What's the ideal classic EV conversion candidate car?
Discussion
Watching Vintage Voltage got me thinking what classic car would be the ideal candidate for a conversion to EV?
- DeLorean - Already done by EEC, an iconic body with a crap engine. No body rust issues, EV powertrain to match the looks and give it the performance that the wheezing Renault V6 never did. Plenty of spare parts too.
- Citroen SM - Another space-age looking car with a complex and unreliable, difficult to maintain engine, and when the engine fails so does all the hydraulics that the car depends on. Stick some batteries and motors in it and it can be a reliable daily.
- Jensen Interceptor - If you can find a good bodyshell, remove the 5mpg V8 lump and bung some Tesla motors in. The body is big enough to accommodate batteries without compromising the space.
Triumph Stag - Another classic shape with a problem engine, all the worst aspects of BL in the 70's. Rust and battery location may be issues.
Something more modern?
MG TF - An un-cared-for K-series will be a liability, so give the little sportscar a new lease of life with a cheap conversion (I say "cheap" but you're probably looking at £15-20K at least)
- DeLorean - Already done by EEC, an iconic body with a crap engine. No body rust issues, EV powertrain to match the looks and give it the performance that the wheezing Renault V6 never did. Plenty of spare parts too.
- Citroen SM - Another space-age looking car with a complex and unreliable, difficult to maintain engine, and when the engine fails so does all the hydraulics that the car depends on. Stick some batteries and motors in it and it can be a reliable daily.
- Jensen Interceptor - If you can find a good bodyshell, remove the 5mpg V8 lump and bung some Tesla motors in. The body is big enough to accommodate batteries without compromising the space.
Triumph Stag - Another classic shape with a problem engine, all the worst aspects of BL in the 70's. Rust and battery location may be issues.
Something more modern?
MG TF - An un-cared-for K-series will be a liability, so give the little sportscar a new lease of life with a cheap conversion (I say "cheap" but you're probably looking at £15-20K at least)
SWoll said:
Classic mini.
Motor and battery from an early i3, 170bhp, RWD and a likely 100 miles of range due to the light weight. Great fun.
Yes, great city car too. ECC and Swind already build kits for classic minis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ9td0EnRpkMotor and battery from an early i3, 170bhp, RWD and a likely 100 miles of range due to the light weight. Great fun.
TheDeuce said:
I was going to suggest DeLorean too. It wanted to be futuristic back when it was created so it seems a fair treatment to give it now.
And they were pitifully slow..
Be able to buy a new oneAnd they were pitifully slow..
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/delorean...
An old Rolls, Bentley or one of the grand Jag saloons - something where the engine was always just a means of propulsion and the maker tried its best to hide it/make it unobtrusive/etc.
And at the other end, something small that could be made to go mentally quick. Mini, Imp, Autobianchi A112, Fiat 126 etc.
And at the other end, something small that could be made to go mentally quick. Mini, Imp, Autobianchi A112, Fiat 126 etc.
Wayne95 said:
For me a Jaguar XJ-S. large engine to remove so lots of room for batteries , low frontal area for efficiency and great for long drives .
Also pretty cheap starting point
The problem is that any car leaves plenty of space if you remove the engine - but filling the front of a car with batteries is going to result in shocking handling. Same if you put them all in the back.Also pretty cheap starting point
Mid engined cars are best, or lose the back seats in a front engined car and use that space, granted that would spoil the original layout of the car.
This is the problem with all classic car conversions, where to put the batteries.
Following on from my post above, I suppose the size of the battery pack is of limited importance - a classic car conversion typically won't demand much range. Most are for leisure drives at a weekend or trips to fairly local shows. Still, older cars are small and fitting batteries sufficient for even 100 miles range is going to be tricky.
Is the perfect candidate something larger like an old Land/Range Rover? Such a car could shed a lot of it's original drivetrain weight to make way for batteries and handling is hardly an issue wherever the weight goes. Also a match made in heaven in terms of AWD and torque. Having a motor per axle is the equivalent of a permanently locked centre diff in an off roader. Also no issues with wading and sucking up water..
Is the perfect candidate something larger like an old Land/Range Rover? Such a car could shed a lot of it's original drivetrain weight to make way for batteries and handling is hardly an issue wherever the weight goes. Also a match made in heaven in terms of AWD and torque. Having a motor per axle is the equivalent of a permanently locked centre diff in an off roader. Also no issues with wading and sucking up water..
Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff