NASA retiree makes an electric car out of rusted VW NASA retiree makes his own electric car out of rusted VW Beetle

NO GAS NEEDED: John Hendrickson stands by his converted VW Beetle, which runs on electricity. NO GAS NEEDED: John Hendrickson stands by his converted VW Beetle, which runs on electricity. Photo: Diana North, For The Chronicle Photo: Diana North, For The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close NASA retiree makes an electric car out of rusted VW 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Manvel resident John Hendrickson remembers racing Volkswagen Beetles in his younger days.

Those days are long gone, but he still drives a VW, and this one is different that all those others. That’s because he never has to fill it with gas.

It was while filling his Cadillac at a gas station in 2007 that Hendrickson first thought about building an electric car.

“I thought gas stations were ripping us off, so I decided to just go build my own electric car,” Hendrickson said.

He asked a neighbor if he knew of any VWs for sale. That’s how he learned of another neighbor’s rusted 1972 Beetle that hadn’t been used in over five years. Hendrickson bought it and parked it in his garage.

“It wasn’t much to look at,” he said. “It was full of snakes and fire ants. We had to cut small trees that were growing up through it, and drag it out of the woods.”

The car had no fenders or wiring and the body needed a complete overhaul.

Hendrickson had never undertaken such a project before, but the 74-year-old retired electronics engineer, Air Force veteran and former Air National Guard member was no stranger to learning new skills.

After retiring in 1992 from a 29-year career with NASA, he took up engine building as a hobby by reading books and doing research on the Internet.

He built five working engines that took from one to several years to complete. Two are displayed in his home, one in a nearby shed and two others in his garage.

Using the Internet and more books, Hendrickson worked daily on his project. After a disappointing experience with his first gel batteries, he found Houston battery distributor Randy Risner, who was willing to help.

As a result, the car got all 12 of the new gel cell batteries it needed for free. Each battery costs about $300 plus tax.

“Randy is now a personal friend of mine,” Hendrickson said.

The car sports an Interstate Battery green-and-white paint job and matching advertisement decals.

The paint job and bodywork were donated by local businesses. Hendrickson said he’s grateful for the generosity.

He completed the car last October.

The car is very economical, getting about 50 miles per charge and two to three days between charges. Hendrickson says it costs about a penny a mile to drive.

“The neighbors have all had rides in it. They think it’s great,” he said.

He can go as fast as 55 miles per hour if he eases into it. But, he usually just uses it for getting around Manvel.

In November, he entered it in a Pearland auto show where it took first place in its class. A second show in Alvin garnered another first place. The last show, a Toys-for-Tots benefit in Pasadena, won Hendrickson not only another first in its class, but a best of show trophy and a $100 cash prize.

Not satisfied to own a prize-winning vehicle, Hendrickson is currently working on what he affectionately calls a “homebrewed air conditioning system” for it. He has already insulated the car’s interior and tinted the windows.

In his effort to promote electric cars, he became a member of the Houston Electric Automobile Association, where he met another Manvel electric car enthusiast.

Together, they are planning to build a hybrid car out of a 1992 Isuzu Amigo.

“That car will have an electric motor, batteries, a gasoline system and a generator to run it all,” Hendrickson said.