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This is an episode that has been coming for a while, not just because it seems to be a whole thing at the moment, but also because I keep mentioning them and then not elaborating.
We cover actual electrical cars that you can buy today, classic electric conversions, and our ideas for a good electric classic. Plus the usual News and Stuff, alongside some excellent heroes of the week.
Get up on it and enjoy.
Actually, let me add, What Classic/Modern Classic would you electrify??
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Last Edit: Mar 3, 2022 16:17:54 GMT by HoTWire
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,513
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Totally agree that 'normal' power with reasonable range would make a good useable conversion and would be a great daily for city/suburban use. I think with the huge increase in modern electric cars over the last few years more and more drivetrain bits will become available and for not huge money in the next few years. At least that's what I'm hoping as there's almost certainly an electric classic in my future. I think it makes sense for a rare car with very poor spares availability.
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
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Converting something where the engine isn't the interesting bit is fine, like the Citroens mentioned in the video, and something retro futuristic would properly suit being an EV (DeLorean). Converting something with a nice engine (probably Italian) is not on. Converting a luxobarge would be fine too, they'll be quiet and they're big enough to take a metric crapload of batteries.
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 For me I think something would be lost about the whole experience. Having a classic car the noise, vibrations, smell is all part of the experience of driving one. If you want electric, buy an electric classic car... Like a milkfloat! Actually, joking aside at 23 years old the Honda insight must be bordering on an electric classic. I've had a hankering to buy one since they were new.  |
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Haven't watched the video yet, but I've been coming to the conclusion that I may very well need something electric to do the main mileage in as time marches on. I'll still keep the petrol/diesel things for hobby time, but will probably find it hard to justify for commuting or long-distance boring stuff. Agreed that the character needs to suit. A Citroen CX is on the top of my list, partially because I love the way they look, and also because I think they'd suit swooshing about in comfort and silence. There's a chappy on Sideways doing an EV conversion on a Spitfire. That's another one I think suits quite well as Spits were never really about their engines (although the little Triumph OHV is a cracking little engine, especially in the early small-bearing form). They're stylish little runabouts with the OHV, and they'd be stylish little runabouts with a moderate EV motor. |
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The film Gattaca has old vintage cars that are supposedly electric.
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,839
Club RR Member Number: 174
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I've had a similar rant to you David many times. There are plenty (the majority of "run of the mill" classics) of cars that would suit electrification because the engines were curse word, something like a Moggy Minor or Ford 100E would be perfect. However when the engine is part of the cars appeal I don't quite get the point.
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Thanks for all the comments, some really good thoughts here. I think we'll see a few more EVs as a result of Seth 's point around spares availability, it is already the reason for some engine swaps, or the excuse at least  pistonpopper I already think of those Insights as classics, they are kind of the first of the new breed. BellyBuilder Oh yes I remember those, had a weird retro-futurist thing going on. |
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I'd give it a few years, with new parts a decent conversion even if you do everything yourself is going to be north of £20k. When there are plenty of secondhand drive units and batteries around it will be a lot easier to use these with aftermarket inverters and chargers to get a vaguely affordable conversion.
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Last Edit: Mar 7, 2022 21:50:45 GMT by kevins
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I’m looking forward to it’s a cheap enough to be viable for my Capri.
To me it’s the appeal of just being able to jump in it and go - and not having to tweak something/fix something which has decided to break since I last drove it for no apparent reason. With 3 cars - anything that cuts down on maintenance is a good thing.
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Mar 27, 2022 12:44:43 GMT
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I'd give it a few years, with new parts a decent conversion even if you do everything yourself is going to be north of £20k. When there are plenty of secondhand drive units and batteries around it will be a lot easier to use these with aftermarket inverters and chargers to get a vaguely affordable conversion. I'm in the process of building a 16ft steam boat albeit electric powered rather than steam. The motor, motor controller, battery management system etc. have come down a lot in price and are affordable however the battery is still a shocking price (gedit) if purchased in the west, for the suppliers its a new gold rush. I took the decision to purchase lifepo4 prismatic cells from China and build myself a 48v 200Ah battery pack, without doing this it really would be too expensive.
It is a complicated exercise made more difficult by integrating all the component parts so that they can all be monitored from the helm. I need to monitor all the motor functions, motor controller status, battery pack status and any charging input. My plan is to link everything up using canbus and monitor using a home built Arduino based system. Canbus seems to be the closet to any current common standard
It is still early days, I agree with you not just about the cost but also the complexity of integrating what are currently discrete systems. For a car conversion, using a secondhand "dash board" management and controls would be by far the simplest solution once the early models hit the breakers yards
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75swb
Beta Tester
Posts: 1,015
Club RR Member Number: 181
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clanger is there a build thread anywhere? Would be interesting to learn more!
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Mar 28, 2022 18:19:35 GMT
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I'd give it a few years, with new parts a decent conversion even if you do everything yourself is going to be north of £20k. When there are plenty of secondhand drive units and batteries around it will be a lot easier to use these with aftermarket inverters and chargers to get a vaguely affordable conversion. I'm in the process of building a 16ft steam boat albeit electric powered rather than steam. The motor, motor controller, battery management system etc. have come down a lot in price and are affordable however the battery is still a shocking price (gedit) if purchased in the west, for the suppliers its a new gold rush. I took the decision to purchase lifepo4 prismatic cells from China and build myself a 48v 200Ah battery pack, without doing this it really would be too expensive.
It is a complicated exercise made more difficult by integrating all the component parts so that they can all be monitored from the helm. I need to monitor all the motor functions, motor controller status, battery pack status and any charging input. My plan is to link everything up using canbus and monitor using a home built Arduino based system. Canbus seems to be the closet to any current common standard
It is still early days, I agree with you not just about the cost but also the complexity of integrating what are currently discrete systems. For a car conversion, using a secondhand "dash board" management and controls would be by far the simplest solution once the early models hit the breakers yards
Problem is they are so heavily integrated with the rest of the car, particularly the braking system but also simple things like interlocks with door opening which feed on can messages from central computers etc. Take a look at the down at the barns U tube channel, they are using the Chinese components and compared to some some of the others seem a bit more affordable (45 grand to convert a 911 with a decent range where the welsh outfit on the telly wanted 40 grand to convert a bubble car.) BBCode |
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clanger is there a build thread anywhere? Would be interesting to learn more! Sadly no not at the moment, i've been too lazy bother. Once I get to the electric fit out proper I'll put something up |
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