Most homemade electric cars are rolling death traps. When 700+ lbs of battery is added to an older car, scary things can happen to the brakes, chassis and handling. This article looks at how they can be safely upgraded to protect the driver and the general public. There is a large amount of enthusiasts who work on their own cars. The D.I.Y. subculture of the traditional enthusiast can translate to the electric car D.I.Y., but safety must be addressed with the addition of electric propulsion.