Ohio college students convert 1997 diesel Ford E350 into the Electro-Van

Students from Ohio Technical College thought that a heavy, old van would make for a great electric vehicle conversion project. In OTC's Alternative Fuel program, the 13 students, along with their teacher, ripped the diesel bits from a 1997 Ford E350 van and turned it into the "Electro-Van." The newly-minted EV can go up to 35 mph thanks to 21 12-volt deep cycle marine batteries and a 36 V electric motor that used to pull duty in a forklift and offers 95 hp. All that roof space is used to hold a few solar panels to help power the batteries, but most of the power needs to come from a plug. The conversion project took a total of six weeks, with help from other OTC departments for things like the colorful wrap. Now "finished," the ongoing education project will be used by future students who will update the vehicle to increase voltage and speed.

[Source: Ohio Technical College via AutomobileMag]