I think this is a good idea. I saw this car in the London Motor Show. Replacing the knackered engines in Minis, Fiat 500's and 2CV's will produce very interesting and competent citycars.
@@stephenburnage7687 not worth doing. In fact the best place for some of these old bangers is to use them for limited miles-as will be the case for all of them. There s no easy fix...
I would love an old morris 1100 converted ...it's strange how we can feel so much affection for a car that we had in our youth..I really enjoyed driving that car far more than any other I have driven over the years.
Yep, mine was a 1951 Morris Minor (two door, side valve and black). The same model as shown in the video. It had an absolutely gutless 850cc engine....but I loved it!
Neal Young, singer songwriter, has a number of old cars converted to electric power. He and his wife to be drove in the States, east coast to west coast in a 50's car, with planned recharging points, to prove feasibility. They were successful if memory serves. Mr. Young had a design/fabrication team help him with his dream. Number 27, you are on the right track, impressive.
@@thejupiter2 Conversion of cars is much greener than buying a new electric car though, because for these they use spare parts rather than manufacturing new parts.
6:00 - Stereo?! People only had one ear in the fifties. (How about a valve set with a vibrator PSU) Also needs an external loudspeaker to play that wonderful farty resonance you used to get from the exhaust on overrun. :-)
A nice idea and I can see it's potential, but I wouldn't do it to my '57 Morris Oxford series 4 traveller, I'd rather keep the engine as is and just adjust the carburetor to run on ethanol, be it home brewed or commercial. I feel it would be Keep that little part of mechanical history alive for people to see.but just on a different sustainable fuel... While yes it would still produce co2 it wouldn't cause any problem as other cars became cleaner and more renewable energy used
The elephant in the room for electric cars is that fully a third of UK motorists have no access to off street parking to charge at home and outside London/South East you will likely be miles from any public charging points. Electric cars just are not a practical possibility for lots of us. I hope we are not looked upon as pariahs, there are a lot of us!
I wonder why i only just found this channel, you're really sensible and realistic about things. And seem to be an enjoyable guy to boot ;) I hope you keep going.
Absolutely love it. As a car guy, I really don’t see the nostalgia for stinking, unreliable and under powered old engines when an electric conversion gives these beautiful old machines the power, torque and reliability they never had originally. Not to mention the absolute urgency of solving air pollution and the global climate change crisis! I love old cars but I love my grand children’s future more
I live in the US and had a 1960 Morris Minor. It was a fun car and got so much attention since it was kind of rare. It would be great to have one again and I would go for an electric version. It’s so lightweight that batteries and the motor would probably make it ride better.
I really would like to go electric and I know new technology has to go through development periods but it's so far away from being suitable for my needs. I can do 40 miles in one trip out to run a few errands, £9k of capital outlay doesn't represent a good enough return even at £1 charging costs. I recently travelled in a friend's BMW i3, it was wonderful and quiet, quick too but then she said she wanted to go to the coast and that she was worried as it was near the full extent of the range requiring a charging stop about 20 miles away to ensure arrival. And it's not 'just the same as refuelling' no matter how quick the charger is. At the moment it feels like electric vehicles are limiting rather than liberating but please note I want that to change so I can join the gang.
I have just had a look and the London congestion charge is £11.50 per day.Electric vehicles get a 100% discount.I think that makes it worthwhile, also you can change back to your old engine if you want, and it means people can enjoy their classic cars when they would otherwise be laid up.I think its a win win.
Yes it's the way of the future, may as well start embracing it. I'm all for restoring cars in this manner. Is there a need to develop new ones? IMO no, not if we're concerned about the environment and conserving our resources. Great episode!
Nope. it makes 75,000 miles of pollution making new cars... it's better for th eplanet to just keep your current car forever... or buy an old one and convert it. But then millions of jobs would be lost and nations would lose billions in taxation and GDP from car sales...
Brilliant. I like that idea. However, I drive a 1992 Toyota Tarago. It is not a classic yet, but the perspective of converting it into an electric car, meaning the engine bay would be able to lower for 6 inches or around 20cm. It will certainly bring a huge benefit to create a better driving position (increasing headspace) for any tall driver like myself. It will be most beneficial for the environment as well. Thank you.
