Quote:
Originally Posted by SpongeG
I can't find a related story but it was mentioned on the radio I was listening to that if you are in the market for an EV perhaps you would be better off converting your ICE vehicle as it is a cheap option rather than buying an EV and than it trailed off into how are we going to meet the demands that 90% off vehicles sold by 2030 must be electric and how will the grid handle it etc.
Has anyone looked into converting an ICE car into an EV?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Changing City
You can do it (or much more likely, you can pay someone to do it) but it's probably cheaper to buy a new EV. There are companies that will do it all over Europe, and north America, Here's your local converter: " Riise EV specializes in converting sports cars and classic cars, usually at a cost of about $50,000 to $100,000." |
I've seen it done for old vehicles, like pre-1970s, from the age where vehicles were simply built and contained no electronics and automation. Then it's more or less a matter of removing all the ICE related stuff (engine, exhaust, fuel system, etc) and installing EV stuff (electric motor, battery packs, electronics, wiring, hardware/software to make it work, etc). Even in this case it's not a simple job that the average DYI person could do in their driveway. And in the end, the result won't work as well as a new state-of-the-art EV. Plus, you're still left driving a 50+ year old car without modern safety systems or crashworthiness.
If it's been done to a newer (say, post 2000) vehicle, I'm not aware. Today's newer vehicles are very electronics-laden, and the drivetrain is very much integral to the functioning of most other systems, so I would suspect it might be a bit of a bear to pull that one off, and make it work as it should. Additionally, the layout isn't optimized for an EV, so massive battery packs will have to be put in the trunk or some other location, which would compromize luggage capacity, interior space, or wherever you try to fit in the packs (fuel tank location?). On top of that, you have a mickey-moused EV that may or may not work well, may or may not be reliable, and may require roadside expertise when it just quits and you can't quite figure out why (or a CAA membership, perhaps...). And none of that deals with the fact that your climate control system, which works using heat from engine coolant and an A/C compressor driven off of the ICE, and the complex electronics that operate these systems in modern vehicles. Additionally, you are likely also dealing with all the old car stuff, like rust, worn and degraded parts, etc., which adds additional work to the project.
In the end, IMHO, really not worth the heartache, unless you're an enthusiast who likes to do this sort of thing for fun. Then it's a whole other thing. I'm still not seeing the cost advantage either way.
IMHO, if you really want an EV, there are some good choices out there, so you are better off buying a new one, or if the stories I'm hearing that the prices of used ones will come down are true, find a nice gently-used example. That said, they are still evolving, so unless you need one right now, it might be an idea to wait a few years to see how new technologies and OEM experience improves the herd.
There's a lot happening in the EV world now, including some exciting (to me) new production coming to Canada. I don't drive as much these days, but when I am finally in the market for a new EV, I will choose to buy one that's built in Canada.
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