Some people have done this.  I remember a high school converted a vanagon. A quick search:
http://e-vanagon.blogspot.com/
http://www.northhavencommunityschool.org/Electric%20Vehicle%20Project/ev.html

Thanks
Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of Allan Streib
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 5:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Diesel schmiesel...i'm thinking of going electric

Electricity is not free.  Batteries do not last forever.  Even if this
scheme worked, how much diesel could you buy for $8,000?  At $5 a
gallon, 1,600 gallons, more than 100 full refuelings.

What else could you do with the $8,000?

If you can't afford to fuel your van now, where is the $8,000 coming
from?

I think 100 miles range is very very optimistic for a pure EV Vanagon.
Where did this number come from?  What if it's only 25 miles?  Would the
van even usable for you?

I think you really need to sit down with a pencil and calculator and
think this through...

"Mark Thoma" <mpthoma2003@YAHOO.COM> said:
> All this talk of fuel prices has me freeked out!  Even though my 1.9td
> gets a consistant, and documented, 27mpg at 65 mpg and probably about
> 29-30 at 55mpg, with fuel that costs $4.59 a gallon...and rising...I'm
> giving serious thought to yanking the engine out...and putting in an
> electric motor and a whole lot of 6-volt batteries.  I know the van
> wouldn't have a lot of range...probably 100 miles tops.  But as it is now
> I can't afford to drive it much more than that without taking out a bank
> loan.  The conversion would cost lest than $8k (maybe) and I would have
> someting I could drive until electricity became obsolete! And if I put a
> solar array on top of my roof I could 'fuel' my van for free every day.
>   mark
>