High School Senior Looking For Funds To Turn Pickup Truck Into EV

I have to admit, I wasn’t up to very useful after-school projects when I was in high school. I always feel quite a bit of respect for high schoolers (or younger) who are engaged in significant projects. A young man from Oakland, California, who is turning a gas-guzzling pickup truck into an electric vehicle is one of those people.

Thanks to crowdfunding site IndieGogo, he’s also hoping to get a bit of support for his EV project. He has a target of $15,000 of support.

Here’s a quick rundown of what he’s done so far:

Went to Santa Cruz on a Sunday to pick up an electric conversion kit (3 hours and for $2000)

Contacted over 20 people and looked at three cars before finding the white pick-up truck pictured ($725)

Went to the DMV to complete auto registration ($80)

Removed the engine, exhaust, and gas tank (8 hours)

http://youtu.be/7OZA2_0rqeQ

And here’s a quick rundown of what the money would be used for:

Now I am fundraising because we need more money to make this interest of mine a reality. We will need at least $15,000 to make our car work and to be presentable as my senior project as well as my Maker Faire project. In addition to the costs above, with the money we raise from contributors I will buy:

Batterypack – $5,000

Suspension parts (leaf springs) – $500

Metal (to build the structure to hold the battery) – $300

Additional tools (a welder and an engine hoist) – $500

Brakes – $150

Car repairs (paint, bodywork, broken door hinges, damaged seats) – $2,000

Adapter plate (connects the electric motor to the transmission) – $1,100

Charger – $2,000

Carport tent (for rainy days) – $200

And, as a final motivator, here’s a short excerpt on the potential impact you can have by donating via the IndieGogo page:

If you help fund this project, you will make a huge impact on me. Your support will give me motivation and allow me to prove to myself that I can have a career in automotive industry and to prove to people that there are many opportunities in Oakland to help students succeed. You’ll also help me prove the sterotypes about Oakland wrong — many great people can come from where they’re least expected. If I succeed in this project, I might start my own company for car conversions and help make our community more environmentally-friendly.

If we raise more money than our goal, we will give the funds to the school’s Robotics Class so that they can also think big like me and see their projects succeed.

Do the kid a favor — contribute now: