The 2CV is the perfect donor car. Loads of room with a low rolling resistance and very light. You'd have to strengthen the chassis though. It would fold like wet cardboard! 😳
@@maxdergroe9082 80hp is almost too much, my Renault Zoe has that and it's quite fast already, and that is a car that weighs more than twice as much as a 2CV, that's quite a bit of power in such an old car.
I just completed a 6,000 mile US road trip in my 2021 Model 3 SR+ Over 13 days of driving (July 10 through July 31, 2022, with time in Kentucky) from Sacramento CA to Louisville KY and back (with numerous side trips), I drove nearly half what I drive in a year. The final analysis: Wow. This is definitely a road warrior vehicle, despite so-called “conventional wisdom.” I am still plugging in metrics and numbers, but I estimate about 60 charging stops. In all those stops, I only had ONE 5 minute wait, at Glenwood Springs, CO. One. 5 minutes. I’ve waited longer in a grocery store line. I drove through and charged in major cities (LA, Amarillo, OK City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Salt Lake City) and countless small towns and wide spots in the road. Typically, I was either the only one there or one of two Teslas. My typical stop was 20-25 minutes. Enough time to have a short walk about, use the bathroom, grab a bottle of water, and then get back on the road (the breaks, and auto pilot, assured I’d be rested and relaxed after hours of travel). Weekdays, weekends, rush hour, nighttime, huge supercharger (50+) or small (4), interstate or blue highway… I drove and charged through them all. No cherry picking. ~60 superchargers. 6,000 miles. 13 days of driving. In July 2022. One wait. 5 minutes. I can’t speak for others. But a complete success in my book.
Converting a Japanese kei truck would be a fantastic conversion. They are so practical and well suited for many applications, and perfect for many companies in any type of service Industry.iam a fan from USA, I wish we had more people like you here, Ed W.
Well considering that even in the sticks [in the florida side of southeast usa where i live] theres a tesla fast charger every 40 to 45 mi or so only seemingly on the backroads… as a fiat enthusiast this is certainly a tempting investment 😅
I am a drag racer. I would love to have a conversion running a transmission and drive shaft or prop shaft to rear Axle. It would have all of the attributes that combustion engines have to be forced to do. 100% torque at the hit will be brutal. I do say WILL be. I wish I could do my 55 Chevy.
Well after a Fiat 500 i would go for a Fiat Panda 141 series there are still allot of them hear in Italy some of them are 4x4 and for you it would be a good challenge
Ha, I have a 2017 Fiat 500e. It only gets about 100 mile range as well, but that's working for me even in Houston! Also, totally unintentional on your part, but showing that interior was a massive help to me. I thought the plastic on my instrument guage cover was discoloring. Apparently it's just a slightly different color, as on the original!
I am in the Philippines and there are millions of Multi-cab trucks and vans and there motors are about 30 to 35 HP. A lot of wind for windmills and lots of space for solar panels. An afordable conversion would be welcome here .......... People are buying new golf carts just to have electric.........
Modern EV's have far too many expensive bells and whistles. What many people want is the simplicity that the FIAT offers. For most of the time, even a heater is superfluous. Thanks Richard.
This is excellent work, the moment a bolt on system is available for a classic mini, I’m buying it immediately. But it won’t be perfect unless it has pointy chrome mirrors!
I am hoping that EV conversions become more affordable in the near future. I would love to convert one of my cars from Diesel to full EV but the costs at the moment are way out of my price range.
yea me too, I asked a local shop that does conversions for my old car and toldme 18500 USD labor included . way more than than the car value (or even I can buy a new car ). Only if your car is a high value classic the conversion is worth it.
I want to believe that there will be more and more "kits" come to market that are specific to our classic cars. And that the experienced home mechanic can perform the conversion by themselves without too much difficulty.
Please contact the EU commission and ask them for assistance to apply these conversions throughout the EU. They could also finance the re-education of small garage businesses.
I would have to agree that this would have to be one of the best cars for electric conversion. I personally would love to convert an Austin A30 or A35 even though it is not as suitable, I just like the look of them so much more and they might have a bit more of an upright seating position which would be better for getting in and out of. In my case it would be used as a second car for short trips to save wear and tear on my diesel work truck. I was thinking for my use it might be possible to remove the gearbox and have a smaller motor than normally expected where the gearbow was and have a fixed gear ratio that is low enough so that top speed is only a touch above 80km/h which is one our speed limits here in Australia and even a range of 30km would be fine for me also which means it could easily charged every night from a standard 10 amp outlet. Of course it would not be allowed on motorways but it may be allowed to be registered to be used on minor roads. I think you can get a lot more bang for your buck with a short range EV.
On d you hit the £10k mark for a kit the flood gates will open. I have a MK2 restored Triumph Spitfire which is absolutely gorgeous. Desperately want it to be electric but affordable.
very clean setup. Would love to see some driving footage while discussing the specs. Cars like this are common in Europe but for us North Americans these are a novelty so love seeing them in action.
Fiat 500, VW Beetle, Smart Fortwo are probably the best options for EV conversion's in my books because they're all still pretty common and yet classic in design... I know I'd personally love to convert my Smartie from diesel to EV...
Hi Mr...you are a very good teacher.... Thanks for share your video.....but I have a question for U.... What is going to happen to the Drive Motor located on bottom of the car, while driving in the raining day and the car goes into flooding street...?.. The Electric Drive Motor which is on the bottom of the car ... Is it burn up ? Is it get damaged ? Or it"s water proof.? Thanks for your video...👍
To me an electric suzuki wagon R+ would be the ideal city car - but I am biased. I know these are built in china and one was converted in nepal (yt vid available), but I wouldn't mind to see YOUR conversion shown here. ;-)
Love these classic 500 conversions! It would be my dream to own one here in the states! As far as future conversions, I think an electric Suzuki Cappuccino could be pretty fun!
Here is a CHALLENGE ... @@ElectricClassicCars ...could you make a conversion kit WITH a 2cv chassis as a basis like this ? ruclips.net/video/H2IN21wbrm0/видео.html ...so people can even put on their OWN body shells on top of a skateboard like configuration..... The 2cv chassis you can get brand new and it costs hardly anything. I think about 1200 euro
You really should have put the ADAPTER PLATE on the floor with the Kit since that is very important to the conversion, also what about the brake vacuum pump (or hydraulics)?
These kits are intriguing, but unfortunately way too expensive for a realistic conversion en mass of mass-market cars. Would like to see an inexpensive kit for a 10 year old Passat, Golf, Corolla and other very common cars where the value of the car has dropped below 5k while it's still a structurally sound choice with modern safety features.
Here's the flaw in your argument: people who do these conversions are a minority to begin with, so of course there will be no "en mass" conversion. It's like thinking that because you work on your car, most people do. And it's simply untrue.
It is going to be hard for the conversions to compete in price with used EVs (when the current shortage abates). I got a used 2017 Fiat 500E for $7k in 2019, and aside from an 85 mile range it is everything I could want in an EV. Of course there is a market for novelty EVs, but I can easily imagine a Chinese manufacturer making a fiat 500 tribute EV that is even cheaper.
@@macrumpton In a way I agree, even if used electric cars in the last 1-2 years have skyrocketed in price. Back in late 2020 a used Renault Zoe (22 kWh model) with 20 000 miles on the meter could be had for as little as $6000-7000. Converting an ICE car at those prices would be insane. Today the same model but with another 10 000 miles on the meter is twice as much. And the Zoe is still a tiny car. For anyone looking for a full-sized estate car for the whole family and a bit of luggage the options for an inexpensive used EV are really slim.
Oooh! 500cc conversion! What about some of the Japanese Kei car types? Specifically maybe the Suzuki Sierra/Samurai/Jimny 2nd gen types - they'd be perfect for something very similar to this conversion, maybe with a bit more battery. There are many Kei cars being exported out of Japan these days for enthusiasts.
How about the old rear engine Skoda 105, 120, 135 Rapid? I used to run two, with a third engine that was rebuilt every month and swapped in while my then wife did nearly 50k miles PA in them, thrashed in rotation. Even then, in the early 90s, I was thinking it would be a neat electric conversion given they handled better with some (lead acid battery) weight in the front.
Lovely little car. I'd like to see an EV conversion on an Austin/Morris 1100 or 1300. They were small - not that much larger than a Mini - so would make practical city car, but with more room than the 500 or Mini. The Wolesley or Riley versions, with the wood, leather, etc, would be nicer, although they are very rare these days. I suppose the only problem would be finding a decent one of any of the 1100/1300 models to convert. The sub frame mounts used to rot, which led to most of them (including the ones I and 2 friends owned - one was a Riley, too) being scrapped as repair was uneconomic. Really nice little cars when they were sound.
Watching your conversions really makes me wish I still had my 83 Nissan Sentra Hatchback. I bought it new and drove it till my daughter got a job and needed a car. I gave it to her in 2007, I think, and she had it for about 4 years before trading in for a new car and a husband. It did all that on original engine. I had to change the carburetor and ended up getting a Webber because they couldn't find an original anywhere. Actually ran better. Only real problem I ever had with that car was it went through CV joints like a child through candy. I think I replaced the front axles about 5 times during it's life. Now if it is converted to electric... Hmmm... Maybe no more CV joint problems? I think the car would be a great small car conversion. Might be a bit bigger than a VW Beetle, but not by much. Tell me what you think. 🤔
I'm probably way off track, but I'd favour swapping the battery locations for better weight distribution. Let's face it the original didn't have much in the way of storage capacity, yet it was a sales success.
I like this conversion. There has been no butchery done to the car so it could easily be converted back to original specification if all removed parts are kept safe. This is an important consideration if the car is ever to be auctioned in the future - they are valuable and I suspect the EV stuff, nice as it is, would reduce the value of this collectors car.
Moving away from your original question, what about a Rover P6? Originally designed for a gas turbine, so an EV conversion sounds spot on. Masses of space under the bonnet and well able to deal with big power and torque as Rover fitted the 3500 V8 in there. A powerful, smooth and comfortable cruiser.
Fantastic! I love EVs. I love ICEs. Those 500s are perfect city cars. I'd like to see a Japanese mini truck or van conversion... that would be a great city utility vehicle! A big dream of mine is a useful range EV Morgan +4. Tooling through a leaf strewn autumn color tour in a silent roadster - that just fits the scene beautifully!
Amazing how you managed to package this conversion. Love the dash, simple is beautiful, why are mainstream EV cars loaded with junk you don’t need. What about converting a Honda S600, very light car, but they are pretty rare. Would be a real little pocket rocket as an EV😎
Your so right George I was only thinking a couple of hours ago, having a massive touch screen as a dash doesn’t make a better driver, (just a perfect distraction instead of looking at the road ahead!) 🤣😂😂🤣
Great episode! As far as city cars are concerned, I would imagine an early bmw mini One (quite cheap now) with a similar power unit would be a great car to have just for purely city use…
In Australia you'd need 90 miles or 150 km range for daily commutes because places are not so compact here. Cruising speed would need to be up to 65 mph or 110 km/h. Air conditioning for our torrid summers would be a must have.
Waiting for a VW camper version of this! I know you did a video recently on a T2, but I'd love to see an indepth camper conversion from you guys, especially since there's usually at least one sitting in the back if every vid you guys do, like the green splitty sitting casually in this one 😀
I'd love to see a Austin Healey Sprite Mk.1 (the Frogeye, or Bugeye). I've been trying to convince my dad about doing it for a while. Would it be similar to the MB you did?
Very impressed with the engineering. I used to work on these cars in the 60’s. Going up hills were a problem, any slope above knee level was a mountain.
Hmmm..If you could move the aft battery pack into the rear seat area, bump it up to 5 Tesla modules and find space for a slightly more powerful engine, Possibly an HPEVs AC-50, you could build a Fiat 500 that could even get Lupin's attention. See "The Castle of Cagliostro" for details.
would love to see a conversion kit for the BMW Z3 with a Tesla motor. I used to have one of those and it was great fun as an ice vehicle, would be awesome as an ev
What a great little package. I do think when you see some of these two ton plus electric SUV’s they are a bit of a contradiction, this on the other hand small and efficient and a good way to get about town. Great job Richard, loving your channel. 👏👍😀
@@ElectricClassicCars I look forward to a one-size-fits-(nearly)-all for most rear wheel drive cars. Replace the entire rear axle with a new transaxle which includes the motor.
you get my point , you so amazing , I start watching your video , I learn a lot from you and I do have a couple vehicles like that so I like to convert just like you can I get your contact ? Thanks again
I can think of the Honda N360, but also the Citroën 2CV and Diane and even the Renault 4. Loads of battery space there and a bigger supply of donor cars.
Hillman Imp stiletto. Riely Elf/Mini Moke. Fiat Panda or the original Renault 5 or Twingo. Another neat conversion and doubling the power helps with steep hills through tiny village streets.. where even a Suzuki Jimini struggles to pass.
@@ElectricClassicCars Always liked the fastback imps Or clan Crusaders.. but thats a rally car. Great little all alloy engine but prone to overheating due to lack of anti corrosion antifreeze it was always their undoing that and a barely adequate radiator... Plenty of space for a pack up front and the rest to the rear. Which one had the tinted glass and vinyl roof?
@@spudproductions7606 I knew someone who had one ..if im right it also had double headlamps? The Standard Imps and Husky estate and van just had the standard pair.
I love the idea of these kits but unfortunately the cost is usually where I turn off. Im betting you won't have change from 30k (if not more). With the low range in a small car (when he calls them 'city cars' you know the range will be poor) these are basically toy run-arounds for rich people.
Great job, very clean and perfect, as always. thanks for sharing. As a mechanic it would be great to be able to do these conversions in Spain, really a shame not being able to do it. Regards!
Great jobe... I like to see bmw 320 or 325 from the 80s fully electric... In my country those cars is almost 4000$ but in urope or United States is about 40000 $ 😅 and being electric how knows how much the price will be... If you are interested to getting classic cheap cars in perfect condition... Let me know... All the best and good luck
man, this is really intresting we are not aloud to do it in italy make it elettric but you have it whit the steering weel on our side so teoriccaly, i can import a 500 of the 60 on the paper legally elettric if you have same, i sold it in italy 🙂manuel
Please note that what we now consider a "city car", at the time of its launch was just an "economy car" for those who couldn't afford a bigger one. Anyway, another car that could be quite suitable for this conversion is the original Fiat 600, the car which actually put Italy on wheels. Still an RWD but with a tiny 633cc (later 767cc) 4cyl. watercooled engine, it's not as fashionable as the 500, maybe because the 600 actually was the only car for most families, while the 500 - being so small - quickly became the 2nd car or the car for young drivers. For this reason, 600's usually were driven to the ground and today they are much rarer than the 500. Another small car suitable for conversion could the NSU Prinz L and obviously the more spacious but still light French cars like Renault 4L, Citroen 2CV and Dyane.
Would love to convert my 82’ VW air cooled transporter. The original engine is still running strong but the constant oil leaks and NOISE plus 19MPG on expensive E5 petrol, makes me constantly think about how much better an EV conversion would be!
will have to get hold on my mother in laws 500 in Rome....was also thinking recently about volvo estates and old saabs as good options for ev conversion - get rid of the old diesels...
A citroen 2CV electric will be hilarious, The first original one has only 8 horsepower.. so with this motor a big improvement 🙂
It is available in France, but conversion is only legal (in France) if you respect original power.
Already exists,that E- 2cv
@@colletjulien Can I respect it with 80hp too? Like yes, cool 8hp, but 80hp is much nicer now.
The 2CV is the perfect donor car. Loads of room with a low rolling resistance and very light.
You'd have to strengthen the chassis though.
It would fold like wet cardboard! 😳
@@maxdergroe9082 80hp is almost too much, my Renault Zoe has that and it's quite fast already, and that is a car that weighs more than twice as much as a 2CV, that's quite a bit of power in such an old car.
You’re so spot on about the simplicity, that’s exactly what we need more of.
Buy Tesla!
@@pawefiett2468 send me money and I will 😁
A Citroen Ami comes close and you'll get 45miles of range from a pack a third of the size of this one.
I just completed a 6,000 mile US road trip in my 2021 Model 3 SR+
Over 13 days of driving (July 10 through July 31, 2022, with time in Kentucky) from Sacramento CA to Louisville KY and back (with numerous side trips), I drove nearly half what I drive in a year.
The final analysis: Wow. This is definitely a road warrior vehicle, despite so-called “conventional wisdom.”
I am still plugging in metrics and numbers, but I estimate about 60 charging stops. In all those stops, I only had ONE 5 minute wait, at Glenwood Springs, CO. One. 5 minutes. I’ve waited longer in a grocery store line.
I drove through and charged in major cities (LA, Amarillo, OK City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Salt Lake City) and countless small towns and wide spots in the road. Typically, I was either the only one there or one of two Teslas. My typical stop was 20-25 minutes. Enough time to have a short walk about, use the bathroom, grab a bottle of water, and then get back on the road (the breaks, and auto pilot, assured I’d be rested and relaxed after hours of travel).
Weekdays, weekends, rush hour, nighttime, huge supercharger (50+) or small (4), interstate or blue highway… I drove and charged through them all. No cherry picking.
~60 superchargers. 6,000 miles. 13 days of driving. In July 2022. One wait. 5 minutes.
I can’t speak for others. But a complete success in my book.
Great to hear. 👍😀
Hmm I did vegas to chicago in 28 hours. Were you sight seeing?
@@cb-gz1vl I was! I wasn’t in a race.
Great! Now we needakit for the FiAT 850 Sport Spider.
Converting a Japanese kei truck would be a fantastic conversion. They are so practical and well suited for many applications, and perfect for many companies in any type of service Industry.iam a fan from USA, I wish we had more people like you here, Ed W.
my favourite: Allegro Estate, such a great looking car, hey?
Please do a Fiat 850 coupe conversion, you guys are too good!
I would like to see a Hillman Imp
Well considering that even in the sticks [in the florida side of southeast usa where i live] theres a tesla fast charger every 40 to 45 mi or so only seemingly on the backroads… as a fiat enthusiast this is certainly a tempting investment 😅
I’m wanting you do something with 4 wheel drive.. geo tracker, Suzuki Sami , Jeep Wrangler..
Classic Japanese car with one of these
I am a drag racer. I would love to have a conversion running a transmission and drive shaft or prop shaft to rear Axle. It would have all of the attributes that combustion engines have to be forced to do. 100% torque at the hit will be brutal. I do say WILL be. I wish I could do my 55 Chevy.
Fiat 850 (1964 - 1971), 850 spider and 850 coupè, that are cars and 850T that is a combi. All with rear engine.
My favourite..😘 Fiat 500 conversion.
Well after a Fiat 500 i would go for a Fiat Panda 141 series there are still allot of them hear in Italy some of them are 4x4 and for you it would be a good challenge
Ha, I have a 2017 Fiat 500e. It only gets about 100 mile range as well, but that's working for me even in Houston! Also, totally unintentional on your part, but showing that interior was a massive help to me. I thought the plastic on my instrument guage cover was discoloring. Apparently it's just a slightly different color, as on the original!
I am in the Philippines and there are millions of Multi-cab trucks and vans and there motors are about 30 to 35 HP. A lot of wind for windmills and lots of space for solar panels. An afordable conversion would be welcome here .......... People are buying new golf carts just to have electric.........
Please bring us the citroen traction avant 11 bl converted! That would be verry nice 👍
Love what ya do. Wish you were in the USA!
Modern EV's have far too many expensive bells and whistles. What many people want is the simplicity that the FIAT offers. For most of the time, even a heater is superfluous. Thanks Richard.
This is excellent work, the moment a bolt on system is available for a classic mini, I’m buying it immediately. But it won’t be perfect unless it has pointy chrome mirrors!
A kit is a very expensive way to do it
They already do that, video on that kit from March ruclips.net/video/QZ9td0EnRpk/видео.html
Have a look at Swind, all very reasonable until you add the battery and other bits.
He's already done on.
This, but in a modern Fiat 500 or Panda! Like Transition One
I am hoping that EV conversions become more affordable in the near future.
I would love to convert one of my cars from Diesel to full EV but the costs at the moment are way out of my price range.
yea me too, I asked a local shop that does conversions for my old car and toldme 18500 USD labor included . way more than than the car value (or even I can buy a new car ). Only if your car is a high value classic the conversion is worth it.
@@IvanQuaglia I was quoted 50k, about 17x the value of the car 😂
@@stephenwensley9328\ 0o0 / dang!!!
I want to believe that there will be more and more "kits" come to market that are specific to our classic cars. And that the experienced home mechanic can perform the conversion by themselves without too much difficulty.
@@marcdenlinger5282 yea sure is just matter of time for the market to grow
Please contact the EU commission and ask them for assistance to apply these conversions throughout the EU. They could also finance the re-education of small garage businesses.
That would work well for the little Renault 5 as well, with a high power version in the Renault 5 turbo body shell.
I would have to agree that this would have to be one of the best cars for electric conversion. I personally would love to convert an Austin A30 or A35 even though it is not as suitable, I just like the look of them so much more and they might have a bit more of an upright seating position which would be better for getting in and out of.
In my case it would be used as a second car for short trips to save wear and tear on my diesel work truck. I was thinking for my use it might be possible to remove the gearbox and have a smaller motor than normally expected where the gearbow was and have a fixed gear ratio that is low enough so that top speed is only a touch above 80km/h which is one our speed limits here in Australia and even a range of 30km would be fine for me also which means it could easily charged every night from a standard 10 amp outlet. Of course it would not be allowed on motorways but it may be allowed to be registered to be used on minor roads.
I think you can get a lot more bang for your buck with a short range EV.
On d you hit the £10k mark for a kit the flood gates will open.
I have a MK2 restored Triumph Spitfire which is absolutely gorgeous. Desperately want it to be electric but affordable.
would love to see a Japanese Kei car with an electric conversion (honda beat, suzuki cappucino or autozam az-1)
That would be a big market.
have you seen the early sixties datsun 212 roadster?
might even use an mg trans and adapter plate, for most early datsuns
I wish 'SOMEONE' would make an affordable kit for an MGB. I have seen enough DYIs but nothing I'd want to do.
very clean setup. Would love to see some driving footage while discussing the specs. Cars like this are common in Europe but for us North Americans these are a novelty so love seeing them in action.
hes done videos of the vw beetle driving around, and the vw bus. theres a drag race video with the beetle vs a porshe 911 too.
and theres a classic merc sl. im sure they have done hundreds, look around his channel
Hats off!!!
Fiat/Seat Panda 4x4 would be my choice.
The funny thing is that the Panda originally had an electric version, the Elettra (no 4x4 though)
Fiat 500, VW Beetle, Smart Fortwo are probably the best options for EV conversion's in my books because they're all still pretty common and yet classic in design... I know I'd personally love to convert my Smartie from diesel to EV...
Hi Mr...you are a very good teacher....
Thanks for share your video.....but I have a question for U.... What is going to happen to the Drive Motor located on bottom of the car, while driving in the raining day and the car goes into flooding street...?..
The Electric Drive Motor which is on the bottom of the car ... Is it burn up ? Is it get damaged ?
Or it"s water proof.?
Thanks for your video...👍
Been toying with the idea of a EV Datsun 510!
That's what I thought a Japanese import
I'm guessing the same components with some modifications would make a suitable kit for Fiat 126 and 127 too?
Oh Boy! I would *LOVE* this upgrade kit for my Renault Twizy !!
Morris Minor Traveller, that would bring back memories of being ferried around by my grandparents 40 years ago!
I've got a 1960 Hillman Husky sitting in a shipping container. I think it would be okay to be electrified and driven around the city?
To me an electric suzuki wagon R+ would be the ideal city car - but I am biased. I know these are built in china and one was converted in nepal (yt vid available), but I wouldn't mind to see YOUR conversion shown here. ;-)
Love these classic 500 conversions! It would be my dream to own one here in the states! As far as future conversions, I think an electric Suzuki Cappuccino could be pretty fun!
The Suzuki Cappuccino is such a tiny car. I remember driving one once in London. 😎👌
Here is a CHALLENGE ... @@ElectricClassicCars ...could you make a conversion kit WITH a 2cv chassis as a basis like this ? ruclips.net/video/H2IN21wbrm0/видео.html
...so people can even put on their OWN body shells on top of a skateboard like configuration..... The 2cv chassis you can get brand new and it costs hardly anything. I think about 1200 euro
You really should have put the ADAPTER PLATE on the floor with the Kit since that is very important to the conversion,
also what about the brake vacuum pump (or hydraulics)?
There is no boosted brakes on a Fiat 500. 👍
Best city e-car conversion: Mini Cooper etc. with that rubber suspension it’s the best choice. Of course the classic one 😏
Good choice 😀👍
VW Rabbit truck would be awesome.
love to see a vw golf/rabbit cabriolet conversion!
These kits are intriguing, but unfortunately way too expensive for a realistic conversion en mass of mass-market cars. Would like to see an inexpensive kit for a 10 year old Passat, Golf, Corolla and other very common cars where the value of the car has dropped below 5k while it's still a structurally sound choice with modern safety features.
Here's the flaw in your argument: people who do these conversions are a minority to begin with, so of course there will be no "en mass" conversion. It's like thinking that because you work on your car, most people do. And it's simply untrue.
It is going to be hard for the conversions to compete in price with used EVs (when the current shortage abates). I got a used 2017 Fiat 500E for $7k in 2019, and aside from an 85 mile range it is everything I could want in an EV. Of course there is a market for novelty EVs, but I can easily imagine a Chinese manufacturer making a fiat 500 tribute EV that is even cheaper.
@@macrumpton In a way I agree, even if used electric cars in the last 1-2 years have skyrocketed in price. Back in late 2020 a used Renault Zoe (22 kWh model) with 20 000 miles on the meter could be had for as little as $6000-7000. Converting an ICE car at those prices would be insane. Today the same model but with another 10 000 miles on the meter is twice as much. And the Zoe is still a tiny car. For anyone looking for a full-sized estate car for the whole family and a bit of luggage the options for an inexpensive used EV are really slim.
Perhaps in a few years. However, at the moment, you are discussing a market that ECC doesn’t pretend to serve no is it possible to serve.
$3000 Used Reno Zoe with 80000kmh
I love that. I have a old MG Midget that would be fun to convert.
Oooh! 500cc conversion! What about some of the Japanese Kei car types? Specifically maybe the Suzuki Sierra/Samurai/Jimny 2nd gen types - they'd be perfect for something very similar to this conversion, maybe with a bit more battery. There are many Kei cars being exported out of Japan these days for enthusiasts.
How about the old rear engine Skoda 105, 120, 135 Rapid?
I used to run two, with a third engine that was rebuilt every month and swapped in while my then wife did nearly 50k miles PA in them, thrashed in rotation.
Even then, in the early 90s, I was thinking it would be a neat electric conversion given they handled better with some (lead acid battery) weight in the front.
Complimenti ottimo lavoro, io penso che anche una Fiat 850 coupé potrebbe essere un interessante e sfiziosa citycar 😁
Lovely little car. I'd like to see an EV conversion on an Austin/Morris 1100 or 1300. They were small - not that much larger than a Mini - so would make practical city car, but with more room than the 500 or Mini. The Wolesley or Riley versions, with the wood, leather, etc, would be nicer, although they are very rare these days. I suppose the only problem would be finding a decent one of any of the 1100/1300 models to convert. The sub frame mounts used to rot, which led to most of them (including the ones I and 2 friends owned - one was a Riley, too) being scrapped as repair was uneconomic. Really nice little cars when they were sound.
Great idea 😀👍
I'd like that too. My dad's first car was a 1964 1100.
Absolutely that would be great. Electric drivetrain and hydrolastic suspension.
I am in Aust NSW & have a mint condition 1966 Morris 1100. No rust all sills cut out & rebelled with Sil/Bronze. Would love to get it converted.
Uau! What a fit! And you still have the sets in the back?! Great job! Other city wonder? The Honda 600!!!
Watching your conversions really makes me wish I still had my 83 Nissan Sentra Hatchback. I bought it new and drove it till my daughter got a job and needed a car. I gave it to her in 2007, I think, and she had it for about 4 years before trading in for a new car and a husband. It did all that on original engine. I had to change the carburetor and ended up getting a Webber because they couldn't find an original anywhere. Actually ran better. Only real problem I ever had with that car was it went through CV joints like a child through candy. I think I replaced the front axles about 5 times during it's life. Now if it is converted to electric... Hmmm... Maybe no more CV joint problems? I think the car would be a great small car conversion. Might be a bit bigger than a VW Beetle, but not by much. Tell me what you think. 🤔
Every kit you guys do, do great honor to the term "bolt-on"!! 💙
Also 7:30 75V "can still give you a fair old whack"! 😄
Kit required for Morris Minor please .... brilliant work
I'm probably way off track, but I'd favour swapping the battery locations for better weight distribution.
Let's face it the original didn't have much in the way of storage capacity, yet it was a sales success.
I like this conversion. There has been no butchery done to the car so it could easily be converted back to original specification if all removed parts are kept safe. This is an important consideration if the car is ever to be auctioned in the future - they are valuable and I suspect the EV stuff, nice as it is, would reduce the value of this collectors car.
Fantastic but what about a kit for a modern fiat 500 or the Abarth 500.
Moving away from your original question, what about a Rover P6? Originally designed for a gas turbine, so an EV conversion sounds spot on. Masses of space under the bonnet and well able to deal with big power and torque as Rover fitted the 3500 V8 in there. A powerful, smooth and comfortable cruiser.
Can't wait for the Ford Sierra conversion kit.
Fantastic! I love EVs. I love ICEs. Those 500s are perfect city cars. I'd like to see a Japanese mini truck or van conversion... that would be a great city utility vehicle! A big dream of mine is a useful range EV Morgan +4. Tooling through a leaf strewn autumn color tour in a silent roadster - that just fits the scene beautifully!
I would love to see a video of Moggy in a converted Fiat 500 zipping through city streets getting mad at the traffic :D
Amazing how you managed to package this conversion. Love the dash, simple is beautiful, why are mainstream EV cars loaded with junk you don’t need. What about converting a Honda S600, very light car, but they are pretty rare. Would be a real little pocket rocket as an EV😎
Love the s600. Good choice 👍👍
Your so right George I was only thinking a couple of hours ago, having a massive touch screen as a dash doesn’t make a better driver, (just a perfect distraction instead of looking at the road ahead!) 🤣😂😂🤣
Great episode! As far as city cars are concerned, I would imagine an early bmw mini One (quite cheap now) with a similar power unit would be a great car to have just for purely city use…
but you can buy an e-mini now ? wouldnt it cost more to convert an old one ?
Very interesting. Thank you.
👍😀
In Australia you'd need 90 miles or 150 km range for daily commutes because places are not so compact here. Cruising speed would need to be up to 65 mph or 110 km/h. Air conditioning for our torrid summers would be a must have.
Hmmmm you'll need lots more battery, and therefore a bigger car, for those requirements. And those are already available at vast cost.
Waiting for a VW camper version of this! I know you did a video recently on a T2, but I'd love to see an indepth camper conversion from you guys, especially since there's usually at least one sitting in the back if every vid you guys do, like the green splitty sitting casually in this one 😀
Syncro update coming soon 😀👍
As an owner of an air-cooled VW camper. 100% agreed
I'd love to see a Austin Healey Sprite Mk.1 (the Frogeye, or Bugeye). I've been trying to convince my dad about doing it for a while. Would it be similar to the MB you did?
Great conversion, so neat and tidy. My vote would be for a mk1 Ford Ka. 50-75 mile range would be fine and with 70bhp+ it would be great fun!
Ugly @ss car
how about a video on the conversion of a Bullnose (Twostroke) Saab 96? Would love to have one of those !
Very impressed with the engineering. I used to work on these cars in the 60’s. Going up hills were a problem, any slope above knee level was a mountain.
Hmmm..If you could move the aft battery pack into the rear seat area, bump it up to 5 Tesla modules and find space for a slightly more powerful engine, Possibly an HPEVs AC-50, you could build a Fiat 500 that could even get Lupin's attention. See "The Castle of Cagliostro" for details.
Unfortunately that weight would be too much for the car. 😁👍
would love to see a conversion kit for the BMW Z3 with a Tesla motor. I used to have one of those and it was great fun as an ice vehicle, would be awesome as an ev
Lasciate in pace queste povere macchine e datele a chi le ama davvero
Yeah, That what I'm looking for classic Electric Fiat 500.
Please ask me this Ice Blue Fiat 500 price?
What a great little package. I do think when you see some of these two ton plus electric SUV’s they are a bit of a contradiction, this on the other hand small and efficient and a good way to get about town. Great job Richard, loving your channel. 👏👍😀
Thanks. 👍
@@ElectricClassicCars I look forward to a one-size-fits-(nearly)-all for most rear wheel drive cars. Replace the entire rear axle with a new transaxle which includes the motor.
Got a version for the 500 Station Wagon? Any chance of paddle shift for the original transaxle?
As an American living in GM country I’ve always dreamed of an electric Corvair convertible for summer cruising.
you get my point , you so amazing , I start watching your video , I learn a lot from you and I do have a couple vehicles like that so I like to convert just like you can I get your contact ? Thanks again
I can think of the Honda N360, but also the Citroën 2CV and Diane and even the Renault 4. Loads of battery space there and a bigger supply of donor cars.
An Austin Nash Metropolitan would make an interesting conversion.
Excellent. I like that shell up on top shelf behind you
Hillman Imp stiletto. Riely Elf/Mini Moke.
Fiat Panda or the original Renault 5 or Twingo.
Another neat conversion and doubling the power helps with steep hills through tiny village streets.. where even a Suzuki Jimini struggles to pass.
Great selection there. 👍😀
Hillman Imp Stiletto or Singer Chamois? 👌
@@ElectricClassicCars
Always liked the fastback imps
Or clan Crusaders.. but thats a rally car. Great little all alloy engine but prone to overheating due to lack of anti corrosion antifreeze it was always their undoing that and a barely adequate radiator...
Plenty of space for a pack up front and the rest to the rear.
Which one had the tinted glass and vinyl roof?
I think it was badged a sunbeam stiletto ?
@@spudproductions7606
I knew someone who had one ..if im right it also had double headlamps? The Standard Imps and Husky estate and van just had the standard pair.
Agreed it's a great little car for electric.
We all want to know the cost of course.
I love the idea of these kits but unfortunately the cost is usually where I turn off. Im betting you won't have change from 30k (if not more). With the low range in a small car (when he calls them 'city cars' you know the range will be poor) these are basically toy run-arounds for rich people.
Great job, very clean and perfect, as always. thanks for sharing.
As a mechanic it would be great to be able to do these conversions in Spain, really a shame not being able to do it.
Regards!
Great fitment on that kit, Moggie 👍
I know I've said it before, but a Moke with your Tesla motor Mini kit would be absolutely awesome.
Great idea 👍😀
Great jobe... I like to see bmw 320 or 325 from the 80s fully electric...
In my country those cars is almost 4000$ but in urope or United States is about 40000 $ 😅 and being electric how knows how much the price will be...
If you are interested to getting classic cheap cars in perfect condition... Let me know... All the best and good luck
disco 1 kit please spent a fortune keeping the body together happy to lose the 300tdi
There seams to be a Lamborghini replica body shell up there on your shelves 👀
How much does it cost to convert a regular car into an electric car? may car is w169 Mercedes 2005, Automatic gearbox and I'm living in Nederland.
man, this is really intresting
we are not aloud to do it in italy
make it elettric
but you have it whit the steering weel on our side
so teoriccaly, i can import a 500 of the 60
on the paper legally elettric
if you have same, i sold it in italy 🙂manuel
Bolt in kit! Absolutely fantastic.
Please note that what we now consider a "city car", at the time of its launch was just an "economy car" for those who couldn't afford a bigger one.
Anyway, another car that could be quite suitable for this conversion is the original Fiat 600, the car which actually put Italy on wheels. Still an RWD but with a tiny 633cc (later 767cc) 4cyl. watercooled engine, it's not as fashionable as the 500, maybe because the 600 actually was the only car for most families, while the 500 - being so small - quickly became the 2nd car or the car for young drivers. For this reason, 600's usually were driven to the ground and today they are much rarer than the 500.
Another small car suitable for conversion could the NSU Prinz L and obviously the more spacious but still light French cars like Renault 4L, Citroen 2CV and Dyane.
Would love to convert my 82’ VW air cooled transporter. The original engine is still running strong but the constant oil leaks and NOISE plus 19MPG on expensive E5 petrol, makes me constantly think about how much better an EV conversion would be!
Guess how much fuel can you buy for the price of a proper conversion...
@@JohnDSmith-po4nu 12,500 litres of fuel
Or ~53,00 miles of fuel
I love this, the fiat 500 is the perfect small car, making it electric is really cool
I have a question , the motor looks like it is internally how does this work with sucking crud into the windings or water ingress?
Cool.. For me, would love a T1, and a nice little fiat 500 for the misses!
Why no 2 Tesla modules underneath the bonnet?
will have to get hold on my mother in laws 500 in Rome....was also thinking recently about volvo estates and old saabs as good options for ev conversion - get rid of the old diesels...
Would be very interested in a conversion of my Renault 4 GTL.....
Please consider developing a kit...?