Tom Faussett, 59, of Eureka Township and Thomas Walker Faussett, 24, of St. Joseph decided to build an electric car after viewing the 2006 documentary titled “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
Tom Faussett thought he would try his hand at building an electric car and enlisted his son to help. He wanted to take advantage of his son’s mechanical engineering degree he received in 2007 from Michigan Technological University in Houghton.
Tom Faussett explained that an electric car needs a light chassis because the batteries are heavy, plus the heavier the car the more energy is required to move it.
“We went on the Internet and looked at different kinds of cars to convert,” he said. “This particular car is fairly light, 1,600 pounds.”
Thomas Faussett said they had to first get the car roadworthy by welding in floor plates. Then they researched motors and other components, ordered the materials and assembled the components. The whole process took about six months.
The components of the car include 14 lead-acid batteries and a 72-volt motor.
The top speed for Tom Faussett’s electric car is 55 mph, although the average speed is 45 miles per hour.
Thomas Faussett would like to see more people get excited about electric cars. He thinks they will catch on when people realize that it uses less energy.
