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Classic Mini Turned Into EV With Bolt On Parts

By Timothy Teoh August 24, 2024

Retrofitting a classic car with EV internals isn’t a new idea. In fact, it has been around for several decades. However, the results haven’t been that practical due to several factors including battery technology that hadn’t matured yet.

Today, better electronics have been developed that allow us to breathe life into old cars. Such is the case with what Fellten has done with the classic Mini. The company prides itself on developing voltage systems for everything from battery packs to full system integrations.

They managed to create a battery system, wiring harness and a neatly packaged frontend that houses the electric motor, cooling system, inverter, and single speed gearbox. They are all bolted to the newly made subframe that Fellten purposefully built for the Mini.

Thanks to this ready-made block-like building method, a regular Mini can be repurposed into a full-fledged EV in just a single day. And despite the extensive work that goes into the conversion, most of the parts bolt onto the car using existing mounting points. There’s no need for extra drilling or investing time in fabrication work.

This way you get to enjoy the appeal of a compact EV without destroying the look and feel of a piece of automotive royalty. The Mini is rated as the second most influential car of the last century, displacing other well-known cars like the ever-popular Volkswagen Beetle. The Ford Model T holds the top spot, and for good reason.

Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Corporation (BMC), the Mini changed how we looked at small cars. Despite its size, the ingenious design made it a spacious vehicle. That’s because the engine was transversely mounted, and coupled with its front wheel drive system, allowed for a flatter floor pan in the cabin, which helped increase overall space.

It was built from 1959 to the year 2000, spawning various body shapes from a saloon, convertible, estate, vans, and others. Engine choices spanned a modest 850cc unit to a 1.3-litre unit. As you can tell, the Mini was created out of necessity.

Due to the Suez crisis in the 1950s, there was a shortage of fuel. As such, people started ditching larger fuel guzzling cars for smaller more efficient ones. The Mini was BMC’s version of an affordable runabout vehicle that was easy to live with.

It revolutionized how small cars were built, and its layout paved the way for future compact cars to develop and improve upon the formula. The Mini is loved by many from royalty, musicians to the average Joe. It transcended social classes and allowed people to appreciate its cute yet practical design.

Despite its small engine capacity, the Mini was a spritely little car, allowing it to dart about narrow town roads with relative ease. What Fellton has done, makes the Mini greener than the original yet, adds a whole lot of power, making it insanely fun to drive. Look at the video below and let us know what you think about it.

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    The Motor Isn’t the Only Power-Hungry Component In An EV

    By Timothy Teoh August 19, 2024

    Power consumption is a major concern for most people. It determines how far they can travel on a single tank of fuel or a full charge. In the case of electric vehicles, the motor draws the most power as it works to get the car moving or keep it at the required speed. 

    Driving behaviour makes a significant difference in overall vehicle range. Being frugal with the use of the accelerator pedal and coasting, when possible, can-do wonders for maintaining good power consumption. That said, it isn’t the only offending article when it comes to power drain.

    There’s A Price To Pay For Cooling

    The use of the air-conditioning unit and other vehicle accessories play a significant role in drawing power away from the battery pack. This in turn reduces the overall range that is available to said EV. An AC unit can take between 2kW-5kW of power to get the cabin temperature to a comfortable level. However, keeping it at said level requires far less electricity.

    This is because the AC unit needs to work extremely hard to bring down the temperature to the desired level. Having a decent amount of tint on your windows can help insulate the cabin and prevent the temperature from rising to an uncomfortable level.

    What You Can Do To Help Your AC System

    In addition to this, you could pre-cool your EV while it’s still plugged into your wall outlet. That way, the AC unit uses an external power source to cool down the cabin instead of relying on the battery pack. Once you leave on your journey, it will require little power to keep the temperature constant.

    Cooling Or Heating Of Battery Pack

    EV battery packs have their own cooling/heating system, like that used by traditional vehicles for their engines. The ethylene glycol (WEG) mixture is often used as a liquid based solution to keep temperatures in check. That’s because Lithium-ion batteries have a narrow temperature window with which they work at optimum levels(15-35 degrees Celsius).

    This is why they can deliver electricity at a constant rate and be effectively recharged when the time comes to plug into the charger. Also, the harder an EV is driven, the hotter the battery becomes. Hence the reason for a cooling system, which also robs power from the battery. Depending on the outside temperature, it might range from several hundred watts to several kilowatts of power.

    As you can see, though an EV’s motor takes up the most power, there are other power-hungry components that “chime in” to ruin your overall driving range. However, by driving sensibly as well as tempering the use of the heating/AC unit, you should be able to get closer to the WLTP range stated in the brochure.