Whilst I'm impressed by the engineering, I have to say I disagree that the engine is not the beating heart of a classic. It's very much a major part of the experience of owning and driving a classic car, just as a coal boiler is part of the experience of a steam locomotive. At least the conversions are reversible, I'd hate to think of these cars being subjected to a one-way transformation into what is essentially representative of the technology of the moment.
dungareesareforfools That might be the case in one respect but as old part get harder to find in some models and fuel costs go through the roof I rather put an electric motor in my car and be able to drive my classic than not🤘
For me I think it will take a lot more convincing to ditch a well tuned a-series in my mini, especially with the extremely limited mileage. But it will certainly be a fascinating decade!
Great video Jack, I watched this with an open mind and I think these kind of builds are great with you confirming that some of the characters of the old cars remain and certainly make a viable option for people who wish to take the green route. Electric cars are definitely part of the future and perfect for inner city driving. Being a Petrol head I won’t be tempted out of my combustion engine car which I use for pleasure and have no interest in electric cars for fun though.
I hope it will be possible to get this done in Norway to. I can see that in the short future i will want to convert my Golf mk 1 cab. If i can spend more time behind the wheel and not under the hood i would be very happy. And maybe i can use it way more without being afraid of engine wear.
Fantastic film and fantastic company. I love this car - especially love how gearbox and old controls are retained. This is a complete contrast to the Jaguar Land Rover works conversion of an E-type. That car was very pretty and the work well done - and no cutting. But the Jag had touch-screen controls. It was for people who like the SHAPE of the E-type but prefer operating iphones to operating actual machinery. I love how this retains the that aspect of driving old machines. Maybe not for "Petrol Heads" but certainly for "Nut & Bolt" heads. There have been comments about Sports cars like 911 - I can see that this may not suit those machines best, but I CAN see this being a lot of fun in a raw, simple lightweight open 2-seater. Something like a Frogeye Sprite or early Spitfire would be perfect. Again...wouldn't be a track-car but what a cracking machine for daily whizzing around in the Capital.
Great stuff. Id love to see my 1948 Morris 8 with an electric engine. (Even though Ive just put a new engine in it) Just one question I wanted to ask. How does the electrics handle wet weather conditions.
Matthew seems like a bright chap. I wonder if, two years down the line, technological advances have reduced the cost and improved the range. I would like to have a go at Minor conversion one day.
I don't think the electrification of classic cars will spread so much. The transformation costs are not low and at the same time reduces (almost) to zero the value of the car (in particular for high value cars it’s an economic disaster). Reduces to zero also the passion (who will take his fake-Porsche, transformed into an electric toy, for a ride on the weekend anymore?). Collecting is business, but there can be no business without value. There will be a small number of classics electrified for nostalgia, for not to be scrapped. But the real valuable collectibles will always be only with original cars. If the collection of original cars will decrease in quantity, this will paradoxically lead to an increasing of the value of the remaining classic cars. If you want an electric car, buy it new. Technically it’s much better, it’s much safer and, with the same performance, it costs much less.
Just brilliant ... That has put a smile on my face and made my day. With so many cars on the road that will become obsolete why not convert them to electric .
Wow ! How clever is that guy!! I love engines , the sound of v12's and v8's etc but I love my kids more and it's time for engines to go and for us to start cleaning up the mess we have made of our planet for there future. Hats off to that guy !! Excellent video Jack 🖒
Number27 like I said Jack I love engines but unfortunately they just don't make sense as we run out of oil and pollute the planet! I'm not a eco person per say but it's obvious we all need to change and at the end of the day electronic cars are or can be crazy fast so electronic cars are a win win 🖒😊
Ryan Mccormick completely agree it’s sad but we have to think of the future it’s a pity we have come to this but I think this guy could be on to something very big
Paul Dolden Details, definitely Paul his tech is the future and it needs to be to have a future! I agree it's a shame to give up engines but electronic cars will be better in a lot of ways 🖒😊
Petrol engines, especially those in a small minority of vehicles used for pleasure, are not the problem. Large diesel engines that are used to move the vast majority of cargo are the real problem. Let's not discard our heritage over some false sense of duty.
