Sebastopol automaker converts gas guzzlers into electric cars
SEBASTAPOL (KPIX) -- With gas prices skyrocketing, new car buyers are looking seriously into electric options. While Teslas are popular, a Sebastopol company is offering an alternative to convert a current gas guzzler into an electric car.
But that's not all.
You could say Peter Oliver's love for cars started early. He built his first small scale car in kindergarten and now he owns a company that builds electric vehicles. Oliver is now the CEO of Switch Vehicles.
"Usually they start with a nice car of sentimental value," said Oliver. "It costs just as much as it would to buy one of the high end teslas or Volvos."
The cost can range anywhere from $65,000 to $100,000. Oliver was driven to create his business, not only because of his love for cars but his love for the earth.
"No matter how long it lasts, we're going to run out of oil here pretty soon. It might be another 100 years but we might as well start now. It's like getting into shape," Oliver said.
While Peter Oliver converts cars, his passion is to build electric cars from scratch and to teach kids and adults how to do it.
"We provide everything. Every nut and bolt that they need. It's all done."
At first, Oliver started by selling 3 electric car kits a year. Now, he ships out at least 5 a month. When asked if it's like an Ikea for electric cars, he replied, "Yeah, but the instructions are readable."
Many of the electric car kits go to schools, where students spend an entire semester building a car.
The end product is this exoskeleton car that can cruise down freeways.
"How can you expect for people to really get excited about making things of you don't introduce the concept to them? So here, they're going to learn to make something and they're going to be proud of what they do."
Oliver started his company after he retired from his original career in technology. He quickly realized he could easily convert cars into electric but the lasting impact would be to teach what he knows to the next generation.
"I got this quote from Franklin Roosevelt who said we may not be able to prepare the future for our children but we need to prepare our children for the future. That's kind of what our goal is here."