Brothers convert Chrysler to 'EV' Cruiser

JOHNSBURG – When the engine on Joe Huemann's 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser blew up last June, it wasn't worth the money in repairs to keep the vehicle running.

On gasoline, that is.

So instead of paying $8,000 for a new motor, on top of gas prices still hovering around $4, Huemann decided to try something a bit unconventional.

“I like cars, so I Googled electric car conversions,” Huemann said. “I started reading, and I bought this book – it was only $28 – called ‘Convert It,’ published in 1977. After reading the book, I said, I could do this – it’s not rocket science.”

Huemann started budgeting money to turn his useless PT Cruiser into an environmentally friendly Electric Vehicle – EV, for short. But he wasn’t ready to do the work alone.

The book had also said having an electrical engineer handy would make some of the work easier, especially because there was not a conversion kit specifically made for a PT Cruiser.

Joe Huemann’s brother, Tom, has an electrical engineering degree.

So, the work began. The brothers started their “bonding project” Nov. 1 with the goal of having a drivable electric car by June 2009.

Despite a limited schedule that allowed them to work only Thursdays and weekends, and without turning a wrench the entire month of January, the pair put in 100 hours each and finished the conversion the last week in April.

And on the road they went. Everything worked like a normal car, the brothers said. In fact, Joe Huemann thought the EV Cruiser has better pick up and acceleration than it did before the conversion.

"Him and I, we really don't drink, but we had a bottle of champagne [after that first drive],” Joe Huemann said.

“It’s fun to roll by people and they’ll say, ‘Your engine’s not running,’” Tom Huemann said. “And I’ll be like, ‘Yeah, it is.’”

Armed with 12, 12-volt batteries, the newly converted "EV Cruiser," as the Huemann's dubbed their car, can go 25 to 30 miles on a full, eight-hour charge. While that's not far, it's perfect for short drives.

"It's to take the kids to school,” Joe Huemann said. “It’s a neighborhood, short commute car.”

And it’s already saving money.

Joe Huemann had budgeted $8,500 for conversion parts and ended up spending $10,000 when all was said and done. But it was worth the extra money.

It takes 14 kilowats to charge the car's battery, and Joe Huemann's electric bill charges him six cents a kilowat hour. That breaks down to roughly 84 cents for a 30-mile trip.

The car was only getting 17 miles to the gallon before the conversion, and at $4 a gallon … well, you do the math, Joe Huemann said.

And, if they can get the car licensed as a zero-emission car, the government will give the brothers a $4,000 check back.

That gives the brothers an EV smile – the same smile they get as they drive past gas station after gas station.

Their handiwork has been admired from several “experts” in the field, as well.

The brothers joined the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association, where they’ve bonded with more than 200 car enthusiasts who have converted various models to EVs.

Ken Simmermon of Ingleside, a member of the club, repairs EVs and gave the Huemann brothers lots of advice during their conversion. But his words of praise on their finished product meant a lot to Joe Huemann.

“It’s a snazzy looking vehicle,” Simmermon said. “That was one of the nicest conversions anyone in the club has done. The workmanship is just beautiful.”

Watching their hard work pay off also reminds Tom Huemann of the brothers’ father, Tom Sr., who has taken the EV Crusier for a couple of spins.

"When I was a little kid, I remember my dad didn't have enough money to buy a truck," Tom Huemann said. "He bought two totaled trucks. One was totaled in the front, one was totaled in the back. He cut the two in half, welded them together, and drove 200 thousand miles on the truck. So that's where we get it from. You make do with what you have."

To find out more

To learn more about the Huemann brothers' conversion, visit http://evalbum.com/2243. Or, visit the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association at www.fveaa.org.