First ever electric car I've had any interest in! When the time comes when you need to go electric you can always keep the old combustion engine on the shelf!...well done jack great vid.
This is the way of the future for classic cars that are actually used as a daily or very regularly. Glad to see prices for these conversions coming down and people starting building kits for popular cars. Until now it has mostly been all one off custom creations that are very labour intensive and thus either very expensive or only for skilled fabricators. Over time the costs for motors, controllers and batteries have come down a good way already, and as this becomes more popular prices for these should come down further still. Been thinking of doing this to my mark 1 golf for ages. It would be awesome when a complete diy kit could be had for 3,5k or so instead of 7, that would make it a very acceseble option for a lot of people and make it more viable for the less exclusive classics. Putting 9k into a 4k car simply still is not something most people are willing or able to do. Maybe another 5 years and that could be reality with a bit of luck. Good times ahead!
I think its a good idea . The performance and usefulness of the Morris is enhanced , specialy in stop and go traffic . In case of a Ferrari SWB I am not so sure , beqause the V12 is a huge part of the cars charme , and you don't use these in traffic , I hope !!!!!
Just had to find out if your designation of 'Number27' was at all related to "The Prisoner", where Patrick McGoohan was "Number 6". I hope that we see electrification catch on here in the States, although some provision will have be made regarding long distance travel.
@0:22 ... and it isn't to a lot of others, since the the dawn of fuel - the time it is not profitable anymore, is decades, probably half a century, ahead.
i was wondering is it possble to have better power steering in a 2006 Fiesta ST which has Hydrolic Power steering and they suffer badly with boiling the fluid so it ends up pretty heavy
#loveIT - really surprised BMW haven't snapped up the idea of creating a new retro MINOR like the Mini and making it #EV only - would love to see a Citroen Travant EV or DS
40 miles?!?!? All that extra weight and a ~40hp motor, is this really the future? Think of the amazing classic car you can have for £9000. By the time you take account of the limited life of the batteries and the lithium and rare Earth elements, this is NOT even an environmental success. Carrying power in batteries is far more dangerous than petrol. In fact in EVERY way, apart from day to day running costs, the only logical choice is to stay on petrol!
The limited range will radically improve in a short time. There will always be a place for some petrol classics but other like this can actually be improved in many ways with electric. It would be a slow car, stressful to drive in traffic
My old man has a Sunbeam Alpine that I would love to convert to electric. The cost is a bit prohibitive at the moment. I think when there are more used EV batteries around it will be a lot more affordable.
this is excellent ! ... ive been thinking of converting my mini (classic) to electric :) so will keep tabs on progress here... just the main motor, and control units is all i would need :)
The range would be the issue for me. Living in Australia, with our cities very much less dense, 40 miles wouldn't get me from one side of the city to the other. Let alone back again. On another note Hydrogen power seems very promising. You can convert a regular internal combustion engine to run on Hydrogen. Obviously you can't refuel at home, like Electric power, so some infrastructure changes need to happen. But that's already a reality in California.
Will be working on a mini cooper s turbo 2008 wants to do a conversion into electric. Thinking of a package that give 50 to 60 miles and a 100 miles distances what can you suggest for me I am in the United state really want to make this proyect
please make some calculations as to when the reduced running cost will break even considering the initial investment. How long will the Batterie last vs service cost of the engine/ tax etc. Should be rather interesting.
Rather quickly actually if it is a daily driver . The petrol, maintenance and stuff adds up rather quickly on these older cars. Running it like this makes it virtually free, especially if you're cheeky and charge at work lol. For most cars it probably will be around 3 to 5 years, which isn't that bad i think. But most will depend on how much fuel it uses ofcourse. The landrover hes doing will roi a lot faster then the morris obviously. And some classics run years without major engine issues while others spend most time in the shop, kinda depends on luck.
