(Part 1), Gogoro Launches the VIVA, a Lighter, Cheaper, Electric Scooter With a Swappable Battery, Electric Vehicle Etiquette: When to Charge and Other Conundrums. However, if you were to perform an electric car conversion upon your already classic car, it’s going to be far more unique and certainly turn more heads. If you think the electric car is a relatively new phenomenon, think again. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, there are some companies in the UK that can perform the conversion for you. Let’s start looking at basic costs for all this to happen. All of these factors will vary, based on the weight of the car you convert, and the type of engine and batteries you install. Could electric cars be the death of modifying? Time is running out to take advantage of electric car grant scheme, Thunderbird 2 — more fun than a Ferrari or Lamborghini, The electric car that let drivers go green more than 100 years ago, New electric and plug-in hybrid car registrations accelerate, Flood damage insurance — everything you need to know, The Fuelling Around podcast: Steve Jones gets revved up over cars, Driving rules you may not be aware you’re breaking. Typically the conversion company does not interfere with the chassis or structural integrity of the car either so there’s no need for an IVA test, just a registration with DVLA of the change to an electric drive unit. This may not be an issue for some people but it may effect the resale value of the car. How far can you really travel in an electric car? Why would someone convert a classic car to electric? As soon as you perform an irreversible change such as an electric car conversion, you will lose the originality of the classic car. Some smaller vehicles may be cheaper but they might present issues when fitting motors and enough batteries. Some companies may be able to offer cheaper conversions than ECC, but this is the cheapest conversion that they could do. Most of the components are solid-state electronics with no moving parts. It claims to get people interested in classics that might previously have been put off by trying to maintain an old Internal Combustion engine (ICE). One of the main reasons that many people switch to electric cars is to save the environment and be greener. Remember that gas-powered cars cost the owner about $1800 per year on average for fuel costs alone, and there is the addition expense of engine maintenance and oil changes.

The engine of an electric car has a virtually infinite lifespan — the components will probably outlast the chassis.

He is the editor of MetaEfficient, a guide to efficient living. While converting your current car isn’t a cheap proposition, it can be less expensive than purchasing a new electric car; Tesla’s least expensive model starts at around $40,000. Your electric car will also be more reliable and require much less maintenance that a conventional one. One option is to buy a used vehicle that somebody else has converted to an electric vehicle. Unless you own an ultra rare vintage car, there is a high chance that someone else will have a similar car. That got us... Electric cars have often been dubbed the future of the motoring industry, but are they really worth the money? Automatic transmissions use up too much power because they require the engine to be constantly idling.

MOTs are generally unaffected, most of the classics ECC do are MOT exempt, and obviously it won’t need an emissions test, as there are no exhausts. Let’s put that “17 times” into context. Unlike most classic cars, all the components of the electric car conversion will be new and won’t require any maintenance for years to come. If you have the donor Fiat 500 ready, this conversion would therefore cost around £22k. However, this doesn’t include any of the tools required and the many hundreds of hours spent installing the kit.

We’ve featured vehicles from some such companies over on Influx, from diminutive cars like a classic Mini and a Fiat 500, up to supercars like the Porsche 911. Converting Your Car to an Electric Vehicle. An alternative to using an electric car conversion kit is to use a donor car and transfer all the parts over. According to ECC, a Fiat 500 conversion would cost around £16k in parts, £6k for their labour and you could buy a donor vehicle in good condition for around £10k with only minor work required. curb weight) with a manual transmission. The Fuelling Around podcast: James Martin’s epic car collection, Top Ten Cars for Teens – Cheapest Young Driver Insurance Tips, 10 ordinary cars more rare than a Ferrari F40. A conversion will cost you about $6000 in parts, and about $1000-$3000 for batteries and installation. Are Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars a Realistic Option Compared to Battery Electric Vehicles? They are perhaps the most inefficient device that many of us use daily.

However, there are plenty of benefits and it brings a new lease of life to your classic. it’s probably fair if we just consider the cost of the conversion itself. It may also be given a new tax bracket based upon the weight, seat configuration and other difference when compared to the standard vehicle.

It’s possible you could attempt the conversion yourself if you had enough experience, training and know-how, but getting it wrong is incredibly dangerous and so it’s best to get the conversion done by a reputable company. Compared to the fuel economy of the majority of classic cars, your new fuel costs will be a fraction of they once were. As far as body style, you need something that can hold all the batteries you'll be installing. Another benefit is that most conversion will also use a modern ECU, which means it can communicate with an OBD2 scanner. The internal combustion engine is inefficient in term of pollution, gas costs and maintenance costs. Another company, Electro Automotive, provides kits to convert Volkswagen Rabbits and Porsche 914s. However, most drivers who opt to convert rather than purchase new are more motivated by a desire to hold onto a classic car with sentimental value than they are by saving money.

