Right now, it seems impossible that gas could ever get expensive again. Well, it didn’t seem that outlandish a few months ago! If the recent past has taught us anything, it’s that we should be prepared for anything. And becoming independent of gasoline is one of the smartest things we can do as we head into an uncertain future.

It used to cost $5,000 to $10,000 to convert a gas car into an electric one. That’s not the case anymore. In fact, new electric car technology has made it possible to do a conversion for only a few hundred dollars. Home electric car conversion kits show you how to find tools and parts, such as batteries, very inexpensively, sometimes even for free.

Using battery technology to run your car is where the future is. In a recent column in The New York Times, Thomas Friedman wrote “Big batteries that can store electricity for transportation and wind and solar generation are the indispensable enablers of the Energy Internet of the future. Europe, Japan and China are already dominating this industry. It’s the key to clean-tech, and ultimately our national competitiveness. We can’t allow ourselves to be battery importers in the 21st century the way we were oil importers in the 20th.”

I think people are beginning to sense the truth in this. It’s one of the main reasons why EV conversion kits are all the rage these days. While electric cars save both money and the environment, it’s really the desire to be part of the future that is motivating people to build their own electric vehicles. It’s a really fun and educational project.

Here are the three top-rated electric car conversion kits, or manuals. They are all easily downloaded from the computer. All these websites have some great information and videos.

Electricity4Gas Sales of this kit have really taken off recently. It promises to show you how to do an electric car conversion for under $300, which is much cheaper than normal. With the help of this manual you’ll be able to find the parts you need for very little money–or even for free. It also comes with bonus books. It costs $49.97 and you can visit the website here.

Convert2ev This website features an interesting story about the couple who wrote this manual. They’ve been living “off the grid” for the past 15 years, which is why they know so much about batteries. It comes with bonus books about creating your own elecricity using wind and solar power. The price is also $49.97. Go to the website here.

Premium Electric Car Guide The difference is the price, which is cheaper at $37. There are no bonus books. Go to the website here.