Electric Honda - Business Idea???

[vpoppv]

hypermiler01,

I've often thought about doing what you are thinking about. And although I started a successful business that provided for a family of 4 for 7 years, I don't quite see the opportunity here because of the amount of work required for each unit. It would really be a feast or famine situation. How much income do you need? How much time does it take to make one car? How much can you reasonable expect to make per car? The bottom line for me is that I see some gorgeous conversions on eBay go for $3,000; that just scares me.
If I win the lottery or something, I think I would buy some of the good conversions on eBay that go for so cheap and put lithium cells in them and try to sell them. I can see how that might work. In the end though, I firmly believe that if your heart is truly in it, and you know how to budget, you can make ANYTHING work. When I started my business, I can't tell you how many times so-called "friends" rushed to me and gave me all the reasons why it wouldn't work- all under the guise of "wanting to help me out".
How come you've decided to do this with Hondas and not Geo Metro's?

[hypermiler01]

Originally Posted by vpoppv

hypermiler01,
How come you've decided to do this with Hondas and not Geo Metro's?

Supply of donor vehicles and demand for the finished product.

I only have myself to support, and have other incomes.

[vpoppv]

Originally Posted by hypermiler01

Supply of donor vehicles and demand for the finished product.

Here in Oklahoma, 99% of people drive trucks, and 1% drive cars, bikes, walk, and all other forms of transportation combined
So I've played with the idea of converting trucks. But the problem is not that there aren't converted trucks, it's that very few want/care to drive electric.
In other words, if someone is out there wanting to buy a Honda, I doubt they will be more inclined to buy an "electric" Honda any more than anyone else. The people you will get a sale from are the ones strictly looking for an electric car. In some respects, that makes your job easier as a businessman. You aren't tied down to picking a car that attracts the average buyer. I just happen to have a bias towards Geos, and the conversion seems a bit easier considering the fact of no power steering, but supply is certainly more of an issue. If you love Hondas, and know all the ins and outs of them, your job is that much easier. In any case, I really hope you go forward with this, as the world truly needs more electric vehicles.

[Automcdonough]

metros kinda suck tho. They sacrifice a lot to be lightweight and efficient.. and well in the case of an electric those sacrifices amount to nothing more than a few more miles of range.
I have a similar opinion of most Hondas, but they are a huge step up from the Metro. Newer ones are quite nice.

Since the cost of donor car is a fraction of the conversion cost it seems to make more sense to pick something based more on what you are looking for such as utility, luxury, performance. If "cheap" is most important than you'd probly be buying a Leaf.

[vpoppv]

Originally Posted by Automcdonough

metros kinda suck tho. They sacrifice a lot to be lightweight and efficient.. and well in the case of an electric those sacrifices amount to nothing more than a few more miles of range.
I have a similar opinion of most Hondas, but they are a huge step up from the Metro. Newer ones are quite nice.

Since the cost of donor car is a fraction of the conversion cost it seems to make more sense to pick something based more on what you are looking for such as utility, luxury, performance. If "cheap" is most important than you'd probly be buying a Leaf.

Not surprisingly, I wholeheartedly disagree. I don't see any sacrifices. Perhaps if you could specify we could debate those, but I doubt either of us would change our opinion. I have found that, of the 33 different makes/models of cars I have owned, the Metro is hands down the winner in terms of reliability and simplicity of design. And as an electric conversion, not having to worry about what to do with the power steering pump is a huge check off of the list of things to do! But what I think the argument will boil down to, as it often does, is that most people don't just want something to go from point A to point B. I don't want a status symbol, I just want to get to work. And as for newer Hondas, I think they suffer from the same problems all new cars do today: they are bloated and over-engineered. When I am forced to drive my mother-in-law's Camry (granted, Toyota, not Honda, but the same things apply) I feel as though I am driving from the couch in my living room. You couldn't pay me enough to contemplate converting that electronic mess to electric! Not to mention how much that boat must weigh. It would be a conversion nightmare. I think an older Honda is an excellent choice for a conversion business given that they don't have the stigma that Metro's do. If you are after style/luxury/performance, then I don't think electric would be your first choice anyway. I just slap in a heating/massaging pad on the driver's seat and call it a Lexus-good to go!

[Automcdonough]

Originally Posted by gasman

Remember, your little statement about "not competing with new cars" is exactly the opposite of reality. In fact, you would be directly competing with new cars.

What I would be directly competing with are other shops doing motor work / restoration of cars that can't be bought as they want them. In a lot of respects I could be doing some of this work already w/o any of the electric stuff.

Originally Posted by vpoppv

...Metro is hands down the winner in terms of reliability and simplicity of design...

If simplicity of design and lightweight feel is what you are looking for, that's what most of us would call performance. I didn't mean to hit a soft spot there, was just saying if these are your priorities then why not start with an Ariel or Lotus. There's plenty of options out there that will get you a more solid body with good suspension geometry and minimum of extra weight. RWD is also a priority to me, part of why I got hooked on old 80's BMW's.
A Camry is made to be comfortable, it's apples and oranges.. and if what you want is to be isolated from the road noise, bumps, vibrations.. then you would prefer that to a Metro or E30. Or if there's other needs like being able to fit adults in the back seat.

What the Metro did the best was have a low cost. Not really a factor for the target market that this business would support, those people would DIY or buy off-shelf offerings.

[Ryland]

Honda's tend to run for a long time unless they are abused, converting an abused car does not seem like a good idea and because they run forever they tend to hold value.
I would do as Vpoppv suggested and buy electric car conversions that people gave up on and finish them correctly, you are going to save a ton of money and work this way.
As soon as I can get someone to buy my Citi-car that is along the lines of my plan, a guy has an MG midget that is converted to electric, it works and drives but needs better batteries and a better controller it sounds like but he's selling it for the price of a non converted non running car.

[Automcdonough]

Originally Posted by Ryland

...buy electric car conversions that people gave up on and finish them correctly...

I've picked up other people's projects before, it's almost always a nightmare. The only value in this would be getting the parts.

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by Automcdonough

I've picked up other people's projects before, it's almost always a nightmare. The only value in this would be getting the parts.

Yep, that is the idea, you get the parts, the donor car and all for a lower price then you could otherwise buy them for.
You have to remember that basically your business is going to be asking people to buy your project and starting with someone else's stalled project seems like a good start to seeing what mistakes are made.

[Clev]

Why not start with new cars? Take a Versa, Accent or Yaris for around $10k, sell the 0-mile engines, radiators, alternators, etc. and use the rest for a conversion. If you sell "brand new" cars, you're more likely to find buyers from the mainstream.