Absolutely I would. I've even made parts for a friend's EV conversion. It appears the DVLA aren't keen on conversions though, as they seem to be applying loads of read tape.
Yes, I have an old 72' satellite muscle car that I would LOVE to get converted (especially since its already so iffy on running as is) However I am extremely strapped for cash atm so it probably wouldnt happen anytime soon.
This is bloody amazing. We should be totally embracing this idea of changing cars to electric rather than buying new ones. I'd love an electric Audi A2
This is an excellent part of the solution, why scrap cars when most of it is still useful, swap out the ICE drivetrain with an EV. No need to buy a new car. Car manufacturers should be incentivised to do this.
Had to scrap an otherwise perfect 12 year old Mondeo when clutch actuator failed at 150 000 miles because repair cost > car value . If could have swapped ICE and fuel tank with a motor and battery pack would have been so much more sense, especially if could have then been removed for the next donor car.....
Your local repair shop / garage should be incentivised to do this .. don't replace my engine / exhaust with catalytic converter - make the engine and exhaust redundant for me .. keep the guys with spanners engaged and employed, but not through keeping ICE working but in making the EV change happen. These business have the skills, tools facilities and acumen to make it happen
It seems a nice idea, but unless legislation is changed in my country, this would never be allowed. "Constructive changes" has to be approved, and i mean, not just by some guy at the car inspection centre. You need to do calculations that prove that the structure and safety of the vehicle stays the same. It's the same if you wanted to swap out the engine from petrol to diesel, or put in a bigger engine. If you put in a bigger engine and this is an engine that the car could have been bought with, you still need to have it approved, and since it "changed" you would have to pay the difference in registration tax, from the one model to the other.
This is....an amazing thing, he is right it's wasteful to replace everything for the EV version but if you can just convert it into EV and do it for vastly cheaper than a EV that's a no brainer. As an environmental science student this is something I think I will look closely into because I get a lot of people trying to debate me on EVs 🙄
Until all western countries convert to nuclear energy, EVs are nothing but coal and gas consumers. Solar and wind energy are catabolic systems that do not and cannot produce enough electricity to efficiently offset the waste created by producing and maintaining the infrastructure. Thorium power plants + EVs is the only viable clean future.
Cars have a fixed life time anyway so in time all are replaced anyway so their is no waste really. However, many potential EV buyers are unsure of the 2nd hand EV market. What is a good price?, what is a bad price? How much is a 2nd hand EV worth? This conversion option solves that problem by giving you brand new electric components in a 2nd hand body work that people do understand the price of.
When I was a teenager in the 1960s my first car was an old Renault Dauphine that I bought as a “fix-up” project and rebuilt prior to going off to college. Wonder if these guys will ever make a kit for that oh so French classic “bug”. I might just start looking for another one, cheap! Viva la France!
This ticks so many boxes, and I'm glad to see they've considered bringing garages into the fold. Traditional ICE mechanics should seize this opportunity, it'd be a great way to embrace the future.
A few years back here in the US we had at least a half dozen conversion companies. But they pretty much went the way of the DoDo for some reason. Shame. Because I think converting older cars makes a lot of sense.
@@blackterminal a lot maybe, but you will agree the ones who retire will be in the minority, yes? most people have to earn a living because they have bills to pay or dependents, and they do not have a retirement fund set up? I had to take my EV to a local two-hand garage to fix something, and they reminded me that they are trained on EVs and that I should bring it to them next time it needs servicing or MOT, instead of to the Nissan garage... they seemed totally unfazed by it being an EV, and just into cars... and making money ;-) ... but that is a very small sample, of course... oh, I have a friend who does car bodywork customisations, and they have EVs coming in to their garage sometimes, and he has never said he has a problem working on them... anyway, that is still a small sample.
I am a mechanic and shop owner. For most people this conversions are BS and impractical.The cost of it makes it for the wealthy who want to feel good about themselves. I can only imagine the conversation telling a customer your car needs a engine for 5k or for double we can put a electric in there that will get pathetic range and it will need to be charged overnight to get that pathetic range.
This is the best initiative I've seen. Teslas and other high end EVs are just a status symbol beyond most people's reach and probably only see about the same use as the Fiat 500 in this video. I have just spent 12 days driving around SE London in a rented diesel Peugeot 206. An electric equivalent with 100 or so KMs of range would have been perfect.
From what i rmember about driving in London, you should be knighted for doing so for 12 days! Just a drive in and deliver and out again used to leave me angry/stressed enough for the week!
I bought a second hand i3 which can go 240km at best, it's a perfect amount of range for us, we've also got fast chargers all over the place in the Netherlands if you want to go for an extended drive. Edit: you should only buy a battery size that fits your daily use, holidays are a once or twice a year event.
I've been arguing for this sort of approach for a long time, but here's some issues to consider:- The French government is supporting such a venture with financial incentives for the buyer. However, here in the UK things are rather different. One big incentive to spend the money on such a conversion is to subsequently enjoy the reduced VED (road tax) applicable to an EV. Yet here in the UK, DVLA REFUSE to re-classify converted cars (from 2001-2017, the most likely age range of suitable cars) to electric and INSIST on charging VED at the original ICE based rate. I've been arguing with them about this for the last year or more but they are intransigent and will NOT budge from their position that such converted cars CANNOT be re-classified. However, they are WRONG about this. Fact is, DVLA are misinterpreting the law which is actually very clear that such electrically propelled vehicles are EXEMPT from VED. However DVLA continually misinterpret this with their faulty logic. As if they consider such tax revenue their own to collect in any way they can, even by distorting the law. For those who don't want to delve into the wording of the actual regulations in question. Here is a précis of the regs. as they affect cars first regd. between 2001 and 2017 :- • All cars shall be taxed at rate X (complex rules and defined elsewhere) • EXCEPT electrically propelled vehicles which are EXEMPT. DVLA are interpreting that as meaning cars first regd. between 2001 and 2017 and converted to electric must continue to be taxed at rate X. I hope that clarifies what DVLA are doing. Of course, you can still convert a car of that age and maybe you don't think it matters that you have to keep paying the ICE based VED rate, but whatever your financial position, it is WRONG. A car converted to electric should pay VED at the EV rate. No question. That is what the regulations actually state on this matter. So there we have a fundamentally different attitude between the UK and French authorities. The French recognise the obvious benefits of converting older cars to EV, not only the instant reduction in harmful pollution it brings, but also saving the much larger environmental damage caused by the manufacture of ANY new car and they are prepared to support such activities. Whereas here in the UK we are being actively discouraged from doing so. What can we do? We need to pressurise the UK's actual government to force DVLA to toe the line. No changes are required to the law. DVLA must just be ordered to apply it correctly. For that we need enough support to get the government to take notice. Lat year I contacted Robert and Fully Charged Show to ask for their support on this. If only to bring this miscarriage of justice to more people's attention. Eventually I was brushed off with "FCS are too busy". Seems to me, adding their full support to bring pressure on the UK government to correct this dire situation is exactly what they should be doing. Over to you Fully Charged Show.
@@nedkelly4825 Yes of course, but until someone steps up and offers to let themselves be taken to court over driving an untaxed vehicle (there's no way to simply pay a different rate), I think it's worth first trying to make DVLA see the error of and correct their ways.
The basic Twingo or FIAT 500 is taxed at £30 per annum. Are many people going to get agitated over still paying that when their saving on petrol is £500?
@@bmpowellicio you're missing the legal and moral point, that attitude is exactly how government extract huge amounts of money from the people, by apathy and acquiescence
Won't happen unfortunately. Governments and car producers will do their best to stop ideas like this, they need you to buy the same stuff for decades and centuries. And even this channel haven't provided any link to the company's website (was surprised they mentioned their name actually) but it's not working anymore anyway.
This is a great idea. There is a niche for short-range, easy-to-convert basic electric transportation vehicles, charged every night and ready for the morning. One thing that intrigued me was targeting conversion kits for specific vehicles. People that already own those types could quickly and cheaply convert their clunker into a nice, clean car. In California, where tons of small cars are used for work, errands, and short trips around town, something like this would be an excellent option for those who cannot afford a new EV. Converting cars that are still serviceable to electric will make it possible for more people to drive an EV. Hopefully, we will see this option come to America very soon.
Totally awesome! I have been hoping someone would jump in here. The fossil car I had was fine and has maaaany years left and would have been fantastic retrofitted.
I totally agree with you, Inger. I have a 1977 M-B 450 SL in mint condition. But it has this 20l/100km gas-guzzling V8 that don't have many horsepowers left in it. I'd be happy to violate the Golden Rule of Classics, just to get it EV converted, so I once again can take it for a spin without being ruined. And I don't care much about performance, I just want to silently glide up and down the street couple of times, and then go home to plug it into my standard 10 A 230V socket and have it fully tanked overnight. I leave all the 0-60 in two-second wankers to compensate for whatever they feel the need to.
It only took 8 years... For a government to recognise any sense... The French, enabling a clean future, other countries won't even legalise escooters....
@@chrisheery You are not completely wrong. Take the non-subsidized price of what Transition One is doing, compare it to the cheapest kit from EV West (plus a small battery), and you are looking at ~$2,200 more for EV West's offering. Then pay someone to install the kit, and you can be looking at a much higher price. More competition in the sector would be nice. However, these conversions, for a used Fiat 500, by Transition One (unsubsidized) cost over $8,000... That's conveniently about the same price as a used Fiat 500e (in the US), if not slightly more. The example in the video is using the subsidy, and also buying a used Fiat 500, to have the car be the same price as the already existing 500e. The benefit of going with Transition One? New drive components and more importantly a new battery. The battery is the most expensive part of the operation, and biggest cause for concern in used EVs. If the government could subsidize batteries, or if they stopped subsidizing Transition One, then it would be more sensible to buy a used EV, and when needed swap out the battery. Do not get me wrong. I think innovation is great, and options for those who want an EV are great. Transition One and EV West are both contributing to this benefit for consumers. I think that in the current market, both companies serve more of a niche than the general public. Not because of the scale of their operations, but because even when their operation gets larger and more adapted, the price of used EVs will also have gone down. In the US used EVs (in fully running order) can be had for less than $7,000. I'd be surprised if there aren't various EVs on the used market in Europe for under the €5,000 subsidized price of this product/service by Transition One. Hopefully one day we see entrepreneurs in the likes of Guatemala and other poorer countries start manufacturing EV parts and batteries, converting old scrapyard vehicles, and selling them back to the richer countries Another way to look at it, if a converted vehicle isn't price competitive with and isn't as readily available as a used EV, then there is little to no incentive to most consumers to go that route. If the conversion becomes too cheap, then people will actually be discarding used EVs and/or already converted vehicles to convert another. In its current state, if a country such as France wanted to get more and more ICE vehicles off the road, then they could subsidize even more dramatically, for a short period of time. Make converting vehicles even more cost competitive with repairing old vehicles. After a significant number of vehicles have been converted, they could end the subsidies on conversions (hoping that the free market will continue to price itself more competitively), and redirect that subsidy money towards refurbishing and keeping older EVs still running.... ...Or a country can start funding research on battery technology that isn't as harmful to the environment as lithium, if their ultimate goal is environmental friendliness... but honestly this last point is a different conversation
@@chrisheery the price of this kit is imaginary, until they actual sell them. Then you'll see the real price of the kit, and the real cost of installation.
This is wonderful. Kudos to that team, it's about time something like this exists! The idea to get garages all over to go the work is brilliant, I hope it works!
The first gen Electric Berlingo/Partner (Circa 1998) had a 16kWh pack, it was basic tech, nickel cadmium, and brushed DC motor. 60 mile range. I drove one for a year, great for round town. They made them until 2005.
I'm a lecturer and have Motor Vehicle students at all levels as well as other engineering students. This is just the kind of video I love to use in class. They are starting out on their careers, many have come on to the course from working on ICE cars and have a love of motor vehicles. This kind of video gives them a clear career path and inspiration.
Totally agree, we Hot Rodders have been doing this for years except we wanted more power not economy. But I think now is the time to combine these objectives. I love keeping the transmission and operating thru all the same components PLUS regen brakes. I build factory Forklift trucks in 1975 and we designed regeneration cycles when lowering a load from high up. In fact a furniture warehouse had a truck on low battery, he when high empty and brought down couches to a lower level to charge enough to get back to the charge stations. We know Regen works. I am in America and i hope these boys are able to find partners in America to perform the installs to out older American gas powered drivers. Wonderful concept and seems like a genuine smart dude. Thank You, Dennis in Virginia
far from a new development, however it is the price that appeals...which unfortunately seems very naïve / hopeful - Most UK garage would charge customer more just for fitting? I think the whole solution would need doing in a low cost economy
The recycling concept is not really true. In conventional cars it is the body work that fails first not the mechanicals. Switching out a perfectly sound ic engine with electrical components in a structure which is rusting at its usual rate anyway makes no sense form a recycling point of view.
@@marviwilson1853 sorry but the always moving most complex component of the car lasts longer than the body??? I've almost always had an engine give out on me before the rest of the car
13:20 Another huge cost savings of conversions with *small* battery packs is the fact that you don't have to augment the suspension. You can just not even touch it. I'm guessing with a larger pack, say 30kwhr of LFP cells totaling 800lbs boxed in safely (well more than a couple hundred pounds net conversion weight increase), you really need to alter the suspension. And that's a whole 'thing' to figure out for each model.
Traditionally with EV conversions you cannot change the weight capacity or total weight with payload easily. You can however restrict it's use for example by removing the rear seats. For this same reason big engined and big cars are good options for EV conversions outside smaller cars, since you can stuff a lot of batteries in it.
Agreed, although I could not help thinking that the front of that Fiat 500 looked a bit low with the wheels squashed into the arches more than I would expect. We don't see many 500s here in NZ so maybe that's just me.
In response to Peter - I’m also in NZ but have owned two FIAT 500s - the front suspension looks fairly normal but the rear suspension is riding a bit low; however, it’s within design parameters (when you put two people in the back of the standard car plus something in the boot, it rides about the same height as that). I think this is a good idea. Generally I am not in favour of electric conversions in older vehicles, as there are safety compromises or a loss of character. In this case, the 500 is sturdily-made and the 1.2L four-cyl is no great loss. Cost probably similar or slightly greater than the used-import early Leafs that we have in NZ, for similar range/performance but in a smaller car. It is stylish and modern enough not to give up much to the Leaf in convenience or safety, and the handling will at least be similar (the Leaf is nothing too special)…
@@MrHugaKuga ..but a realistic winter range of 35 mls is of little to no use - economising is one thing, desirability / usability, quite another - min 200 mls range for 2023 is a reasonable goal perhaps
I've seen many try this, but Transition One appears to have a smart approach and government subsidies are essential to get high quality components. Bravo, I wish them much success!!
I highly appreciate this more inclusive approach from Transition-One. As people go over to EVs, and if we can find ways to bring along people like traditional mechanics and garages over to the EV side, we will experience less and less resistance and more support from traditional industry that tends to be killed off by these newer industries.
I'm looking forward to when this is not just mass-scale, but the norm, and applied to vehicles of all shapes and sizes. I want to keep driving my old Saab. Nothing has a big boot and wonderful seats like a Saab!
And this is exactly what I’ve been saying for years, maybe, just maybe someone doesn’t want a futuristic electric car and they want their favourite car to be electric. This is great
Seen a few of these companies now, but never one that's aiming at the low end of the market. All existing seem to be high value/classic car swaps. Hopefully more companies like this emerge.
LOVE IT!! What a great product. High demand for new ev cars is pushing prices way too high for bargain hunters wanting to go green. Repurposing an existing gas car is a logical and effective solution.
I'd have loved to have seen the actual solution in shot for more than a few glimpses. Perhaps you could visit them to record the construction and fitting of one of their kits.
Excellence. I contacted all main garages on the main road networks of Britain and not one gave any sign of conversion possibilities. I contacted them with regards green hydrogen refurbishment more than a few years back but this idea is even better. Truly excellent because it gives those with least access to the EV market. Well done to all involved with this introduction.
I've always felt this was needed. Most of all, I think a conversion for the most common vans (Vivaro/Trafic and Transit) is needed. Yes, a lot do big miles, but many don't. And there's a LOT of space under the floor available for a rectangular battery pack of a decent size; even the possibility of modular multi-battery conversions to allow different cost/range options. I'd do it myself if I had the money and 2 years to get it done in.
I wish I had capital to invest in a project like this in Canada. So much of Canadians live within big cities and could very much utilize one of these style of vehicles for daily driving, and their biggest hangups about EV's always comes back to price (and the federal government doesn't give full incentives until the price of the vehicle hits $44,999 CAD).
This is the game changer indeed, if it passes for the UK I for one have a Hyundai i10 I'd like to get converted. I would like a little more range, maybe 100 miles and there wasn't anything about charge system and times, AC\DC and so on. Very good episode folks, thank you very much.
Very exciting, I've been waiting to see someone come up with a kit like this. My wife has a 2010 manual beetle which she loves however the future to keeping it will be as an EV. Looking forward to seeing a conversion option in Australia. As batteries get better so will range.
It's great to see this kind of small companies becoming the ideal link to offer a new product, being responsible with the environment and recycling at the same time. PD. To the Fully Charge team, please, add the YT end cards with the recommendations clips so the "I hate Jack" bit goes full circle. I loved that!
I'd love to convert my SLK one day. I love having a hard top convertible and it would be a terrible waste to scrap my car when the engine is worn out and build a new one. It would be useful if the law changed to allow me to fit decent headlights too.
@@theairstig9164 I thought the whole idea was to convert the car that you already have on your drive. Transition One simplifies the conversion process so much that you drop your treasured gasping ICE car off at your local garage in the morning, and later that day pick up your treasured wheels now gliding ecologically along electrically... Granted, Jack did talk about this being a great route to buy a cheap runabout & convert it, that was so much an afterthought.... This is a great move, a transition so that we do not need to wait for this ICE power plants to expire before our vehicle fleet is electrified
I have yet to get my license (I'm 21, but I just recently have been able to pay it), and I would LOVE the idea of getting a volvo 240 wagon, and converting it into an EV! I would adore it.
It's the missing bit. And being able to take a runabout that we already have and make it EV is a fantastic idea. I don't think that the UK authorities allow the reclassification of ice to EV, apart from classic cars, so that will have to change, or people with EV conversions will end up paying ulez charges when that shouldn't. Overall, it's properly cool
@@toyotaprius79 the problem appears to be that the DVLA don't really understand what they need to do to confirm that a car now has EV status, and/or that the VED rates can even be updated. The pre VED system is still in force for pre 2002 cars and they can be converted but only by a recognised company. No DIY conversion allowed. Which is fine. You don't want to muck around with high voltage stuff.
Not to mention that it doesn't even need to be a working donor - even if it has a dead engine, one that wasn't economical to fix, provided the rest is OK it could be converted... and you can pick one of those up dirt cheap (few hundred quid), and trailer it down for the conversion.
@@patrickjr11 In many countries in EU or following EU regulation EV conversions are possible but the biggest issue is EMC compatibility. With pre 2002/1998 cars there is less requirements. In Finland they recently made the regulation easier and now you aren't supposed to need any tests if you can prove the parts are already EMC approved from say another EV.
@@rkan2 that makes sense and clearly what is the plan here too. Make the kit, get it certified and get the installers certified. So the whole thing is effectively type approved up front. It's very much the correct approach.
I'm in the US but I can't wait to convert my old Miata into an EV. Hopefully with a more powerful motor so I can get the hp of a turbo. Excited for the day that these conversion kits are readily available
I'd love to do this to an old rx8 with a broken engine. Might finally be able to actually use one on a daily basis loooool. But not gonna lie, that range sounds like utter shite.
Yep, website down, last Instagram post dec 2022. Sad but kinda expected, lots of companies tried this, most hardly have any sales. I mean if you buy an old renault Clio for 3000€ and out another 5-8k in it you still have an old car. For that price you can also get a pre-owned Zoe with more range and no diy wiring
@@dennisba85 Last blog post was from 20th January 2023. I found a datapoint that said "Bankruptcy: Liquidation 17-Mar-2023" but I don't know if this is the start or the end of the bankruptcy date (given how long bankruptcies usually take, I'd wager this is more of a start of bankruptcy proceedings date, but I dunno)
I had my imagination around this some time ago. Its cool to see someone is actually doing this. Must be lots of fun coming up with the idea for the unit to how to make it compatible with each car and scale-able on a production side. Its easy to create a power train of standardized sizes (small, medium, large) and then you have to create a connection modules for each individual car like engine mount part module and cables connection module for onboard electronics and devices. I can see that with many cars there would be issues with onboard computer getting errors from various sensors and especially with BMW's.
I've been saying for a while that this approach is the way forward . I'm over the moon that a company has been formed to do this and hope they are blessed with every success. Maybe a flexible design to certain components will make it available to a wider range of vehicles .
The reason most projects you see online ended up expensive is that they overhauled the whole thing to fit a bigger battery. They managed it by targeting a smaller battery which would make things fit in the space of a regular engine. One drawback it’s that they may need to spin the motor like a started engine to keep ac and power steering which has its inefficiencies
This is actually an excellent idea. I have been watching DIY conversions for a while now. I hope in the future they can venture internationally. I have a VW beetle sitting here that no one wants to buy. I hope I can just retrofit this one.
13:00 That's it! The key to the most environmentally friendly, lightweight (= more fun to drive), and cost effective EV's is to have a small battery. Sure it has to be charged more often, but for those who can charge at home and don't need to take frequent long distance trips, this may be just about perfect! I hope to see more EV's with batteries under 40 kWh. Nice work, and well done!
I don't think it's likely, but it would be interesting to see if car companies went this route and offered conversion kits for their own vehicles. They wouldn't need to develop the adaptor parts per model, as the car company would know all that and could size things perfectly. They could also more easily certify the safety too.
I'd like to see a "holiday" battery pack where u can sling a few extra kW in the boot for long journeys... I wonder if that would ever be a thing... or battery swapping with one of their vehicles, that would work... just a thought...
No need to swap out the battery … what about a small trailer with another battery incorporated? Then you can just plug in the “extra range”....after your holiday you return the trailer to the hire company!!! With your original boot space now full of the battery you got when you 'converted' you will need a bit of space for holiday luggage ….
I have a Korean made car, the Kia Soul, with a manual transmission. I love my car and would love to be able convert it to electric. I mainly a “around town” driver, so I don’t even need a large range.
I love this idea! I wish they would focus also on Smart cars because they have a pretty unique way of mounting engines, it's literally 4 screws to take out the engine with the rear axle.
Yes I'm tempted. Although my current Zoe cost £4k a year ago and although it has a leased battery, RCI want £1,800 for the battery. I'm hoping someone will do something similar for the Traffic/Vivaro. They don't rust, are supremely practical as a van or crew cab (similar road space to an average estate) and we need more second hand electric vans out there. I'd prefer loosing the original gearbox, as having just the reduction gear would be more efficient, lighter and take less space up. I realise that would require replacement driveshafts too but I think the end result would be worth it. Can't knock what they are trying to do though.
This is a very brilliant idea. I really hope there's something like this in my country, Malaysia. Instead of selling full EV, we can use what we have and convert it into an EV. This can be a lot cheaper + cheap cars like Kancil and Axia should support it. I really hope we have something like this.
Love this! Had definitely been frustrated by all the luxury cars fully charged has done videos on recently. This is much more about actual sustainability!
this is really something we need. recently i was thinking about the absurdly high range of electric cars, the problem is that you will drive the extra weight around town even if you only need 100km/day. this conversion seems to me to be the right step into the future.
@@AhooooooooIt's a great story, but not a good product. If the company disappears, can you fix it? The range is too short. Most people in cities don't own a garage. If you do, you can conveniently charge every day, but of course, you are cycling the pack more frequently than a big pack, probably doesn't support DCFC. Is it thermally managed? What the real solution is going to be, is used EVs, except for special cars like old Ferrari's, but they are expensive conversions. From a practical standpoint, the better the range of the average EV in a city, the fewer chargers are needed. Don't get me wrong, I want to see gobs of chargers, but ultimately, you want opportunistic charging, where you get lucky and find a spot with a charger often enough that you seldom need to put extra effort into getting charged.
@@c4715 Electrifying old cars is mostly a bad idea. Making EVs with tiny batteries is a bad idea. EVs that get old will be much better and more valuable than electrified old EVs, unless you spend enough to buy a new EV to electrify something special, like an old Ferrari. If you have a tiny battery, you need a lot of chargers, need to be charging all the time, battery degredation will be faster, long trips impractical, and cold weather could lower your range very easily to where you get stressed out. A new city EV in Europe should be targeting 150-200 miles. Everything else, more. 300 is good.
@@fjalics making evs with small-small medium sized batteries is a great idea. While keeping its original or, more efficient engine is a greater idea. Using the electric part to reduce inefficiency of the engines is a fantastic idea. Letting people even entertain the idea.. to use an additive motor kit, retrofit to their owned car, or options for retrofitting motors onto other cheap cars at low cost such that the greed for fuel efficiency makes the customer even consider using a hybrid or converting into one is a mind blowing idea.
awesome work going on! it’s a great alternative to buying a new EV like a Tesla which can be almost as expensive as a house with no government rebates. look forward to hearing more about this project :)
Sounds like a great idea! The cost of conversion may further be brought down if the existing ICE components are salvaged. With all the precious metals available in ICE after-treatment catalysts and the sheer amount of metal, it may really work out to be quite cheap.
crappy conversion kits. :) 10K for a motor 15k or batteries and invertors one is better of pilleging a crashed EV, or custom made all of it. @@bmc9504 For EV conversions to really take off people need some standard mounts for motors battery packs that are indeed modular (one that can fit in a hole under the seats maybe) and so on. thing that will make people want to buy them and have a viable car after it, In europe even fitting better aftermarket "bolt on" brakes if you want to do it legally will take a lot of time and money.
Love this! As much as I appreciate the conversions for classics, it's always rubbed me the wrong way that these precious batteries and electric motors are being put in rich people's toys. I would much rather they go into practical daily drivers that people can use. Would kill for a Mk4 Golf or an 03-04 Pontiac Vibe.
@@JackScarlett1 Well, in fairness, this is based purely on my preference for the aesthetics of the exterior design. I've never driven either of them, sadly. The MK5 may well be the superior car for driving. When the MK5 first launched I actually really disliked it. Way too rounded for my tastes. But the design has grown on me a lot over the years - and the GTI trim looks waaay better on the MK5 than on the MK4.
