From converting your gas guzzler to an electric stunner to exploring the inner workings of Ken Block’s insane Hoonitron, we’ve got everything you need to know to get your EV journey rolling – and then some!
If you’re feeling stuck in the past, we’ll take you back to the present as we electrify classic vehicles with the best in-person training in the biz at Legacy EV.
Plus, get ready to go green with a vengeance as we unveil our top five builds from SEMA 2022, where the wildest EVs were on display.
We also look at the global electrification movement with stunning international feature stories as well as some awesome reader’s rides!
Terry Orr is a Canadian car builder who is passionate about hot rodding and EV conversions. Orr has taught himself how to do two electric vehicle conversions so far, a Ford Ranger and a Volkswagen Super Beetle, at his home in Calgary, Alberta.
He says, “it’s all about electric now. You’re trying to make your own cool, unique car, and make it better and faster than it was. That’s the essence of hot rodding.”
Orr started fixing up cars in high school in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After a couple of decades of hiatus, he returned to his native Calgary and started building cars again. However, it was EVs that soon caught his imagination. He bought a Nissan Leaf and discovered it was an excellent car with a good drivetrain. At the time, the whole EV conversion scene was taking off, and he needed a truck, so he was attracted to the compact, 1984 Ford Ranger, which he converted himself.
The Ranger now runs Tesla Model S battery modules and is at version 3.0 of development. Orr spent hundreds of hours online figuring out the details for each of his conversions. For the Ranger’s custom engine bay, he says, “I probably sketched it out 20 times. I started by approximating the whole engineering puzzle with pieces of wood as I figured out where everything would go.”
Orr credits his hot rod apprenticeship with helping to solve the many engineering challenges of an EV conversion. “I think it’s immensely important because it provides you with the understanding of how the car works,” he says.
For Orr, EV conversions are about creativity and challenge. He says, “It’s new, challenging and hasn’t gotten standardized yet. When people are doing EV conversions, everyone does it a little bit differently.”
Toyota To Convert Classics and older cars Into EVs
Akio Toyoda, head of Toyota, wants his company and all companies to fight global emissions. So his plan is for Toyota to convert gas-powered cars into electric or hydrogen power. First, hundreds of millions of ICE vehicles will be burning up fuel on roads for decades to come. And, it took a chunk of parts and labor to make them in the first place, so why let that go to waste? Would EV conversions of old cars really make sense?
“If only new cars are electrified, we aren’t going to be able to achieve carbon neutrality,” Toyoda said last week. “We also have to consider vehicle units in operation.” So the only way to see a big reduction in carbon emissions is to turn these old tanks into clean emitters with electric or hydrogen conversions.
For most countries, the electric alternative makes the most sense. Infrastructure definitely favors it over hydrogen. And it hasn’t been shown that hydrogen is really a good alternative, given the amount of processing, storage complexities, and extreme lack of hydrogen stations necessary for drivers to access.
To prove his point, Toyota unveiled two examples based on its wedgie AE86 hot hatches of the 1970s. One features an electric conversion, while the other opts for hydrogen. Toyoda says he knows developing his conversion concept is complicated. “There’s a competition to announce BEVs as quickly as possible now because of regulation,” Toyoda said. But he thinks, and the industry seems to be showing, that car buyers want to make a choice of several alternatives. And he says that Toyota’s targets are different of other automakers.
“They don’t have hybrids, they don’t have a global market, they’re not full lineup,” he said. “It’s a different competition and not the same players.” And right now, he only sees most shifting to develop new BEV models. “But the reality is that we cannot achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 simply by shifting all new-car sales to EVs. It is important to provide options for cars that are already owned.”
Automotive News found similar comparisons from CEO Takeshi Uchiyamada last year. At the time, Toyota was criticized for not embracing the electric wave more quickly. “In reality, there are many more cars on the street than new cars sold yearly,” Uchiyamada said. “We must make all cars carbon neutral, including those already on the streets.”
Source: www.motorbiscuit.com
Driving this e-Mini brings a Maxi grin on your face – and you can buy it! [VIDEO]
Our friends at TFLEV got the chance to test the ‘The Coolest Classic Mini‘ at the Goodwood Revival recently and just dropped this cool video(See bottom of page)
Their video gives excellent insight into what it takes to convert an EV. Still, more importantly, it shows OEMs are now very open to the idea of retrofitting classic cars.
French manufacturer Renault has unveiled their R5 Turbo 3E, hoping to bring a modern electric drivetrain and aggressive modern styling to an old 80’s platform.
The R5 Turbo was Renault’s hot hatch. It not only competed with the likes of the Volkswagen GTI, Mini Cooper, and Fiat/Abarth products of its time, but it defined French performance hatchbacks.
While the brand previously abandoned the vehicle and its tamer Renault 5 sibling, they are now looking to reintroduce it as an electric vehicle, one that they hope will be their “flagship model of the brand” and “[electrify] its history to better prepare its all-electric future in Europe by 2030.”
The concept vehicle has the chops to accompany its bold design. A dual motor system propels the vehicle’s rear wheels and is powered by a 42kWh battery, also placed in the rear between the motors.
The motors make a cumulative 380 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, allowing the small hatchback to rocket from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 125mph.
Besides these amazing specifications, the hatch defines itself with its countless camera mounts and aggressive aerodynamics. As if you hadn’t already noticed, the car’s rear is dominated by an enormous rear wing, complemented by side-mounted rear air ducts and an enormous rear diffuser.
Up front is a similar story. A large front splitter and a trio of front air ducts mean that the car has the aerodynamics of a block of swiss cheese. But this car is more than the sum of its parts.
It is an indication of the future of Renault. The brand is aggressive with its 2030 complete electrification goal, and this strangely aggressive performance hatch shows they are serious about moving forward. Count me as excited for the upcoming Renault 5 production version.
London only allows gas-burning vehicles into the center of the city if they pay a daily charge (up to $35 a day!), which if you have to travel through the city every day does add up becoming quite expensive.
And if you want to keep driving an older car, that just isn’t feasible for daily use, which is why drivers are choosing EVs, even those who want to drive classic cars.
Classics can, of course, be converted to full EVs these days, and some people are willing to pay quite a lot to have their classic cake and eat it without producing tailpipe emissions.
The London resident featured in this The Late Brake Showvideo initially looked at vehicles like a Nissan Leaf for his daily commute needs, but he ultimately chose the hard (and expensive) way to find a classic car and have it converted into an EV.
He initially looked at an Audi 100 coupe, but those proved to be too rare and expensive to make the conversion possible, so he settled on something much more common and easy to service – a 1975 BMW 1602, following Electric Classic Cars recommendations which was restored and given the 2002 look and in place of its 1.6-litre four-cylinder, it now has a 120 horsepower electric motor hooked up to the standard four-speed gearbox.
This isn’t one of those overly powerful EVs that have the ability to turn their rear tires into dust if you prod the go pedal too much – the owner wanted something with similar power to the original, although this is still pretty quick, with a zero to sixty time of around 7.5 seconds, more than adequate for negotiating London traffic.
The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept teases the production of electric muscle car coming in 2024 amid promises it will beat all the performance metrics Dodge has laid down to date.
Sounds Like a Hellcat?
Yes, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT is powered by batteries and electric motors, but air still swooshes through chambers and pipes for a rumble very similar to the roar of a Hemi Hellcat V-8 in today’s Dodge Chargers and Challengers. This sports the industry’s first exhaust system for an electric vehicle, producing a similar 126-decibel sound as the one coming from today’s Hellcat engine.
Dodge calls it “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust.” When the Daytona converts electricity to power, air flows through the exhaust system and the sound produced through an amplifier and tuning chamber at the vehicle’s rear. You can see and feel the pressure from the exhaust coming out the back!
The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is designed to impress and appease its loyal customer base, many of whom are fundamentally opposed to EVs and all they stand for.
So, Dodge created an e-muscle car that looks mean and roars as loud as the Hellcats with supercharged Hemi V-8s that it will replace. “We believe we need the sound and experience,” says Kuniskis. That is why the car has a multispeed transmission and an exhaust note, so the driver can feel and hear the crack of the exhaust while shifting.
Dodge Charger Coupe
The concept, in Greys of Thunder dark glossy paint, has a clean design right down to the flush door handles and the absence of a rear spoiler. It is muscle without being a caricature, bold yet subtle. Head of Dodge Exterior Design Scott Krugger says his team started by designing a muscle car, not an EV, with a signature face, swept profile, and turbine-style 21-inch wheels.
It is also pure EV without a melted front for aerodynamics. Instead, true to the Daytona name, it has a nose cone, a patented R-Wing that allows air to pass through the front of the hood and enhance downforce while keeping a blunt Dodge profile that all but hides the headlights. There are carbon fibre intakes on both sides of the front and rear fascias for an air curtain to further improve aerodynamics. The front end is patented, as is the sound, which means these are intended for production.
Dodge is not revealing full specs and details yet, but we do know the high-performance SRT trim will be powered by a new 800-volt Banshee propulsion system. Lower trim models will have a 400-volt system.
The concept has standard all-wheel drive, so we know there are at least two motors, one up front and one in the back. AWD is also key to making the Daytona SRT quicker than the Hellcats that precede it, Dodge executives say. The Daytona Banshee has a multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting. Dubbed eRupt, the transmission does not deliver more power but allows the driver to feel each shift point, Kuniskis says.
The brand chief won’t reveal the number of gears or provide any performance figures yet. What we do know is there will be three power levels available, and customers can go to Direct Connection authorized dealers who will offer six more levels, all covered under factory warranty. All nine power levels were designed in advance, with the hardware in place for additional upgrades at the time of purchase or later.
Dodge promised it would be true to its muscle car roots when it embraced the electric car age, starting in 2024. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, which looks production ready and has patents on its key features, appears to keep that promise.
Source: motortrend and Stellantis
OEM and retrofit specialist launch commercial retrofit vehicles solutions
Renault Group and Phoenix Mobility, a French commercial vehicle retrofit specialist have signed a letter of intent to form a strategic partnership for the development and commercial operation of a retrofit kit, the first of its kind in the French LCV market.
This innovative solution enables a combustion engine commercial vehicle that is more than 5 years old to be converted to electric power.
The first stage of the partnership, in the form of a “Proof of Concept”, consists of a co-development phase to market a first retrofit kit for retrofit specialist vans before the end of 2023.
The objective of this first stage will be to market and install around 1,000 Retrofit kits and to demonstrate to professional customers the benefits of the retrofit approach (electric driving comfort, respect for the environment, economic gains, etc.).
Eventually, this innovative solution will be extended to other models.
Expert 4WDer and Adventurer Mercedes Lilienthal proves, if it was ever needed, that one can not only travel in an EV, but it can be lots of fun too. Plus what the perfect EV-4×4 looks like. Read her full story here: treadmagazine