It will need an amplfier and speaker to make the classic Minor v-vroom after first gear... Another point occurs to me when I see this sort of thing is, would it be more efficient to remove the gearbox as well (and all its drag) and have the motor directly drive the back axle? I realise it would need different control electronics and I'm sure you are ahead of me.
Yep you’re right it would be way more efficient but at this point an engineering challenge that would really increase development and conversion costs. Thanks for watching!
Using Tesla Battery Modules, I reckon that you would need 80 to 100kWh of battery capacity to move over 2 tonnes of Silver Shadow and get a reasonable range. I would guess at 20K to 25K to do a real good job. Twin electric motor drive, and the motors could 'cut-in' just when you need acceleration and power. I keep scanning You Tube just to see if anyone enterprising has taken on the project of converting a Silver Shadow. But nobody wants to convert any Automatic Car, and Manual Transmission is the EV vehicle choice. EV conversion would make the car quieter still! I do hope that somebody takes up this challenge.
Tesla model S is about 2 tons so similar to the Royce. Electric Classic Cars are a Tesla battery OEM and have converted heavier vehicles. They generally configure for around 250 mile ranges. www.electricclassiccars.co.uk/ While you are at it, it would probably be about the same cost to convert an SZ series (Bentley 8/Silver Spirit)
How much weight difference is there with all those batteries in the front and the boot an old moggy doesn’t have a great suspension or breaks to begin with.
So awesome... I am feeling mad for this since 1.5year... I want to do the conversion with my car. How the calculations are done? And the specifics of motor n components needed... Please can you explain in the video upcoming
Convert now while it is still available as the new Electric cars flood the market then it will get messy to even match the parts. Besides the range is just indicative- you will get easy 200-400 miles in One Charge with Dry Cell & Super Capacitor combined installation which will be way smaller than any Battery you have seen like this one with Lithium. Lithium will be history soon.
Prisoner State lpg is ok but is limited by access to LPG. What about hybrid conversions? Nobody seems to have seriously considered that. Adding hub motors to the front wheels to boost the mpg of the engine and improving performance overall.
Obviously as they are not equivalent components. A motor only converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. An ICE creates energy from fuel. When you add the weight and volume of the battery it’s a very different story.
Can I ask if it wouldn’t be easier to convert to gas for anyone who doesn’t live in the Smoke? I was thinking it would still run cleaner than petrol or derv
WAIT just a minute, AN HOUR to do 5 MILES!?!? That sounds like torture! Living in the U.S., that's like a *really* bad gridlock. I would like to do something like this, but use a wagon or something and just completely load the back end with batteries.
I see a day when someone will make a killing developing a conversion like this for old air-cooled 911s. I'd definitely consider it when battery density gets better and petrol cars get legislated off the roads.
Gina Purcell there is already a company in mid-Wales doing exactly that, alongside a successful conversion of a couple of Beetles and a Range Rover. The G-series 911 is nicely covered in ua-cam.com/video/AJLdzRJdKrs/v-deo.html
Exactly! - perfect for city car. But it's great people are working on sports cars too, just for that day when petrol cars are completely banned from cities. Just imagine - you are driving along the Embankment one night in your electric Morris Minor - you're having a good time compared to all the Prius drivers - but then a '69 silver 911 comes flying past. Perfection! It's true that it will be harder to get a driving experience true to the original from the Porsche but it's still nice to imagine a future where there will still me Minors, Land Rover S1s & S2s AND 911s running round the city.
Would you remove the chime from Big Ben? Or replace the iconic clock face with a huge digital display? Would you replace the Merlin engine in a WW2 Spitfire with one of the electric aviation motors in development? Classic vehicles of any kind should be preserved in their original form whenever possible, to remove the engine is to rip out a large part of the their soul. Why would you spend upwards of £9k doing this to a Moggy when you could spend less on a relatively new second hand modern electric car?