I daily drive a Morris Minor. It’s a classic and hardly a rich person’s toy (I paid 2k for it 3 years ago). I would love a kit like this. I have looked at getting it converted to electric in the past but as you point out most of the companies that offer conversions services want 20k+ to convert. A “cheap” conversion like this would be awesome for my Morris minor, especially as unleaded fuel being E5 or E10 only now (older cars don’t really like the ethanol stuff).
@@arghjayem sure, there are some "classics" that wouldn't be considered rich persons toys - especially in milder climates. I'm in Ontario Canada, and the road salt plays havoc with cars and so most classics are ones that have been babied by people why can afford a second car for the winter months.
@@adamlytle2615 The Mk4 was the low point for the GTI by most people's standards. Everything on them liked to break. I'd love to convert my Mk2 though.
I mean, this is great. I hope they develop their company to the point of where you can actually choose your desired power level and battery size. You could simply buy some dirt cheap car and turn it into an EV also for cheap. Imagine buying a 500 Eur car and spending only 5k Eur into converting it into an EV. That sounds really good. There are so many Peugeots 406 for sale and you can even get them with modern features like light and rain sensors in that price range.
What a brilliant early video about a truly innovative and forward-thinking 'environmental change' company. No doubt countries around the world will have to recalibrate their legislation accordingly, to take account of what were once ICE cars now being BEVs, but that should absolutely not be allowed to stop this vital transition from fossil fuel to clean motability. Just excellent content, Jack - thank you for bringing it in to our awareness. 😎
For ten years I've had a smart roadster sitting in a shipping container, waiting for a conversion kit. Please, please, please: Make a universal/modular conversion kit!
This is a great idea. It's not going to be for everyone but it broadens the possibilities and includes way more people in the ability to have an EV than ever before and at a much more affordable price point
Woulds be interested to see if it works with an automatic gear box? Also good for rugged country cars. Great for local garages to use the kit supplied.
Something that might be good is if they made their drivetrain fit very common engine mounts which leverage existing aftermarket accessories. For instance, there is probably an LS conversion kit for just about anything, and this company wouldn't need to design their own mounts and adapter plates.
Right now for runabouts, this is perfect - and in a few years when solid state batteries give even more range for the same weight, it will rival current EV range in a conversion vehicle. I love it. I wonder if I can get an electric 2CV shipped over from France!
Wow! This is a fantastic idea. I must check this out, I have a 2009 BMW 7 Series 330d that will break my heart to eventually sell on but how wonderful would it be to convert that to an EV 😄.
What the world is waiting for. There is so much energy and finite resources locked up in existing car chassis, panels and interior fittings that it seems silly to throw all that away in our quest to go green. Small cars to use locally - perfect application. Hope to see this in the UK soon 🙂
Such a refreshing outlook. I don’t want an old car that was designed for 50hp to have an EV 40k conversion and 300bhp output. I want it to still have around 50bhp and spend 5k to 10k. Now we need someone in the UK who does that……
@@theairstig9164 They are only making the kits for your local garage to do the swop over, as said towards the end of the video, a 4 hour job at your local approved garage
As a mechanical engineer, I thought this was a great idea years ago and have promised my friends from around the world that I would some day convert my 2003 Porsche 996 Turbo to electric. I still think this is a great idea and may start a business offering this service in the USA.
Do you get to keep the engine, transmission and any other parts that they remove? Or is that given up as part of the trade cost? (Because then it wounfkt be a cost of 5,000 it would be 5,000 + whatever you could have gotten for selling your parts)
I'm glad someone is something the conversation process. It's been around in diy format for decades now. Forums as old as 2004 and older just for this stuff. Good to see it.
Does this include HVAC? Does the battery pack and drive unit have active cooling? I think the cost is not too horrible compared to brand new EVs, and would extend the life of 10/15/20/25 year old cars, which is going to negate one of the pro global warning pearl clutchers' arguments.
Totally agree. I assume, given the low cost, there will be no active temperature management for the battery but not really needed. Does it even get rapid charging? I don't think they said. Possibly just ac.
I would like to install one of these kits in one of my cars here in the United States. I would like to learn the installation process and offer the service. How to I contact this company and connect to offer his product here in the US?
This made me happy. Your enthusiasm is enthralling! Finally something that makes sense for the environment, as opposed to what the Tesla bros or SUV producers are trying to sell us. I'm really rooting for this company! Also hoping that car manufacturers understand that we need smaller, lighter electric cars, Renault, Toyota, or Gogoro in the roller bracket, seem on the right path. The Mercedes EQXX would be exactly the right direction too, but probably rather on the luxurious end.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Could you be tempted by an EV conversion if the price was right? Tell us what you think below..
Absolutely I would.
I've even made parts for a friend's EV conversion.
It appears the DVLA aren't keen on conversions though, as they seem to be applying loads of read tape.
Yes, I have an old 72' satellite muscle car that I would LOVE to get converted (especially since its already so iffy on running as is) However I am extremely strapped for cash atm so it probably wouldnt happen anytime soon.
I’m planning to ev my Nissan X-Trail I think it would be a great circulation of older cars!
My Classic Mini EV dreams might yet come true!
Fiat Panda, or an old Prius definitely!!!
This is bloody amazing. We should be totally embracing this idea of changing cars to electric rather than buying new ones. I'd love an electric Audi A2
It should be EU policy to have grants for EV conversions. The problem is the car lobby who wouldn't like it...
A2 is SUCH a good shout for EV conversion. We need to make this happen. Fully Charged project car perhaps? 👀
@@JackScarlett1 Loving that idea. That would make such a great series.
A2 conversion would be awesome
I've heard that A2 was initially planned as an EV. Another thing - a local company here in Lithuania converted A2 to fully electric back in 2013.
This is an excellent part of the solution, why scrap cars when most of it is still useful, swap out the ICE drivetrain with an EV. No need to buy a new car.
Car manufacturers should be incentivised to do this.
Even better - when the chassis does go kapput, move the electrical transmission to a new vehicle whether that's yours or someone else's.
Had to scrap an otherwise perfect 12 year old Mondeo when clutch actuator failed at 150 000 miles because repair cost > car value . If could have swapped ICE and fuel tank with a motor and battery pack would have been so much more sense, especially if could have then been removed for the next donor car.....
Well said!
Your local repair shop / garage should be incentivised to do this .. don't replace my engine / exhaust with catalytic converter - make the engine and exhaust redundant for me .. keep the guys with spanners engaged and employed, but not through keeping ICE working but in making the EV change happen. These business have the skills, tools facilities and acumen to make it happen
It seems a nice idea, but unless legislation is changed in my country, this would never be allowed.
"Constructive changes" has to be approved, and i mean, not just by some guy at the car inspection centre.
You need to do calculations that prove that the structure and safety of the vehicle stays the same.
It's the same if you wanted to swap out the engine from petrol to diesel, or put in a bigger engine.
If you put in a bigger engine and this is an engine that the car could have been bought with, you still need to have it approved, and since it "changed" you would have to pay the difference in registration tax, from the one model to the other.
This is....an amazing thing, he is right it's wasteful to replace everything for the EV version but if you can just convert it into EV and do it for vastly cheaper than a EV that's a no brainer. As an environmental science student this is something I think I will look closely into because I get a lot of people trying to debate me on EVs 🙄
Until all western countries convert to nuclear energy, EVs are nothing but coal and gas consumers.
Solar and wind energy are catabolic systems that do not and cannot produce enough electricity to efficiently offset the waste created by producing and maintaining the infrastructure.
Thorium power plants + EVs is the only viable clean future.
Yup, all ICE engines will eventually die. But the car body can last a lot longer. Might as well give the car new life with electric engine.
Cars have a fixed life time anyway so in time all are replaced anyway so their is no waste really. However, many potential EV buyers are unsure of the 2nd hand EV market. What is a good price?, what is a bad price? How much is a 2nd hand EV worth? This conversion option solves that problem by giving you brand new electric components in a 2nd hand body work that people do understand the price of.
Time for an update.
Best of luck to Transition-One!
More options is never a bad thing in this arena
I would be extremely interested in seeing this evolve in the USA. I would love to see companies try this.
The big boys of the American car industry here will be ready to "cock-block" any possible threat for as long and hard as they can! ¡!
Alas, range too small for me. Daily commute is 52 miles and it snows so if heater on, won't get home.
they are already doing it
Chrysler did. It was called the fiat 500e and nobody bought them. My california lease return ended up in Russia. We just can’t appreciate nice things
When I was a teenager in the 1960s my first car was an old Renault Dauphine that I bought as a “fix-up” project and rebuilt prior to going off to college. Wonder if these guys will ever make a kit for that oh so French classic “bug”. I might just start looking for another one, cheap! Viva la France!
This ticks so many boxes, and I'm glad to see they've considered bringing garages into the fold. Traditional ICE mechanics should seize this opportunity, it'd be a great way to embrace the future.
Yes! By including everyone in the EV revolution, they minimise casualties! Such a kind and holistic approach, which deserves to be successful :-D
A few years back here in the US we had at least a half dozen conversion companies. But they pretty much went the way of the DoDo for some reason. Shame. Because I think converting older cars makes a lot of sense.
A lot of them will just retire i think. They hate this stuff
@@blackterminal a lot maybe, but you will agree the ones who retire will be in the minority, yes? most people have to earn a living because they have bills to pay or dependents, and they do not have a retirement fund set up? I had to take my EV to a local two-hand garage to fix something, and they reminded me that they are trained on EVs and that I should bring it to them next time it needs servicing or MOT, instead of to the Nissan garage... they seemed totally unfazed by it being an EV, and just into cars... and making money ;-) ... but that is a very small sample, of course... oh, I have a friend who does car bodywork customisations, and they have EVs coming in to their garage sometimes, and he has never said he has a problem working on them... anyway, that is still a small sample.
I am a mechanic and shop owner. For most people this conversions are BS and impractical.The cost of it makes it for the wealthy who want to feel good about themselves. I can only imagine the conversation telling a customer your car needs a engine for 5k or for double we can put a electric in there that will get pathetic range and it will need to be charged overnight to get that pathetic range.
This is the best initiative I've seen. Teslas and other high end EVs are just a status symbol beyond most people's reach and probably only see about the same use as the Fiat 500 in this video. I have just spent 12 days driving around SE London in a rented diesel Peugeot 206. An electric equivalent with 100 or so KMs of range would have been perfect.
From what i rmember about driving in London, you should be knighted for doing so for 12 days! Just a drive in and deliver and out again used to leave me angry/stressed enough for the week!
I bought a second hand i3 which can go 240km at best, it's a perfect amount of range for us, we've also got fast chargers all over the place in the Netherlands if you want to go for an extended drive.
Edit: you should only buy a battery size that fits your daily use, holidays are a once or twice a year event.
@@koitorob For sure. I'd prefer to park somewhere and use the tube. Driving in London is just stressful
Interesting stuff. Retrofitting an old car with newer technology has always been my dream.
Time for an update.
I've been arguing for this sort of approach for a long time, but here's some issues to consider:-
The French government is supporting such a venture with financial incentives for the buyer. However, here in the UK things are rather different. One big incentive to spend the money on such a conversion is to subsequently enjoy the reduced VED (road tax) applicable to an EV. Yet here in the UK, DVLA REFUSE to re-classify converted cars (from 2001-2017, the most likely age range of suitable cars) to electric and INSIST on charging VED at the original ICE based rate.
I've been arguing with them about this for the last year or more but they are intransigent and will NOT budge from their position that such converted cars CANNOT be re-classified. However, they are WRONG about this. Fact is, DVLA are misinterpreting the law which is actually very clear that such electrically propelled vehicles are EXEMPT from VED. However DVLA continually misinterpret this with their faulty logic. As if they consider such tax revenue their own to collect in any way they can, even by distorting the law.
For those who don't want to delve into the wording of the actual regulations in question. Here is a précis of the regs. as they affect cars first regd. between 2001 and 2017 :-
• All cars shall be taxed at rate X (complex rules and defined elsewhere)
• EXCEPT electrically propelled vehicles which are EXEMPT.
DVLA are interpreting that as meaning cars first regd. between 2001 and 2017 and converted to electric must continue to be taxed at rate X.
I hope that clarifies what DVLA are doing.
Of course, you can still convert a car of that age and maybe you don't think it matters that you have to keep paying the ICE based VED rate, but whatever your financial position, it is WRONG. A car converted to electric should pay VED at the EV rate. No question. That is what the regulations actually state on this matter.
So there we have a fundamentally different attitude between the UK and French authorities. The French recognise the obvious benefits of converting older cars to EV, not only the instant reduction in harmful pollution it brings, but also saving the much larger environmental damage caused by the manufacture of ANY new car and they are prepared to support such activities. Whereas here in the UK we are being actively discouraged from doing so.
What can we do?
We need to pressurise the UK's actual government to force DVLA to toe the line. No changes are required to the law. DVLA must just be ordered to apply it correctly. For that we need enough support to get the government to take notice. Lat year I contacted Robert and Fully Charged Show to ask for their support on this. If only to bring this miscarriage of justice to more people's attention. Eventually I was brushed off with "FCS are too busy".
Seems to me, adding their full support to bring pressure on the UK government to correct this dire situation is exactly what they should be doing. Over to you Fully Charged Show.
@@nedkelly4825 Yes of course, but until someone steps up and offers to let themselves be taken to court over driving an untaxed vehicle (there's no way to simply pay a different rate), I think it's worth first trying to make DVLA see the error of and correct their ways.
This looks like lobby of ev manufacturers, forcing dvla to eliminate convertions.
The basic Twingo or FIAT 500 is taxed at £30 per annum. Are many people going to get agitated over still paying that when their saving on petrol is £500?
@@bmpowellicio you're missing the legal and moral point, that attitude is exactly how government extract huge amounts of money from the people, by apathy and acquiescence
@@AuraTrimCoMeath I don't think they need to. DVLA are managing to screw things up all by themselves.
We need more companies doing this.
Won't happen unfortunately. Governments and car producers will do their best to stop ideas like this, they need you to buy the same stuff for decades and centuries. And even this channel haven't provided any link to the company's website (was surprised they mentioned their name actually) but it's not working anymore anyway.
This is a great idea. There is a niche for short-range, easy-to-convert basic electric transportation vehicles, charged every night and ready for the morning. One thing that intrigued me was targeting conversion kits for specific vehicles. People that already own those types could quickly and cheaply convert their clunker into a nice, clean car. In California, where tons of small cars are used for work, errands, and short trips around town, something like this would be an excellent option for those who cannot afford a new EV. Converting cars that are still serviceable to electric will make it possible for more people to drive an EV. Hopefully, we will see this option come to America very soon.
Totally awesome! I have been hoping someone would jump in here. The fossil car I had was fine and has maaaany years left and would have been fantastic retrofitted.
I totally agree with you, Inger. I have a 1977 M-B 450 SL in mint condition. But it has this 20l/100km gas-guzzling V8 that don't have many horsepowers left in it. I'd be happy to violate the Golden Rule of Classics, just to get it EV converted, so I once again can take it for a spin without being ruined.
And I don't care much about performance, I just want to silently glide up and down the street couple of times, and then go home to plug it into my standard 10 A 230V socket and have it fully tanked overnight. I leave all the 0-60 in two-second wankers to compensate for whatever they feel the need to.
What car is it?
@@uwucaffeineaddiction4023 a 2007 mitubishi outlander. Gave it to one of my kids. I got a tesla y.
It only took 8 years... For a government to recognise any sense... The French, enabling a clean future, other countries won't even legalise escooters....
@@bfelten1 That's a big car to be fitted with that small power train.
By far one of the best ideas the show has demonstrated.
This is pretty huge! On top of being cheap & sustainable, if you are really attached to your current car, you can now keep that!
I hope this is available in USA. I would definitely convert my old engine to EV.
There is. Look up EV West RUclips channel. They are located in California I believe.
@@SecondLifeDesigner their stuff starts at a much higher price point though. Much.
@@chrisheery You are not completely wrong. Take the non-subsidized price of what Transition One is doing, compare it to the cheapest kit from EV West (plus a small battery), and you are looking at ~$2,200 more for EV West's offering. Then pay someone to install the kit, and you can be looking at a much higher price. More competition in the sector would be nice. However, these conversions, for a used Fiat 500, by Transition One (unsubsidized) cost over $8,000... That's conveniently about the same price as a used Fiat 500e (in the US), if not slightly more. The example in the video is using the subsidy, and also buying a used Fiat 500, to have the car be the same price as the already existing 500e. The benefit of going with Transition One? New drive components and more importantly a new battery. The battery is the most expensive part of the operation, and biggest cause for concern in used EVs. If the government could subsidize batteries, or if they stopped subsidizing Transition One, then it would be more sensible to buy a used EV, and when needed swap out the battery.
Do not get me wrong. I think innovation is great, and options for those who want an EV are great. Transition One and EV West are both contributing to this benefit for consumers. I think that in the current market, both companies serve more of a niche than the general public. Not because of the scale of their operations, but because even when their operation gets larger and more adapted, the price of used EVs will also have gone down. In the US used EVs (in fully running order) can be had for less than $7,000. I'd be surprised if there aren't various EVs on the used market in Europe for under the €5,000 subsidized price of this product/service by Transition One.
Hopefully one day we see entrepreneurs in the likes of Guatemala and other poorer countries start manufacturing EV parts and batteries, converting old scrapyard vehicles, and selling them back to the richer countries
Another way to look at it, if a converted vehicle isn't price competitive with and isn't as readily available as a used EV, then there is little to no incentive to most consumers to go that route. If the conversion becomes too cheap, then people will actually be discarding used EVs and/or already converted vehicles to convert another. In its current state, if a country such as France wanted to get more and more ICE vehicles off the road, then they could subsidize even more dramatically, for a short period of time. Make converting vehicles even more cost competitive with repairing old vehicles. After a significant number of vehicles have been converted, they could end the subsidies on conversions (hoping that the free market will continue to price itself more competitively), and redirect that subsidy money towards refurbishing and keeping older EVs still running....
