When Steve Azzoli pulls his bright blue car into an auto parts store and pops open his hood, he invariably draws a crowd.
That’s because the retired Land O’ Lakes man is tooling around in an all-electric car, and people want to take a look.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Azzoli got the car for his project in 2011, and didn’t get the parts to convert it into an electric vehicle until the middle of 2012.
It took six months to restore the car and another 18 months to convert it.
Rebirth Auto of St. Petersburg helped Azzoli get the right battery system and motor controller, while Diamond Auto Works Inc., in Lutz did the bodywork, welding and fabrication work, and car painting.
Diamond Auto’s Bobby Boles said when Azzoli first told him what he was planning to do, he thought he was crazy. But Boles figured if Azzoli was willing to invest so much in the electric car project, Azzoli must know what he was talking about.
The bodywork made the car more aerodynamic, Azzoli said.
Since completing the project, Azzoli has driven 5,700 miles without using a drop of gas. He estimates he saves about $300 a month with his electric car.
Beyond saving money on fuel, he’s also spending less on maintenance.
The project cost about $23,000, but Azzoli said that is less than what it would cost for a Chevrolet Volt, a popular gas and electric hybrid car. He also notes his car gets more mileage per charge than a Nissan Leaf, another popular electric car.
Before a recent upgrade that reduced the weight of his car, Azzoli said he was getting about 110 miles to 120 miles a charge. Azzoli recently removed about 150 pounds of steel, and changed his battery boxes from steel to aluminum. Once he does some more testing, he’ll know how much the mileage between charges has improved.
Azzoli’s next project will be to change the 14-inch tires to 16-inch tires, improving highway mileage, he said.
The Land O’ Lakes man isn’t the only one drawn to electric vehicles. Jose Barriga of New Tampa said he became fascinated with the notion of converting a gasoline-powered car into an electric vehicle once he found out it was possible.
He has converted a 2004 Nissan Sentra into an electric car. At first, he was able to get 50 miles per charge.
However, he’s in the midst of upgrading the batteries and expects to be able to get 80 miles per charge once that project is done.
Barriga is sold on the concept of electric cars. He likes the idea of using a car that doesn’t use gasoline or oil, and which doesn’t directly cause pollution.
His second car is a hybrid, which requires him to fill his gas tank about twice a month.
Barriga said he’d like to do another car conversion project, but simply doesn’t have the time.
Steve Messerschmidt, who’s associated with two vehicle companies in St. Petersburg — Rebirth Auto and Evnetics — sells electric vehicle conversion kits to customers around the globe.
There’s a big demand to convert gasoline-powered cars into electric cars, Messerschmidt said.
Some people want to save money on gas. Others enjoy do-it-yourself projects.
Some people want to reduce the carbon footprint. Some people like to show off their cars and they want to have a unique vehicle.
Others want electric cars, but don’t want to be limited to what’s available commercially. They want to choose the make and model of their electric car.
And there are those who want to make a business out of it, Messerschmidt said. “They want to do conversions for other people,” he added.
Edward R. Monfort, chief executive and president of electric driveshaft manufacturer Adomani Inc., is one of those people. He’s looking to convert school buses and trucks into electric vehicles to make money for his company and to save money for school districts and private businesses.
The Tampa man said he’s also exploring the possibility of working with the U.S. Postal Service to provide a fleet of vehicles for its use.
Monfort drives around a Ford F-150 truck that’s been converted to an electric vehicle. His interest in electric vehicles began in 2008 when he was getting into the car business and built an all-electric Mustang.
The car was popular at car shows, but never developed a strong market, Monfort said.
Now, he’s focusing his efforts on finding customers in the fleet market for trucks and buses.
Electric vehicles offer a wise economic choice, Monfort said, noting they can cost less than half as much as a gasoline-powered vehicle over 10 years, considering the purchasing and operating costs.
“There’s a demand for the product,” Messerschmidt said. “Municipalities, as time goes on, they’re going to demand that the carbon footprint go down. This business, in general, is really in its infancy.”
Published July 23, 2014
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