Seems strange seeing a mid black 1950s car being powered by a futuristic motor, very strange ,the sound of the car is part of its character ,good ldea though, at least you still have the original looks of the past ,l wonder what my old forr popular would be like
Excellent, so I can keep my little BMW convertible forever! Can I have a bit more range though please, it’s a diesel and good for 600 miles when I drive across France so 600 miles would be great thank you
Great bit of film as always Jack. It's an interesting debate that's for sure, and one solution that definitely has a market, with London being one of them of course... Would I take a 'Busso' out of an Alfa for one... No, but a moggy engine or similar then yes as that makes more sense. For me personally the tech isn't quite there yet, with battery capacity and range being the real issue. Also 9k for the conversion makes it kinda out of the reach of the many too, but I guess with the right R&D, plus economy of scale this could be become more realistic.
Totally agree with you.. as long at the engine is forgettable a conversion is ok.. but no way would I take an Alfa engine out for this!! But in the Minor I really think it is an improvement..
I definitely see this as the way of the future for a lot of classics and a way to keep them on the road. As for the "beating heart" removal part. If the original petrol engine was a true blue classic of its own then I can see an issue with swapping it for an electric motor, but few enough classics would fall into this category. Most like the Bug and Moggie Minor had pretty boring lumps. I'd love of all things an X-19 with this conversion. Mind you I am mad so... :D
The big drawback to electrics are range per charge. Here, in the USA, there are greater distances to drive, hot and cold weather that also needs power that will shorten driving range even further. Also, electric cars suck off of the electric power grid for their voracious charging appetites. The prime mover for the electric grid is coal, natural gas, and nuclear with very little renewable fuels.
Rather than converting classic cars like the Morris and the Landy, why not start converting black cabs? Imagine if every London taxi was like this? A. How much cheaper it would be to run for the taxi driver and hence earn them more money 2. Imagine how much cleaner London would feel if every London cab wasn’t pumping exhaust fumes out. C. How much quieter the streets would be with loads of electric taxis??
Something very ironic about your post, you say the soul is in the car not the engine... but then specify the V4 version of the Saab 96 rather than the 2-stroke... so... the engine is important... Or you'd have just said Saab 96...
Yes, absolutely! And no need for an engine swap in order to convert to hydrogen, mainly just a change to fuel injection. I wish more people would start thinking of this before we discard all of our petrol engines. Once they're gone, they're gone.
thats ok in town, but for the most of us 40-50 mile is rubbish, even entering a city the car will still be liable for the congestion charge because the car will be detected as petrol or diesel from the log book details. sadly now petrol and diesel is classed as the fuel of the devil, i would like to see a battery hgv, ship or plane that can carry similar loads to their fossil fuel equivalent.
The largest shipping company in the world is now gearing up to turn everything electric, and those house sized quarry trucks are also being changed over. Planes will probably wait for the next generation of battery, but they could easily do domestic flights with current commercial equipment.
@@MsSomeonenew but where is all the electric coming from, to charge these batteries, no one seems to answer that question. As I said here in the UK, we are at near maximum capacity, so how do we charge all these electric vehicles?
@paul austin hmmm, it's annoying that people who drive electric cars think it's clean, but no matter what someone drives it pollutes, there's nasty stuff in those batteries, then the electric they use could be from coal, gas or nuclear all of which have issues regarding the planet.
You have a very nice car and a very good idea converting nice older cars like the beetle but the combustionengine is in no way outdated. It`s still evolving. If common sence rules the combustionengine may have another onehundred years to come. It will only be outdated when antigravity is introduced and that my come the next ten years, P
Do you think it is common sense to waste 80% of the fuel you put in your car? The average efficiency of an internal combustion engine is about 20%. That means only 20% of the fuel that you pay for makes the car go. The other 80% is blown out of the radiator and exhaust pipe as lost heat energy and pollutes our atmosphere. We have been driving these ICE cars for over 100 years now. It's time to do something smarter. It is like buying a six pack and drinking one and pouring the other five down the drain. How would feel about doing that?
This young man deserves to succeed, very open and honest.
I think this is a good idea. I saw this car in the London Motor Show. Replacing the knackered engines in Minis, Fiat 500's and 2CV's will produce very interesting and competent citycars.
They may be too small to carry much in the way of battery capacity. All those batteries in the Minor only got you a 40km range.