...Or a country can start funding research on battery technology that isn't as harmful to the environment as lithium, if their ultimate goal is environmental friendliness... but honestly this last point is a different conversation
@@chrisheery the price of this kit is imaginary, until they actual sell them. Then you'll see the real price of the kit, and the real cost of installation.
@@brianb-p6586 that’s true!
I love this idea, I think it is a very clever way to transition away from internal combustion engines without unnecessary waste.
This is wonderful. Kudos to that team, it's about time something like this exists! The idea to get garages all over to go the work is brilliant, I hope it works!
The first gen Electric Berlingo/Partner (Circa 1998) had a 16kWh pack, it was basic tech, nickel cadmium, and brushed DC motor. 60 mile range. I drove one for a year, great for round town. They made them until 2005.
I'm a lecturer and have Motor Vehicle students at all levels as well as other engineering students. This is just the kind of video I love to use in class. They are starting out on their careers, many have come on to the course from working on ICE cars and have a love of motor vehicles. This kind of video gives them a clear career path and inspiration.
Totally agree, we Hot Rodders have been doing this for years except we wanted more power not economy. But I think now is the time to combine these objectives. I love keeping the transmission and operating thru all the same components PLUS regen brakes. I build factory Forklift trucks in 1975 and we designed regeneration cycles when lowering a load from high up. In fact a furniture warehouse had a truck on low battery, he when high empty and brought down couches to a lower level to charge enough to get back to the charge stations. We know Regen works. I am in America and i hope these boys are able to find partners in America to perform the installs to out older American gas powered drivers. Wonderful concept and seems like a genuine smart dude. Thank You, Dennis in Virginia
This is a fantastic development, it allows so many more people to change over, whilst also minimising the waste from the old cars. Love it!
Agree. Would love to track down my first car (crap old Fiesta) and resurrect it
far from a new development, however it is the price that appeals...which unfortunately seems very naïve / hopeful - Most UK garage would charge customer more just for fitting?
I think the whole solution would need doing in a low cost economy
Great for two car families where one car only needs to do the school or shopping run etc. but many of us need one all rounder
Absolutely brilliant idea love it, takes recycling to another more practical level altogether
The recycling concept is not really true. In conventional cars it is the body work that fails first not the mechanicals. Switching out a perfectly sound ic engine with electrical components in a structure which is rusting at its usual rate anyway makes no sense form a recycling point of view.
@@marviwilson1853 sorry but the always moving most complex component of the car lasts longer than the body??? I've almost always had an engine give out on me before the rest of the car
13:20 Another huge cost savings of conversions with *small* battery packs is the fact that you don't have to augment the suspension. You can just not even touch it. I'm guessing with a larger pack, say 30kwhr of LFP cells totaling 800lbs boxed in safely (well more than a couple hundred pounds net conversion weight increase), you really need to alter the suspension. And that's a whole 'thing' to figure out for each model.
Traditionally with EV conversions you cannot change the weight capacity or total weight with payload easily. You can however restrict it's use for example by removing the rear seats. For this same reason big engined and big cars are good options for EV conversions outside smaller cars, since you can stuff a lot of batteries in it.
Agreed, although I could not help thinking that the front of that Fiat 500 looked a bit low with the wheels squashed into the arches more than I would expect. We don't see many 500s here in NZ so maybe that's just me.
The nice thing as well is a small 15kwh battery will charge quickly...
In response to Peter - I’m also in NZ but have owned two FIAT 500s - the front suspension looks fairly normal but the rear suspension is riding a bit low; however, it’s within design parameters (when you put two people in the back of the standard car plus something in the boot, it rides about the same height as that).
I think this is a good idea. Generally I am not in favour of electric conversions in older vehicles, as there are safety compromises or a loss of character. In this case, the 500 is sturdily-made and the 1.2L four-cyl is no great loss. Cost probably similar or slightly greater than the used-import early Leafs that we have in NZ, for similar range/performance but in a smaller car. It is stylish and modern enough not to give up much to the Leaf in convenience or safety, and the handling will at least be similar (the Leaf is nothing too special)…
@@MrHugaKuga ..but a realistic winter range of 35 mls is of little to no use - economising is one thing, desirability / usability, quite another - min 200 mls range for 2023 is a reasonable goal perhaps
I've seen many try this, but Transition One appears to have a smart approach and government subsidies are essential to get high quality components. Bravo, I wish them much success!!
I highly appreciate this more inclusive approach from Transition-One. As people go over to EVs, and if we can find ways to bring along people like traditional mechanics and garages over to the EV side, we will experience less and less resistance and more support from traditional industry that tends to be killed off by these newer industries.
Bloomin' marvellous! I wish them success as this is a great low impact way to get more EVs in the hands of the public.
This is truly exciting, thank you for covering this!
I want a drop-in solution for a diy hybrid. This would be perfect for some user cases, like for people who mix short commutes and long haul travels.
I can't even describe how badly I want to have a 1999 Twingo converted to electric. It would honestly be my dream car. Best of luck to this company!
I'm looking forward to when this is not just mass-scale, but the norm, and applied to vehicles of all shapes and sizes. I want to keep driving my old Saab. Nothing has a big boot and wonderful seats like a Saab!
Electric Fiat 126 for me pls
Wow gotta dream big eh, look to the stars! 😂
Bmw e30 convertible!
@Richard Harrold agree!
And this is exactly what I’ve been saying for years, maybe, just maybe someone doesn’t want a futuristic electric car and they want their favourite car to be electric. This is great
That's exactly the case for me. I don't want a shiny new tesla, I want my trusty old Buick to get an electric engine.
Seen a few of these companies now, but never one that's aiming at the low end of the market. All existing seem to be high value/classic car swaps. Hopefully more companies like this emerge.
LOVE IT!! What a great product. High demand for new ev cars is pushing prices way too high for bargain hunters wanting to go green. Repurposing an existing gas car is a logical and effective solution.
I'd have loved to have seen the actual solution in shot for more than a few glimpses. Perhaps you could visit them to record the construction and fitting of one of their kits.
they might be protecting a bit till they get up and running fully
@@nedkelly4825 You noticed the rusty bolt heads too?
Excellence. I contacted all main garages on the main road networks of Britain and not one gave any sign of conversion possibilities. I contacted them with regards green hydrogen refurbishment more than a few years back but this idea is even better. Truly excellent because it gives those with least access to the EV market.
Well done to all involved with this introduction.
I've always felt this was needed. Most of all, I think a conversion for the most common vans (Vivaro/Trafic and Transit) is needed. Yes, a lot do big miles, but many don't. And there's a LOT of space under the floor available for a rectangular battery pack of a decent size; even the possibility of modular multi-battery conversions to allow different cost/range options.
I'd do it myself if I had the money and 2 years to get it done in.
exactly! Plenty of room under chassis for the battery
Plus room on the top for solar panels.
Thank you for all your work on this episode, Fully Charged Team! This is a BRILLIANT concept and eco business! Really enjoyed this.
I do really appreciate the actually affordable EV video, thankyou for making it, keep up this good work.
I wish I had capital to invest in a project like this in Canada. So much of Canadians live within big cities and could very much utilize one of these style of vehicles for daily driving, and their biggest hangups about EV's always comes back to price (and the federal government doesn't give full incentives until the price of the vehicle hits $44,999 CAD).
This is the game changer indeed, if it passes for the UK I for one have a Hyundai i10 I'd like to get converted. I would like a little more range, maybe 100 miles and there wasn't anything about charge system and times, AC\DC and so on. Very good episode folks, thank you very much.
Very exciting, I've been waiting to see someone come up with a kit like this. My wife has a 2010 manual beetle which she loves however the future to keeping it will be as an EV. Looking forward to seeing a conversion option in Australia. As batteries get better so will range.
Electric Classic Cars does a conversion kit for a beetle I think
It's great to see this kind of small companies becoming the ideal link to offer a new product, being responsible with the environment and recycling at the same time.
PD. To the Fully Charge team, please, add the YT end cards with the recommendations clips so the "I hate Jack" bit goes full circle. I loved that!
I'd love to convert my SLK one day. I love having a hard top convertible and it would be a terrible waste to scrap my car when the engine is worn out and build a new one. It would be useful if the law changed to allow me to fit decent headlights too.
There are better choices to convert. Like a beetle
@@theairstig9164 I thought the whole idea was to convert the car that you already have on your drive. Transition One simplifies the conversion process so much that you drop your treasured gasping ICE car off at your local garage in the morning, and later that day pick up your treasured wheels now gliding ecologically along electrically... Granted, Jack did talk about this being a great route to buy a cheap runabout & convert it, that was so much an afterthought....
