What a great idea

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

HMS_Dave

Grand Old Lady
I can see it being useful for everyday usable classics. Hubnut on the mytube did a piece on a Fiat 500 i think it was. It was very well done.

For some cars though it's all about the engine and converting it to electric would destroy its meaning and value.
 
There has been a programme on the telly recently called Vintage Voltage where they do this - one car an episode

problem is cost - you need to have a car that is worth quite a lot - either in terms of emotion or money

I checked it out - just in case it would be worth it for normal cars - but it ain't!!

Funny thing was that they normally left the gearbox in - but said you don;t need to ever use the gears
I think it something to do with the torque - but I need to look it up properly
 

Bazzer

Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
It's been around for a few years at least.
IIRC conversion kits were available, but many of the parts were bespoke and the battery life wasn't good. The wider use of battery powered vehicles and as a consequence, their motors and batteries as they get written off in incidents, will hopefully transform the market.
For some cars, it is also the sound of the engine, particularly V8s which can burble. But as currently engine sounds are played through the car's sound systems for some vehicles, it isn't going to take a rocket scientist to replicate this as an after market addition where an electric motor is used.
 

HMS_Dave

Grand Old Lady
It's been around for a few years at least.
IIRC conversion kits were available, but many of the parts were bespoke and the battery life wasn't good. The wider use of battery powered vehicles and as a consequence, their motors and batteries as they get written off in incidents, will hopefully transform the market.
For some cars, it is also the sound of the engine, particularly V8s which can burble. But as currently engine sounds are played through the car's sound systems for some vehicles, it isn't going to take a rocket scientist to replicate this as an after market addition where an electric motor is used.
That exists in the model world, so you're probably right.

s-l500.jpg

This is used on the model trucks made by Tamiya that simulate pretty everything on the truck.

Trouble is classics of a certain value are never going to be messed with on that scale. Most classics are still around today because of the experience of driving it and the reminder to those of a time gone by. The nostalgia market is huge and growing. They're often a financial investment also (and a rather good one) and no one will likely dare chop it up to fit a motor. It could be that one day they'll never run again, even if it were possible to shoehorn an electric motor in it as their value will remain very high, as it is with old locomotives and planes and such cutting and chopping will ruin it so will live in a museum.

In summary, You can replicate the Mona Lisa painting, but it still isn't the Mona Lisa painting. That matters.
 

gzoom

Über Member
If they can get the price down to 5k and the government to chip in 2.5k. It could save a lot of these old cars.

The eBay rate for a single 5kWh Tesla module is currently £800. Most of these conversations do about 3 miles per kWh, so you need 3-4 modules if you want a range of 50 miles, that's your £2.5k gone in just battery packs alone.

The biggest thing with DIY conversions is safety. EV battery packs have a habit of been able to spontaneous combust if thermal runaway occurs for any reason. Am not 100% sure I would trust anyone but the OEM to manage these packs longterm.

Am sure scary at the time, but they do make good YouTube videos thoug :smile:.


View: https://youtu.be/WdDi1haA71Q
 
Top Bottom