The Electric Hippie Van Project

Any self-respecting hippie needs a suitable hippie van, and there's nothing more suitable than a vintage VW Bus!

Our project involves taking a regular old VW van, removing the engine, transmission and fuel tank, and in its place installing an electric motor, continuous transmission to go with the motor, and a set of batteries.

With the proper setup we should be able to get this hippie van moving at least as fast as the original with a lot less chance of a breakdown!

First, we're going to need a suitable starting point....

WANTED: 1960's VW Van
Please contact me if you have one for sale or know of one!



(Preferrably the 21 or 23 window variety - because hey, they're cool!)

The body needs to be in good shape, but the drivetrain can be bad or non-existant because afterall, we're just getting all that stuff outta there anyway! 

It'll likely be repainted, so minor surface rust is ok. Also, I'm not picky on the interior, as that can be upgraded easily. This hippie isn't afraid of putting some elbow grease into it.

WANTED:  Sponsors!
Also needed for this project is sponsorship. If you would like to be involved, please email . Sponsorship will be prominantly featured on this website, in all of our articles, and throughout our videos.

Why a VW Van?
1) It is relatively light (3200lbs for a camper, 2900lbs for the non-camper version - about the same weight as a New VW Beetle).
2) It is versatile - it can be used to haul people and things, you can camp in it or even live in it if you so desire!
3) It will be easy to work on - there is lots of space to accommodate extra batteries.
4) The parts are inexpensive and easy to find.
5) Many aftermarket upgrades are available - for example, we may wish to upgrade the braking system to handle the weight of the extra batteries.
6) They are COOL! To make an electric vehicle statement, you have to stand out.
7) This *is* WestCoastHippie.com, what did you expect?