Conversion to EV
Discussion
Seeing as the current supply can't keep up with demand for both new and used EVs I imagine that has quite a significant bearing on the cost of components (batteries, motors, BMS's etc.). If you look at the costs some of the 3rd-party engineering companies quote for conversions they are pretty eye-watering!
If you look on YouTube there are a number of individuals (mostly in USA) who have DIY'd a conversion; but it looks really chuffing expensive and hardly 'plug and play'.
I highly recommend watching the series of videos by "Jerry Rig Everything" on YouTube, where he converts a Hummer into an EV. It's very informative, certainly doesn't look like the sort of thing your average driveway mechanic would want to tackle!
If you look on YouTube there are a number of individuals (mostly in USA) who have DIY'd a conversion; but it looks really chuffing expensive and hardly 'plug and play'.
I highly recommend watching the series of videos by "Jerry Rig Everything" on YouTube, where he converts a Hummer into an EV. It's very informative, certainly doesn't look like the sort of thing your average driveway mechanic would want to tackle!
Electric Classic Cars in Wales have done one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B38t7o4zyjU
So they do exist, can be done... just as above the number of people doing this themselves is probably quite small, easier to pay someone else to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B38t7o4zyjU
So they do exist, can be done... just as above the number of people doing this themselves is probably quite small, easier to pay someone else to do it.
Amateurish said:
I can't see the appeal. Part of the joy of running a classic is the engine. You would remove half of the character of the car by converting it to EV.
So that you can experience the beauty of a classic design without the worry of mechanical from an age when a solex carburettor was considered technically advanced?NS66 said:
Has anyone had experience of converting from ICE to EV on a classic / current vehicle? I know there are companies out there but dont know anyone who has done one. Interested to know more - potentially have an old Land Rover that would be a great project.
I'm pretty sure there's a chap on here who had his wife's Fiat 500 (forget if it was classic or modern!) converted to electric.Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Chris
Amateurish said:
I can't see the appeal. Part of the joy of running a classic is the engine. You would remove half of the character of the car by converting it to EV.
That's true.. but you have to balance the joy with the misery of classic car powertrain issues! The knowledge that the more you replace, the closer everything that remains original is to failing..I can understand some people wanting to maintain the looks and image of crying around in a classic, but also want to get home when they're done showing off
Another aspect is... In many cases it might actually be cheaper to have the conversion. Cheap being relative, of course.
ScoobyChris said:
I'm pretty sure there's a chap on here who had his wife's Fiat 500 (forget if it was classic or modern!) converted to electric.
Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Chris
Excellent thank you Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Chris
Amateurish said:
I can't see the appeal. Part of the joy of running a classic is the engine. You would remove half of the character of the car by converting it to EV.
Absolutely 100% agree with that but may come a time sooner than we think that only electric is viable. I have a new EV as my daily and its bland and souless. If the costs came down to sub £10K for a conversion and the only way I could keep my old ( toys) on the road was a conversion I would go for it. In theory the conversion on a classic would keep things simple and no doubt simpler than the current ICE with fewer electrics etc so at least some of the character remains.TheDeuce said:
Amateurish said:
I can't see the appeal. Part of the joy of running a classic is the engine. You would remove half of the character of the car by converting it to EV.
That's true.. but you have to balance the joy with the misery of classic car powertrain issues! The knowledge that the more you replace, the closer everything that remains original is to failing..I can understand some people wanting to maintain the looks and image of crying around in a classic, but also want to get home when they're done showing off
Another aspect is... In many cases it might actually be cheaper to have the conversion. Cheap being relative, of course.
Olivera said:
It's fundamentally a terrible idea for several reasons:
a) It'll cost a huge amount of money to re-engineer a vehicle properly, hence why non-backstreet EV conversions frequently run into 6 figures
b) What's the point? Why not just drive an EV daily and a classic occasionally?
Thats the point we might not be able to drive our classics at some point - either no fuel, fuel cost too high, larger zones of EV only, hatred and pressure from the greens etc.a) It'll cost a huge amount of money to re-engineer a vehicle properly, hence why non-backstreet EV conversions frequently run into 6 figures
b) What's the point? Why not just drive an EV daily and a classic occasionally?
Transplant cost will I feel come down as demand increases and more donor vehicles become available.
NS66 said:
Thats the point we might not be able to drive our classics at some point - either no fuel, fuel cost too high, larger zones of EV only, hatred and pressure from the greens etc.
Transplant cost will I feel come down as demand increases and more donor vehicles become available.
Most low emission zones have exemptions for classic car usage, so widespread stringent restrictions on their use could be decades away. Even when such restrictions come into force won't classic owners just drive their car less and according to the restrictions rather than fork out on a hugely expensive EV conversion of their vehicle? Won't most classic owners be dead by this point anyway? And isn't the environmental credentials of an EV conversion highly suspect for what are very occasionally used vehicles? And if you convert it to an EV isn't it then a butchered mongrel of a classic that isn't as environmental or practical as a modern EV, nor is it a real classic?Transplant cost will I feel come down as demand increases and more donor vehicles become available.
When classics are converted it's either a case that the car is worth a fair bit, justifying the expense of a decent conversion, and keeping all the original parts to be replaced if required (e.g. Prince Charles' Aston) OR it's a relatively common car (2CV, Land Rover, MG, Fiat 500 etc) in which case a simpler conversion, binning the not-very-good ICE power train, can be done. It's pointless moaning about 'the purity' when there are thousands of examples of common classics still running, many of which have already had all sorts of mods the designer never dreamt of.
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