Electrifying Classic Cars
Discussion
Hugh Jarse said:
wonder what the conversation will look like in 2030?
Hopefully by then we will have cracked the battery problem and everything generic can be easily electric while our old bangers are conveniently left alone by the Govt so we can do what we want with them, much as we are now. Yertis said:
Do electric cars make any noise at all? If it's like the old underground train noise, or the similar noise that the starship Enterprise made when Scotty opened the taps, that would be cool.
I had a Zoe on a lease for a couple of years and it played a noise at low speed, which you could turn off with a button under the dash.I'm sure that there's a way of making it sound like a TIE fighter
Just took the car on a "spirited" drive on mixed roads to ascertain the 500's range
It worked out at a safe 70-75 miles. I didn't play about with eco mode. Nor did I use lights, radio or anything else that would drain battery. Traffic was, as usual, light to non existent.
Conditions were perfect and winds light.
70 miles is range enough for all of Mrs B's pootling requirements.
I think if I made the effort I could get nearer 90.
ETA: Two adult passengers.
It worked out at a safe 70-75 miles. I didn't play about with eco mode. Nor did I use lights, radio or anything else that would drain battery. Traffic was, as usual, light to non existent.
Conditions were perfect and winds light.
70 miles is range enough for all of Mrs B's pootling requirements.
I think if I made the effort I could get nearer 90.
ETA: Two adult passengers.
Edited by Blib on Wednesday 24th June 17:48
eccles said:
Just in case you hadn't seen it, the series Vintage Voltage in on Quest from Thursday 25 June at 9pm.
https://www.carsceneinternational.com/uk-classic-c...
I watched the first of these last night, some of the usual rubbish but fairly interesting nevertheless. It'll be interesting to see if they can maintain that through the series, or whether the basic premise will be the same for each programme. Voiceover was a bit annoying at times. I think I caught a very slight glimpse of the Fiat 500 in the background at one point towards the end.https://www.carsceneinternational.com/uk-classic-c...
Dont like rolls said:
rjg48 said:
leglessAlex said:
rjg48 said:
I'd have thought there would be more money to made retro fitting Classics with Air Con, not EV power.
Fortunately my Mercedes already has it.
What an odd post. Fortunately my Mercedes already has it.
Retrofitting air-con would do quite a lot to improve the usability of a classic, without really being noticeable or changing the car's appearance or driving characteristics.
As opposed to converting to EV of course, which changes it fundamentally.
PushedDover said:
You're right clearly. What was I thinking. Engine becomes unfunctional in a TR6 or Spitfire, just put a crate LS motor in. Easy job and future proofed.
Oh wait.
I'm not really sure what your point is. It would be cheaper to stick an LS in it than to convert to EV, and that's a pretty extreme engine conversion. So yeah, it would be easy... compared to EV'ing it.Oh wait.
As for future proofing, I would be very surprised if petrol wasn't available in twenty or thirty years time. How you obtain it might be different, but you'll still be able to.
Dont like rolls said:
rjg48 said:
leglessAlex said:
rjg48 said:
I'd have thought there would be more money to made retro fitting Classics with Air Con, not EV power.
Fortunately my Mercedes already has it.
What an odd post. Fortunately my Mercedes already has it.
NDNDNDND said:
I'm not really sure what your point is. It would be cheaper to stick an LS in it than to convert to EV, and that's a pretty extreme engine conversion. So yeah, it would be easy... compared to EV'ing it.
As for future proofing, I would be very surprised if petrol wasn't available in twenty or thirty years time. How you obtain it might be different, but you'll still be able to.
I'm not sure why you're under the impression that an LS swap is cheap. The number you quoted earlier was for the base engine. It doesn't come with ancilliaries, fuel system, cooling system, gearbox, etc. Best will in the world and you're still into £15k for parts. Then there's the install, adaptation, etc. Add at least another £10k for labour and consumables. S'not cheap.As for future proofing, I would be very surprised if petrol wasn't available in twenty or thirty years time. How you obtain it might be different, but you'll still be able to.
Why do people still try to claim that it is somehow cheap to stick an LS into a car? £30k+ is the typical sort of cost.
We’ve been doing engine conversions since the dawn of the motorcar. Arguably, it is sticking in a motor never intended that has led to some of the greatest cars in history. And some of the most amusing.
Sticking an electric motor in is no different. It’s jist an engine swap that delivers a new experience.
I think electricity has been around long enough for people not to be terrified of it.
We’ve been doing engine conversions since the dawn of the motorcar. Arguably, it is sticking in a motor never intended that has led to some of the greatest cars in history. And some of the most amusing.
Sticking an electric motor in is no different. It’s jist an engine swap that delivers a new experience.
I think electricity has been around long enough for people not to be terrified of it.
DonkeyApple said:
Why do people still try to claim that it is somehow cheap to stick an LS into a car? £30k+ is the typical sort of cost.
We’ve been doing engine conversions since the dawn of the motorcar. Arguably, it is sticking in a motor never intended that has led to some of the greatest cars in history. And some of the most amusing.
Sticking an electric motor in is no different. It’s jist an engine swap that delivers a new experience.
I think electricity has been around long enough for people not to be terrified of it.
The thing with electric car conversions is finding enough space for the batteries needed within a suitable conversion. Then the higher the battery capacity the longer it takes per full charge. Then we can’t run them flat as that will damage the batteries ability to re-charge. Someone needs to come up with some kind of fuel cell that generates electricity within it to make the battery as we currently know it obsolete. Then electric cars will really be practical. Until then the batteries used are still too heavy and just not good enough beyond 2-3 years continuous cycling. We’ve been doing engine conversions since the dawn of the motorcar. Arguably, it is sticking in a motor never intended that has led to some of the greatest cars in history. And some of the most amusing.
Sticking an electric motor in is no different. It’s jist an engine swap that delivers a new experience.
I think electricity has been around long enough for people not to be terrified of it.
RobXjcoupe said:
The thing with electric car conversions is finding enough space for the batteries needed within a suitable conversion. Then the higher the battery capacity the longer it takes per full charge. Then we can’t run them flat as that will damage the batteries ability to re-charge. Someone needs to come up with some kind of fuel cell that generates electricity within it to make the battery as we currently know it obsolete. Then electric cars will really be practical. Until then the batteries used are still too heavy and just not good enough beyond 2-3 years continuous cycling.
Tesla expect their batteries to last at least 8 years (that's the warranty) - and their "life" is defined as when the batteries can no longer hold more than 70% charge (expected after 1,500 cycles or 500,000 miles). Elon has said the next generation will last 1,000,000 miles. Even when done (i.e. not holding >70% charge), the batteries have a further life. They still work in other applications where weight isn't an issue, such as powerwalls - storing your solar energy during the day (when you are out) in order to release back into the home when you need it in the evening.
RobXjcoupe said:
The thing with electric car conversions is finding enough space for the batteries needed within a suitable conversion. Then the higher the battery capacity the longer it takes per full charge. Then we can’t run them flat as that will damage the batteries ability to re-charge. Someone needs to come up with some kind of fuel cell that generates electricity within it to make the battery as we currently know it obsolete. Then electric cars will really be practical. Until then the batteries used are still too heavy and just not good enough beyond 2-3 years continuous cycling.
The old location for the fuel tank is a good place for batteries. Running batteries flat is an issue with the control system as it can easily read the battery status and put the system into a conservation strategy. The thing about electric cars people need to wrap their heads around is that they are more akin to a DVD player, microwave, etc. than a rolling machine; the clever bit is the control system. The majority of parts are from 3rd parties, its how they are put together and integrated that matters.Also, ref. batteries, do you change your battery in your phone or buy a new one? We've recently stopped replacing our household phones as often as we were as we've found a local supplier who swaps the batteries. If your car isn't worn out and the only issue is the battery, just swap it out. Battery prices are coming down year on year and performance is improving dramatically. I hope the EV revolution leads to an entirely new form of customisation of cars...
RobXjcoupe said:
The thing with electric car conversions is finding enough space for the batteries needed within a suitable conversion. Then the higher the battery capacity the longer it takes per full charge. Then we can’t run them flat as that will damage the batteries ability to re-charge. Someone needs to come up with some kind of fuel cell that generates electricity within it to make the battery as we currently know it obsolete. Then electric cars will really be practical. Until then the batteries used are still too heavy and just not good enough beyond 2-3 years continuous cycling.
Batteries take up more space than the fuel tank, so conversion of an ICE to EV tends to rob some luggage or passenger space. The rest of your post is ill informed. All modern EVs come with a 8 year battery warranty, whether it's a 18 grand Skoda or a 200 grand Taycan. That's because they have a battery management system that will protect the battery and not allow you to damage it. Any competent conversion will have a BMS suited to the batteries, the motor controller, and the charge speeds available.
If you look at the literature for modern EVs, they often quote "usable" battery size - this is because while they declare 50kWh, they actually have a 54kWh battery, giving the BMS the headroom it needs to keep everything balanced. Sure, if you were to run your battery to empty and then leave it for months you may damage it, but if you charge it up again within a sensible timeframe then there won't be any damage. Besides which, this is not how people use any car - because of the ease of charging it is simple to leave it relatively full. Also, the bigger the battery, the greater the rate at which it can be charged, though I suspect that's not relevant to the majority of classic conversions, because they don't usually include the high current chargers needed for rapid charging.
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