Owner-converted 1990 Mazda Miata Electric Car

Tipster and reader of our site Manu shared a link to this 1990 Mazda Miata which has been converted to electric. This particular car is fully electric, not a biodiesel/electric hybrid like the one we showed you a bit earlier. Using thirteen Optima D31M 75AH Blue Top Marine deep cycle batteries, the car can cruise at up to 96 mph, although with severely limited range. At a more sedate speed or around town, the range would be much longer. The car is charged using power supplies capable of converting AC power to DC power, which has an output of "about 13.85 volts per battery." This means that the car can be plugged into an outlet at home (AC power), perhaps using a plug like what is used for your stove or dryer. The charging system then converts the AC power into DC power so that the batteries can accept the current. The motor is from ADC, one of the most popular manufacturers for electric conversions. This particular model can sustain about 20 hp and can supply burst of 85 hp, more than enough for a relatively lightweight car such as this. Controlling all the power is a motor controller from Curtis.

While a good deal of custom work was done on this car (and rather well we might add), conversion kits are becoming much more popular these days. If you are interested in information on where to find some of the components necessary for this type of job, leave a note in the comments and we'll direct you to the right places. And keep sending in those tips!

[Source: Bill Theeringer, h/t to Manu]