@@stephenburnage7687 not worth doing. In fact the best place for some of these old bangers is to use them for limited miles-as will be the case for all of them. There s no easy fix...
I would love an old morris 1100 converted ...it's strange how we can feel so much affection for a car that we had in our youth..I really enjoyed driving that car far more than any other I have driven over the years.
It is what it is , if you changed the original vehicle you forefit the memorys...i know which one i wanted
Yep, mine was a 1951 Morris Minor (two door, side valve and black). The same model as shown in the video. It had an absolutely gutless 850cc engine....but I loved it!
First car, first love? Is it the same?
Neal Young, singer songwriter, has a number of old cars converted to electric power. He and his wife to be drove in the States, east coast to west coast in a 50's car, with planned recharging points, to prove feasibility. They were successful if memory serves. Mr. Young had a design/fabrication team help him with his dream. Number 27, you are on the right track, impressive.
Bubba Borsci yes and flies in polluting aircraft. Anyway he can afford to have cars converted to coal fired electric power ,
Incredible idea yes it’s sad that the engine is removed but to see classics back on our streets is something I’m all for 👍🏻
@@thejupiter2 Conversion of cars is much greener than buying a new electric car though, because for these they use spare parts rather than manufacturing new parts.
6:00 - Stereo?! People only had one ear in the fifties. (How about a valve set with a vibrator PSU) Also needs an external loudspeaker to play that wonderful farty resonance you used to get from the exhaust on overrun. :-)
A nice idea and I can see it's potential, but I wouldn't do it to my '57 Morris Oxford series 4 traveller, I'd rather keep the engine as is and just adjust the carburetor to run on ethanol, be it home brewed or commercial. I feel it would be Keep that little part of mechanical history alive for people to see.but just on a different sustainable fuel...
While yes it would still produce co2 it wouldn't cause any problem as other cars became cleaner and more renewable energy used
Ethanol not actually that environmentally friendly and quite energy heavy to produce! Thanks for watching!
The elephant in the room for electric cars is that fully a third of UK motorists have no access to off street parking to charge at home and outside London/South East you will likely be miles from any public charging points. Electric cars just are not a practical possibility for lots of us. I hope we are not looked upon as pariahs, there are a lot of us!
Same with Australia
I'm normally a bit of a purist where classics are concerned but I like the idea of this. Thanks for the upload.
Very impressed and I can see a market for this, especially in the coming years....would I have one? Hell yes!
Cheers Carl!
@paul austin well, it's electric so there will positive and negative terminal gullibility......!
I wonder why i only just found this channel, you're really sensible and realistic about things. And seem to be an enjoyable guy to boot ;)
I hope you keep going.
Absolutely love it. As a car guy, I really don’t see the nostalgia for stinking, unreliable and under powered old engines when an electric conversion gives these beautiful old machines the power, torque and reliability they never had originally.
Not to mention the absolute urgency of solving air pollution and the global climate change crisis! I love old cars but I love my grand children’s future more
How about all the airplanes and the pollution they cause
"...the absolute urgency of solving air pollution and the global climate change crisis" LOL!!!!
This is the way forward am seriously thinking of doing a conversion
The question I have is what do you do for heat in the winter ?
Its a good idea, using off the shelf components, will probably give some classics that no longer have engine spares available a new lease of life.
Yep, thanks for watching Vaughan!
like how you painted the electric motor that old green colour
I'm impressed. The battery range need to improve for my liking. Just shows how good the Tesla battery technology is.
I live in the US and had a 1960 Morris Minor. It was a fun car and got so much attention since it was kind of rare. It would be great to have one again and I would go for an electric version. It’s so lightweight that batteries and the motor would probably make it ride better.
Not for me, love everything about the A series engine and that classic Minor sound......Leave the classics alone IMO.....
I really would like to go electric and I know new technology has to go through development periods but it's so far away from being suitable for my needs. I can do 40 miles in one trip out to run a few errands, £9k of capital outlay doesn't represent a good enough return even at £1 charging costs. I recently travelled in a friend's BMW i3, it was wonderful and quiet, quick too but then she said she wanted to go to the coast and that she was worried as it was near the full extent of the range requiring a charging stop about 20 miles away to ensure arrival. And it's not 'just the same as refuelling' no matter how quick the charger is. At the moment it feels like electric vehicles are limiting rather than liberating but please note I want that to change so I can join the gang.
