EV conversions from Zero Labs featuring Ford Bronco and Land Rover Series III trucks

Electric Vehicle: Electrifying the future

Electric Vehicle conversion projects

If you think the electrification wave is limited to mainstream automakers, wait until lawmakers run out of new internal combustion engines to tax. We’re not saying gasoline-burning classic cars will be banished to hell, but there is no guarantee they won’t gradually become tougher and tougher to own and operate. As such, converting a classic car to battery electric power is already a real thing, whether inspired by prescience or mechanical frustration. Interested in breathing “modern” life into your baby? Here is a broad selection of the companies in the EV-conversion biz to future-proof your pride and joy.

Chevrolet’s motor crate kits will likely be available approximately halfway through 2021. They contain the motor from the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which is a popular all-electric vehicle. The Bolt EV produces about 200 HP with its electric motor system, which will be the same amount of power you can expect to get from a conversion kit.

If you’re wondering what the conversion kit includes, there are many features. Along with the electric motor, you will also get a 400-volt battery pack. Some additional accessories are included to configure the electric motor, including a wiring harness and production motors. You may need to purchase some additional features to further accessorize the system, including an electric pump, an electric steering kit, and an electronic controller that provides real-time feedback about the vehicle’s battery power left after a charge. You may also need to update the braking system to be compatible with the new electric motor. Other components that you may need to get include a power inverter, motor control, and battery management and cooling system.

EV designer Zero Labs has shared demonstration footage of its proprietary EV platform designed specifically for classic cars being implemented on a 50-year-old truck. In a process it’s cleverly calling “retribution,” the company electrifies the truck in just 24 hours. The video offers evidence that classic gasoline or diesel vehicles from previous decades can successfully be converted to fully electric versions to help reduce emissions.

Zero Labs is a Southern California-based EV design, technology, and engineering firm taking a unique and resourceful approach to electric vehicles. Founded in 2015, the company has set out to adapt existing classics toward zero emissions, rather than develop and manufacture new EVs. This quest is especially timely, as many countries look to ban traditional ICE classics this decade.

EV conversion one-stop-shop EV West has announced a new Tesla crate motor kit designed to convert V8 muscle cars to EVs. The drop-in package consists of a complete Tesla drive unit, including inverter and mounting brackets. “Our new Revolt Tesla crate motor mounts to your small block motor mounts and attaches directly to your driveshaft, allowing you to use your existing rear axle,” says EV West. Tesla electric motors are already popular with the conversion crowd. EV West’s new product should make the process of mounting the motor much simpler.

Be that as it may, the conversion market thrives (as does the market for customized, modified, and tuned ICE vehicles). EV West says it has a huge backlog for converting customer cars. Name any vehicle you like, from the humblest to the most prestigious, and there’s probably an electrified version of it on the road somewhere. The EV Photo Album offers technical details of over four thousand conversions, from lawnmowers to Lamborghinis.

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