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Electric VW Beetle, Porsche 911 & More: Giving Classic Cars An Electric Touch

Classic car collectors and enthusiasts are the most dedicated car people. They have an innate passion for all the vehicles they see and their eyes sparkle when they see an extremely rare classic car. Classic cars are worth all the craze except pollution. So many startups and companies have sprung up to electrify these vehicles.

Basically, these companies take out the internal combustion engines and replace them with an electric drivetrain. This drivetrain consists of an Electric motor, power converter, and a battery pack which is the necessary components of any electric vehicle. In addition to these parts, there is more auxiliary equipment.

Electric Classic Car Conversion

Electric Classic Car Conversion

Electric classic cars UK is one such company that converts classics into battery electric vehicles. They achieve this without the classics losing any of their charms. This company converts cars which manufactured from 1950s to 1980s. All the conversions they make are custom as per customer requirements.

VW Beetle Electric Conversion

They have converted VW Beetle. The engineers installed a 71HP motor with 120 ft-lbs of torque. The car has a battery capacity of 21 KWh and has a range of 100 miles. The upgrades also include a brake and suspension upgrade. Designers have added a digital display near the odometer of the vehicle which indicates battery range and other electric parameters of the car. This VW Beetle is from 1962. The company has installed a battery pack under the front hood o the vehicle.

This was the location of the internal combustion engine. The rear trunk of the car is retrofitted with an electric motor. This motor provides the power required by the vehicle. In addition to this, the company has also restored the paintwork and the interior of the car. Due to this, the car looks like it just rolled off the manufacturing line.

Porsche 911 Electric Conversion

Some of their higher-end conversions are the Porsche 911 Targa. This car has a 54 kWh battery pack. The range of this vehicle is more than 200 miles on a single charge. The company has provided the Porsche with a 130hp, 213 ft-lbs of torque motor. The range heavily depends on the driving conditions and the driver.

This car has a twin motor set up. Due to dual motors, the car has greater acceleration. In addition to this, more battery is used to drive the car. One motor is located on the front axle and another is located on the back axle. Basically, the company has converted the Porsche 911 Targa into the four-wheel-drive car. The options for the car include heater, satellite navigation, power steering, LED lights, brake and suspension upgrades.

Electric Range Rover

Electric classic cars UK also converted a 1970’s Range Rover into an electric SUV. This vehicle has a battery capacity of 80KWh. The range on this vehicle is 175-200 miles depending upon the driving conditions. Similar to the Porsche 911, the range rover has a 130HP, 213 ft-lbs torque dual motor set up. There are upgrades available such as heater, power steering, LED lights, vacuum assisted brake system, and hill descent mode. Due to the huge storage space in the range, the car was able to get more batteries. This effectively increased its battery capacity.

Classic Electric BMWs & Mercedes

The company has converted many more cars such as the famous DeLorean which was featured in all the Back to the Future movies. Several classic BMW and Mercedes cars are now battery electric vehicles. The founding members of this company restored classic cars since they were teenagers. Before establishing the company the founders worked in the energy efficiency and control industry for more than 20 years.

This is not the only company that converts classic cars into battery electric vehicles. Companies such as Lunaz, also based in the UK convert and restore old classics into EVs. Founded in 2018, in Silverstone, England, Lunaz specializes in electric engine conversions of high-end classic cars, from a six-seat Rolls-Royce Phantom to James Bond’s favorite, the Aston Martin DB5.

Why Converting Classic Cars to Electric is Important?

EVs are less polluting and cheaper to refuel than petrol or diesel cars. But according to 2018 analysis from UK non-profit Zemo, while a new EV will produce overall lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than a petrol car over its lifetime, manufacturing can account for anywhere between 20% to 95% of the emissions associated with an electric vehicle (depending on the source of electricity). A 2021 report from the non-profit International Council of Clean Transportation says that overall EV manufacturing in Europe for a medium-sized car creates two metric tons more in CO2 equivalent than manufacturing a conventional car.

Converting an existing vehicle bypasses manufacturing, and upcycling old cars is a more efficient use of resources, says Dattero-Snell. “Not having to extract new raw materials in the production of a mostly new, functional vehicle is a huge win,” he adds.

Converting ICE vehicles into electric vehicles is a cleaner option than building new electric vehicles. Various companies are now offering to convert regular petrol vehicles into electric vehicles as well. This will surely reduce the need for more raw materials and prevent wastage.

Such companies are also necessary to preserve cars of the past which are the foundation of the automobile industry. These cars shouldn’t be forgotten and remembered for all eternity. These companies are attracting customers who love their existing vehicles but need to make them cleaner. Electric mobility solutions are on the rise and this is just one of its examples.

Raajas Joshi
Raajas Joshi
An electrical engineer passionate about electric vehicles and sustainable technologies.

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