According to research by ECC, the fuel cost can reduce by up to 17 times if you use the right overnight tariff and have home solar power. Basically, electric conversion involves removing the entire internal combustion engine from a vehicle, installing an electric motor in its place, and also adding a large bank of batteries. How Can We Detox Our Cars From Their Oil Addiction?

However, by performing an electric car conversion, you will be fully aware of all these drawbacks.

In summation and in a weak attempt at answering the question put forth in the title of this article, an ev conversion cost will more than likely cost you $10,000 minimum if you already have the car and are willing to do the work yourself. This annual cost could drop to just £57 – meaning over £900 would be saved in one year on fuel alone. As mentioned above, converting your car to use an electric motor and drivetrain isn’t cheap.

Doing those miles in a classic car (like the Lancia Fulvia that ECC converted recently) would have set you back around £970 (based on 29MPG and petrol at £1.24 per litre = £5.64 per gallon). There also isn’t a power band or gears, which makes the whole acceleration process instant from as soon as you hit the accelerator pedal. Depending upon how “hands on” you are with tools will determine whether any of the DIY kits are suitable. To perform this type of conversion will involve a huge amount of research and engineering knowledge.

If you are looking to spend some money, there are plenty of companies that will happily take on your electric car conversion project. It will take about 6-12 hours to completely recharge the car. Here's Everything You Need to Know to Get Started! DIY kits can cost anywhere between £5 to 10,000 whereas getting a company to do all the work can cost anywhere between £10,000 to £50,000+. The only real expense is the batteries, which will need to be replaced about every 3 to 4 years.

How much would such a solution actually cost? This is one of the first things you will notice whilst driving an electric car for the first time. As well as more economical motoring, an electric conversion will usually improve the acceleration and potential top speed of the classic cars. So, what type of car is the best candidate for an electric conversion? Brands such as Everything EV offer complete DIY kits that begin from as little as £5,000, which seems reasonable. Where do the motors, batteries etc.

According to ECC, a Fiat 500 conversion would cost around £16k in parts, £6k for their labour and you could buy a donor vehicle in good condition for around £10k with only minor work required. Although there is an initial upfront cost of the electric car conversion, slowly but surely you will begin to reap the cost savings.

But wait -- there are still a couple ways to acquire a working electric car right now. You can expect your converted vehicle to have a range of 60-80 miles, a top speed of 50-90 MPH, and good acceleration capabilities. Pretty much all the mechanical components need to be removed and additional space is needed for the large batteries required to power the electric motor. For more advice on buying an used electric car, I would refer you to Shari Prange's recent article "Finding and Buying A Used Electric Vehicle" (PDF FIle) in Home Power Magazine No 119. Or maybe a classic car? Furthermore, some classic car lovers are learning to embrace an alternative technology to keep their beloved vehicles drivable in the modern age.

As you would expect, performing an electric car conversion isn’t cheap. If you want more than a basic Fiat 500 conversion, then you could easily spend over £75k for bigger cars with higher performance and longer range. The maintenance costs will reduce too, as there are fewer moving parts. You want a light vehicle because heavy ones severely restrict the range of the electric engine.

Buyers can currently save thousands with the Government electric car grant scheme set up to boost EV sales but it is set to end in the spring. Cold weather will also reduce performance, but there are many happy electric car owners who live in Canada and Alaska. A lot of the cost will come from the donor vehicle itself and any restoration work needed, but Jon advised us (slightly hesitantly) that any classic car could be considered for conversion, so you can try to keep that in mind when working out your overall budget. But is there a way to try and calculate the cost of these conversions?

With electric and hybrid vehicles now accounting for 10% of the UK automotive market, 2020 and beyond could mark a major change in the car world. As the cost of the donor vehicle can range massively depending on condition, type of car etc.

The electric car conversion industry sees a wide range of people of all ages showing interest in classic EVs. Maybe a combination of the two – giving economical motoring in a retro package. Should I Buy an Electric Bicycle?

But, for all this expense, you'll get a zero-emissions vehicle that costs only a few cents per mile to run. Within some of our articles, 4car may direct you to retailers, which may provide us with a small commission on any sales.This comes at no extra cost to you and does not affect our opinions on product quality. If you are considering the swap, doing your homework prior to purchasing a kit is highly advised. It’s a time consuming task that requires skill and plenty of patience. Firstly, how do you get the extra parts? By converting your car to an electric motor, you are in essence reducing your carbon footprint and be helping the planet. Hills obviously put a larger burden on the engine, and thus reduce its range. Engineers are able to get a better weight balance in the car too, by placing batteries front and rear giving better drivability.