professionally painted at a west side auto-body shop. The glass work completed the project, and a very spiffy machine it is too!

Ressel estimates that his car will travel up to 80km/hour,, and go 120 km on one charge. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to test it properly because of licensing difficulties. In classification, the vehicle falls in a gray zone, between a car and a motorcycle. In other words, the insurance folks don’t know quite what to make of it. A local vehicle inspector said “he’d never seen anything like it.”

Ressel is still hopeful he will eventually be able to use his car around town, cheerfully driving past gas stations in his non-polluting, funky, home-made car.