Its always about money.
Its a lot easier to go to the bank to get a loan to buy a new ford shelby gt cobra with the 500 hp engine that it is to get a loan or LOC/ HELOC for 30 grand to build your own.
For me, I saw the videos online and sites on making your own ev. I got the geo, met a guy who made his geo an ev. His reciepts added up to ten grand for parts, batteries, etc. That didnt count the labor or money he got from selling the parts he no longer needed from the geo.
My ev dreams were immediately crushed. No one I knew had ten grand, could get a loan for ten grand or would save anough fuel wise from the driving I did to make an immediate return. Getting the hybrid I got an immediate break and started working on a return. Instead of spending 400 bucks a month to citgo I was spending 250 a month to Honda Finanical Credit (SP).