Classic VW Beetle With EV Heart
Petrol powered cars have dominated roads all over the world because of their reliable technology and abundance as well as relative affordability of fuel all over the world. But as climate change begins to wreak havoc on our planet and fossil fuels become increasingly expensive to “harvest”, EVs are emerging as a sensible alternative to them.
How Do We Move Forward?
That said, what if you don’t want to let go of the past but want to embrace the future? That’s where companies like Zelectric come in. Based in the US, they specialize in turning vintage VWs and Porsches into EVs.
They understand the advantages of electric vehicles but also believe in the need to preserve the past. That is why they retrofit electric motors, EV circuitry and battery packs into classic cars.
The beauty in their work is that they leave the original bodywork and frame “undisturbed”. This involves creatively fitting modern EV components into areas where the original parts once were. It’s a tricky process that requires many hours to accomplish.
What Are They?
An example of this is a classic, black Volkswagen Beetle that has had its petrol powertrain removed and replaced with all new, electric internals. The goal here is to preserve the original aesthetics of the car but breathe new life into its mode of propulsion.
A Zelectric Beetle can deliver 100km or more (depending on battery size) of range on a single charge. The reason for the small amount of “juice” is due to the limited storage space available to install the necessary batteries. This is in addition to the company’s refusal to cut open bodywork to accommodate a much larger pack.
Though the range isn’t groundbreaking, it should be enough for sensible city driving or planned trips on highways. When it comes time to top up the battery, you could choose to charge a Zelectric vehicle at home with the included charging cord or plug the car in at any public charger in the EV network.
This kind of conversion work falls into the category known as “restmods”. It’s an abbreviation for the words restoration and modification, which entails bringing a vehicle back to life by incorporating more modern technology.
How Much?
That said, Zelectric’s work isn’t cheap. Instead, you’ll need to fork out a minimum of $78,000 (USD) to have a classic Beetle, Karmann Ghia or Porsche converted into an EV. You can supply them with the donor vehicle or have the company source one. The latter should increase the overall conversation costs even further.
That said, we are thankful for such companies, because they provide a lifeline to classic cars. EV resto-modification work will allow owners to keep driving their cherished vehicles even after the oil wells have run dry and petrol becomes prohibitively expensive to produce.