This is a great move, a transition so that we do not need to wait for this ICE power plants to expire before our vehicle fleet is electrified
@@theairstig9164 how is a bettle a better alternative to an SLK? They (and I) want a low 2 seat convertible...
@@theairstig9164 you missed the point. He already had a car, and wants to convert that, not buy a beetle most to convert it!
Phwoar. Electric SLK would be a seriously wafty experience
I have yet to get my license (I'm 21, but I just recently have been able to pay it), and I would LOVE the idea of getting a volvo 240 wagon, and converting it into an EV! I would adore it.
It's the missing bit. And being able to take a runabout that we already have and make it EV is a fantastic idea. I don't think that the UK authorities allow the reclassification of ice to EV, apart from classic cars, so that will have to change, or people with EV conversions will end up paying ulez charges when that shouldn't.
Overall, it's properly cool
Maybe it's a matter of the dealership market in the UK that wouldn't allow your UK authorities to do it
@@toyotaprius79 the problem appears to be that the DVLA don't really understand what they need to do to confirm that a car now has EV status, and/or that the VED rates can even be updated. The pre VED system is still in force for pre 2002 cars and they can be converted but only by a recognised company. No DIY conversion allowed. Which is fine. You don't want to muck around with high voltage stuff.
Not to mention that it doesn't even need to be a working donor - even if it has a dead engine, one that wasn't economical to fix, provided the rest is OK it could be converted... and you can pick one of those up dirt cheap (few hundred quid), and trailer it down for the conversion.
@@patrickjr11 In many countries in EU or following EU regulation EV conversions are possible but the biggest issue is EMC compatibility. With pre 2002/1998 cars there is less requirements.
In Finland they recently made the regulation easier and now you aren't supposed to need any tests if you can prove the parts are already EMC approved from say another EV.
@@rkan2 that makes sense and clearly what is the plan here too. Make the kit, get it certified and get the installers certified. So the whole thing is effectively type approved up front. It's very much the correct approach.
Love it! Upcycling is so important. This is bloody amazing and exactly teh sort of electric future I've been waiting to hear about! Affordable!
iv been thinking for years that what we need is someway to convert current cars, i am SOOO pleased to see someone with the skills work on this!
I'm in the US but I can't wait to convert my old Miata into an EV. Hopefully with a more powerful motor so I can get the hp of a turbo. Excited for the day that these conversion kits are readily available
I'd love to do this to an old rx8 with a broken engine. Might finally be able to actually use one on a daily basis loooool. But not gonna lie, that range sounds like utter shite.
I want it in my Avalanche ❤
This is brilliant! I know EV conversion is possible (I've watched Vintage Voltage) at a heinous price, but this is a game changer.
Update: The company unfortunately went bankrupt in early 2023.
Yep, website down, last Instagram post dec 2022. Sad but kinda expected, lots of companies tried this, most hardly have any sales. I mean if you buy an old renault Clio for 3000€ and out another 5-8k in it you still have an old car. For that price you can also get a pre-owned Zoe with more range and no diy wiring
This is sad. Isn't there any other company doing something similar?
It probably went down purposefully because big companies want people to buy new things all the time 🙄
They should honestly take this video down, it seems reasonable to conclude it could have been vaporware from the start
@@dennisba85 Last blog post was from 20th January 2023. I found a datapoint that said "Bankruptcy: Liquidation 17-Mar-2023" but I don't know if this is the start or the end of the bankruptcy date (given how long bankruptcies usually take, I'd wager this is more of a start of bankruptcy proceedings date, but I dunno)
I had my imagination around this some time ago. Its cool to see someone is actually doing this. Must be lots of fun coming up with the idea for the unit to how to make it compatible with each car and scale-able on a production side. Its easy to create a power train of standardized sizes (small, medium, large) and then you have to create a connection modules for each individual car like engine mount part module and cables connection module for onboard electronics and devices. I can see that with many cars there would be issues with onboard computer getting errors from various sensors and especially with BMW's.
I've been saying for a while that this approach is the way forward . I'm over the moon that a company has been formed to do this and hope they are blessed with every success.
Maybe a flexible design to certain components will make it available to a wider range of vehicles .
The reason most projects you see online ended up expensive is that they overhauled the whole thing to fit a bigger battery. They managed it by targeting a smaller battery which would make things fit in the space of a regular engine. One drawback it’s that they may need to spin the motor like a started engine to keep ac and power steering which has its inefficiencies
Your final thoughts are spot on. This is better than regular EV's in many ways.
150Wh/km is pretty impressive for any EV. Weight really makes a difference.
Its a great proposition! Super excited to see how it goes! Would also love if the made multiple tiers of conversions with higher specs
This is actually an excellent idea. I have been watching DIY conversions for a while now. I hope in the future they can venture internationally. I have a VW beetle sitting here that no one wants to buy. I hope I can just retrofit this one.
I've heard it's one of the easiest engines to switch out. If that's the case, congrats.
13:00 That's it! The key to the most environmentally friendly, lightweight (= more fun to drive), and cost effective EV's is to have a small battery. Sure it has to be charged more often, but for those who can charge at home and don't need to take frequent long distance trips, this may be just about perfect! I hope to see more EV's with batteries under 40 kWh. Nice work, and well done!
Not everyone's interested in having overpriced slot cars, fortunately.
OMG, absolutely brilliant,this is perfect strategy, supporting local garages as well. What a win win.
I don't think it's likely, but it would be interesting to see if car companies went this route and offered conversion kits for their own vehicles. They wouldn't need to develop the adaptor parts per model, as the car company would know all that and could size things perfectly. They could also more easily certify the safety too.
Would love to do an EV conversion on a normal car
When parts prices come down more, I want to convert my Ford Ranger.
Normal!
@@rp9674 sorry, poor wording. I mean a regular every day car. Not an old classic or a super expensive sports car.
@@HB-zs5pp I wasn't correcting, just thought it was funny!
Same, would be fun to keep my 17 year old Saab on the road this way.
I'd like to see a "holiday" battery pack where u can sling a few extra kW in the boot for long journeys... I wonder if that would ever be a thing... or battery swapping with one of their vehicles, that would work... just a thought...
Maybe a better option would be to rent an EV if it's just for 2 - 3 trips away?
No need to swap out the battery … what about a small trailer with another battery incorporated? Then you can just plug in the “extra range”....after your holiday you return the trailer to the hire company!!!
With your original boot space now full of the battery you got when you 'converted' you will need a bit of space for holiday luggage ….
@@hugothompson3709 yeah, something with a bigger battery.
@@lionelspencer-ward3527 brilliant idea! If the weight of the battery would effect the car, stick it in a trailer and add bikes/tent etc :-)
@@lionelspencer-ward3527 that was I thing, I am sure I read about battery trailers in Europe last year
I have a Korean made car, the Kia Soul, with a manual transmission. I love my car and would love to be able convert it to electric. I mainly a “around town” driver, so I don’t even need a large range.
I love this idea! I wish they would focus also on Smart cars because they have a pretty unique way of mounting engines, it's literally 4 screws to take out the engine with the rear axle.
Yes I'm tempted. Although my current Zoe cost £4k a year ago and although it has a leased battery, RCI want £1,800 for the battery.
I'm hoping someone will do something similar for the Traffic/Vivaro. They don't rust, are supremely practical as a van or crew cab (similar road space to an average estate) and we need more second hand electric vans out there. I'd prefer loosing the original gearbox, as having just the reduction gear would be more efficient, lighter and take less space up. I realise that would require replacement driveshafts too but I think the end result would be worth it. Can't knock what they are trying to do though.
losing not loosing
@@gothakane so sorry, I hope my error didn’t ruin your day, jeez
This is a very brilliant idea. I really hope there's something like this in my country, Malaysia. Instead of selling full EV, we can use what we have and convert it into an EV. This can be a lot cheaper + cheap cars like Kancil and Axia should support it. I really hope we have something like this.
Love this! Had definitely been frustrated by all the luxury cars fully charged has done videos on recently. This is much more about actual sustainability!
The first genuine “Fit for purpose” EV, this is absolutely amazing 🤩
this is really something we need. recently i was thinking about the absurdly high range of electric cars, the problem is that you will drive the extra weight around town even if you only need 100km/day. this conversion seems to me to be the right step into the future.
This company vanished as quick as it appeared.
What a shame
@@AhooooooooIt's a great story, but not a good product. If the company disappears, can you fix it? The range is too short. Most people in cities don't own a garage. If you do, you can conveniently charge every day, but of course, you are cycling the pack more frequently than a big pack, probably doesn't support DCFC. Is it thermally managed? What the real solution is going to be, is used EVs, except for special cars like old Ferrari's, but they are expensive conversions. From a practical standpoint, the better the range of the average EV in a city, the fewer chargers are needed. Don't get me wrong, I want to see gobs of chargers, but ultimately, you want opportunistic charging, where you get lucky and find a spot with a charger often enough that you seldom need to put extra effort into getting charged.
That's a shame!
