[theeighth]

Hi all! New member here and glad to see something like this is around. Humbled by the amount of knowledge here.

Forgive me if this has been discussed in the past, but has anyone given any thought to converting classic cars in a systematic process? Similar to how Zelectric Motors focuses on Beetles mainly, the advantage to focusing on one or two models would be to have the custom fabricated parts be the same across all conversions. Given that classic cars do not have computerized systems that cause conversion headaches, if you can solve for the customizations through modularity, would this bring down the overall cost substantially?

 

[reiderM]

Cost comes down at scale. The DIY EV market is so tiny that parts are exceptionally expensive. There probably isn't a big enough market for mounts and other parts designed to work perfectly with only one car to make it worth mass-producing.

It's also easier than you'd think to convert newer cars. Most modern cars keep engine wiring and 12v system wiring almost entirely separate.

 

[brian_]

The closest that I've seen anyone come was Jaguar's project to build a bolt-in battery and motor unit to replace the engine and transmission in any of their classic models with their old inline-six engine. They showed an E-Type conversion using this unit. They eventually gave up on the idea before selling any or showing any other models converted.

Electric GT is promoting this idea, as "E-Crate systems" but it's still not a simple plug-and-play exercise, and I think they're all still proposals rather than reality.