@@c4715 Electrifying old cars is mostly a bad idea. Making EVs with tiny batteries is a bad idea. EVs that get old will be much better and more valuable than electrified old EVs, unless you spend enough to buy a new EV to electrify something special, like an old Ferrari. If you have a tiny battery, you need a lot of chargers, need to be charging all the time, battery degredation will be faster, long trips impractical, and cold weather could lower your range very easily to where you get stressed out. A new city EV in Europe should be targeting 150-200 miles. Everything else, more. 300 is good.
@@fjalics making evs with small-small medium sized batteries is a great idea.
While keeping its original or, more efficient engine is a greater idea.
Using the electric part to reduce inefficiency of the engines is a fantastic idea.
Letting people even entertain the idea.. to use an additive motor kit, retrofit to their owned car, or options for retrofitting motors onto other cheap cars at low cost such that the greed for fuel efficiency makes the customer even consider using a hybrid or converting into one is a mind blowing idea.
Finally small ev’s and i already own the chassis, amazing!
awesome work going on! it’s a great alternative to buying a new EV like a Tesla which can be almost as expensive as a house with no government rebates. look forward to hearing more about this project :)
Sounds like a great idea! The cost of conversion may further be brought down if the existing ICE components are salvaged. With all the precious metals available in ICE after-treatment catalysts and the sheer amount of metal, it may really work out to be quite cheap.
I hope they do a DIY version 😊
they will not.
@@vladnickulyou already can do it yourself. Many are. Google conversion kits.
crappy conversion kits. :) 10K for a motor 15k or batteries and invertors
one is better of pilleging a crashed EV, or custom made all of it. @@bmc9504
For EV conversions to really take off people need some standard mounts for motors battery packs that are indeed modular (one that can fit in a hole under the seats maybe) and so on.
thing that will make people want to buy them and have a viable car after it,
In europe even fitting better aftermarket "bolt on" brakes if you want to do it legally will take a lot of time and money.
yeah OK , I GET IT , so does the vehicles still utilize a " clutch for the manual trans. ? Does the transition work for " auto trans " any easier ?
Love this! As much as I appreciate the conversions for classics, it's always rubbed me the wrong way that these precious batteries and electric motors are being put in rich people's toys. I would much rather they go into practical daily drivers that people can use. Would kill for a Mk4 Golf or an 03-04 Pontiac Vibe.
Mk4? Surely not? (Sincerely, former Mk5 owner)
@@JackScarlett1 Well, in fairness, this is based purely on my preference for the aesthetics of the exterior design. I've never driven either of them, sadly. The MK5 may well be the superior car for driving. When the MK5 first launched I actually really disliked it. Way too rounded for my tastes. But the design has grown on me a lot over the years - and the GTI trim looks waaay better on the MK5 than on the MK4.
I daily drive a Morris Minor. It’s a classic and hardly a rich person’s toy (I paid 2k for it 3 years ago). I would love a kit like this. I have looked at getting it converted to electric in the past but as you point out most of the companies that offer conversions services want 20k+ to convert. A “cheap” conversion like this would be awesome for my Morris minor, especially as unleaded fuel being E5 or E10 only now (older cars don’t really like the ethanol stuff).
@@arghjayem sure, there are some "classics" that wouldn't be considered rich persons toys - especially in milder climates. I'm in Ontario Canada, and the road salt plays havoc with cars and so most classics are ones that have been babied by people why can afford a second car for the winter months.
@@adamlytle2615 The Mk4 was the low point for the GTI by most people's standards. Everything on them liked to break. I'd love to convert my Mk2 though.
I mean, this is great. I hope they develop their company to the point of where you can actually choose your desired power level and battery size.
You could simply buy some dirt cheap car and turn it into an EV also for cheap. Imagine buying a 500 Eur car and spending only 5k Eur into converting it into an EV. That sounds really good. There are so many Peugeots 406 for sale and you can even get them with modern features like light and rain sensors in that price range.
This is the solution that everyone has been waiting for; excellent! As is your pronunciation of the word _kilometre;_ well done, good sir.
What a brilliant early video about a truly innovative and forward-thinking 'environmental change' company.
No doubt countries around the world will have to recalibrate their legislation accordingly, to take account of what were once ICE cars now being BEVs, but that should absolutely not be allowed to stop this vital transition from fossil fuel to clean motability.
Just excellent content, Jack - thank you for bringing it in to our awareness. 😎
For ten years I've had a smart roadster sitting in a shipping container, waiting for a conversion kit. Please, please, please: Make a universal/modular conversion kit!
It's gonna be worth the wait!!
Ooohhh… I had a Smart Roadster Brabus for years and WISH I had had the foresight to do what you had done. Best fun on four wheels.
This is a great idea. It's not going to be for everyone but it broadens the possibilities and includes way more people in the ability to have an EV than ever before and at a much more affordable price point
Woulds be interested to see if it works with an automatic gear box? Also good for rugged country cars. Great for local garages to use the kit supplied.
You don't need any tranny at all, so it's odd to see that they've kept it in. It would save hundreds of pounds.
Amazing!! I love this concept so much. I hope someday they'll be available in North America.
Dont worry great ideas travel fast and I am pretty sure that engineers all over the world are thinking about if not working on this very thing
Something that might be good is if they made their drivetrain fit very common engine mounts which leverage existing aftermarket accessories. For instance, there is probably an LS conversion kit for just about anything, and this company wouldn't need to design their own mounts and adapter plates.
You got professionals converting old vw camper in California already
Do you get to keep the A/C and heater? Sounds good at first but there was not a lot of details in this video about the actual conversion.
Right now for runabouts, this is perfect - and in a few years when solid state batteries give even more range for the same weight, it will rival current EV range in a conversion vehicle. I love it.
I wonder if I can get an electric 2CV shipped over from France!
There's a company in Devon which converts 2cvs now.
Go for a Dyane. It's a far better car!
Wow! This is a fantastic idea. I must check this out, I have a 2009 BMW 7 Series 330d that will break my heart to eventually sell on but how wonderful would it be to convert that to an EV 😄.
Awesome! The real sustainable solution I've been waiting for this since conversion kits for e-bikes were introduced.
I would love to create a U.K company that starts to convert cars in the U.K using these kits
I’ve seen a uk company that converted a old Beetle into electric so it’s already here
@@sko1beer yes but the conversion is more expensive than a brand new Nissan leaf
@@sko1beer
But Veeeery expensive?
What the world is waiting for. There is so much energy and finite resources locked up in existing car chassis, panels and interior fittings that it seems silly to throw all that away in our quest to go green. Small cars to use locally - perfect application. Hope to see this in the UK soon 🙂
FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! When are they coming to England??????
Are you going to show it at the Fully Charged Live show????
Such a refreshing outlook. I don’t want an old car that was designed for 50hp to have an EV 40k conversion and 300bhp output. I want it to still have around 50bhp and spend 5k to 10k.
Now we need someone in the UK who does that……
Send your car to them
@@theairstig9164 They are only making the kits for your local garage to do the swop over, as said towards the end of the video, a 4 hour job at your local approved garage
As a mechanical engineer, I thought this was a great idea years ago and have promised my friends from around the world that I would some day convert my 2003 Porsche 996 Turbo to electric. I still think this is a great idea and may start a business offering this service in the USA.
Where are you from Clint?
Do you get to keep the engine, transmission and any other parts that they remove? Or is that given up as part of the trade cost? (Because then it wounfkt be a cost of 5,000 it would be 5,000 + whatever you could have gotten for selling your parts)
Sounds like my sort of thing, I'd be more than happy to set up shop here and convert cars.
Finally!!!!!!! Something for the masses.
And once energy density get better, we can always upgrade the batteries/battery pack for more range.
"we can always upgrade the batteries/battery pack for more range" great idea
I'm glad someone is something the conversation process. It's been around in diy format for decades now. Forums as old as 2004 and older just for this stuff. Good to see it.
Does this include HVAC? Does the battery pack and drive unit have active cooling?
I think the cost is not too horrible compared to brand new EVs, and would extend the life of 10/15/20/25 year old cars, which is going to negate one of the pro global warning pearl clutchers' arguments.
Totally agree. I assume, given the low cost, there will be no active temperature management for the battery but not really needed. Does it even get rapid charging? I don't think they said. Possibly just ac.
Pearl clutcher... Nice name for people who give a shit.
@@theobserver9131 not really. Just bringing up flawed arguments without merit that are easily disproven. But don’t worry.
I would love to be trained to make these conversions here in the USA!
I would also love to be trained to teach garages in the UK
I would like to install one of these kits in one of my cars here in the United States. I would like to learn the installation process and offer the service. How to I contact this company and connect to offer his product here in the US?
This made me happy. Your enthusiasm is enthralling! Finally something that makes sense for the environment, as opposed to what the Tesla bros or SUV producers are trying to sell us. I'm really rooting for this company!
Also hoping that car manufacturers understand that we need smaller, lighter electric cars, Renault, Toyota, or Gogoro in the roller bracket, seem on the right path. The Mercedes EQXX would be exactly the right direction too, but probably rather on the luxurious end.