Range will improve dramatically .. its dependant on more recent electrics being written off so the pets can be used
I like the ethics of this guy . instead of crying about it, he's doing a workaround .
I have just had a look and the London congestion charge is £11.50 per day.Electric vehicles get a 100% discount.I think that makes it worthwhile, also you can change back to your old engine if you want, and it means people can enjoy their classic cars when they would otherwise be laid up.I think its a win win.
I'm seriously impressed and am looking into acquiring one for more rural use...
Go and see the guys, friendly
Bunch!!
Why turn that electric it’s exempt from ulez because of its age and the price of converting it to electric is horrendous
Yes it's the way of the future, may as well start embracing it. I'm all for restoring cars in this manner. Is there a need to develop new ones? IMO no, not if we're concerned about the environment and conserving our resources. Great episode!
Nope. it makes 75,000 miles of pollution making new cars... it's better for th eplanet to just keep your current car forever... or buy an old one and convert it. But then millions of jobs would be lost and nations would lose billions in taxation and GDP from car sales...
Brilliant. I like that idea. However, I drive a 1992 Toyota Tarago. It is not a classic yet, but the perspective of converting it into an electric car, meaning the engine bay would be able to lower for 6 inches or around 20cm. It will certainly bring a huge benefit to create a better driving position (increasing headspace) for any tall driver like myself. It will be most beneficial for the environment as well. Thank you.
Whilst I'm impressed by the engineering, I have to say I disagree that the engine is not the beating heart of a classic. It's very much a major part of the experience of owning and driving a classic car, just as a coal boiler is part of the experience of a steam locomotive. At least the conversions are reversible, I'd hate to think of these cars being subjected to a one-way transformation into what is essentially representative of the technology of the moment.
dungareesareforfools That might be the case in one respect but as old part get harder to find in some models and fuel costs go through the roof I rather put an electric motor in my car and be able to drive my classic than not🤘
@@garylaver4614 agreed.
For me I think it will take a lot more convincing to ditch a well tuned a-series in my mini, especially with the extremely limited mileage. But it will certainly be a fascinating decade!
Great video Jack, I watched this with an open mind and I think these kind of builds are great with you confirming that some of the characters of the old cars remain and certainly make a viable option for people who wish to take the green route. Electric cars are definitely part of the future and perfect for inner city driving. Being a Petrol head I won’t be tempted out of my combustion engine car which I use for pleasure and have no interest in electric cars for fun though.
I hope it will be possible to get this done in Norway to. I can see that in the short future i will want to convert my Golf mk 1 cab. If i can spend more time behind the wheel and not under the hood i would be very happy. And maybe i can use it way more without being afraid of engine wear.
Excellent idea, and I hope it catches on
I’m sure it will! Thanks for watching!
Fantastic film and fantastic company. I love this car - especially love how gearbox and old controls are retained. This is a complete contrast to the Jaguar Land Rover works conversion of an E-type. That car was very pretty and the work well done - and no cutting. But the Jag had touch-screen controls. It was for people who like the SHAPE of the E-type but prefer operating iphones to operating actual machinery. I love how this retains the that aspect of driving old machines. Maybe not for "Petrol Heads" but certainly for "Nut & Bolt" heads. There have been comments about Sports cars like 911 - I can see that this may not suit those machines best, but I CAN see this being a lot of fun in a raw, simple lightweight open 2-seater. Something like a Frogeye Sprite or early Spitfire would be perfect. Again...wouldn't be a track-car but what a cracking machine for daily whizzing around in the Capital.
Thanks Tom!! Funnily enough I may be about to get a Frogeye... you'll be one of the first to know if I do!!
TomsJunkyard that sounds sad - why don't those people just go out and buy a brand new "Beetle"?
Great stuff. Id love to see my 1948 Morris 8 with an electric engine. (Even though Ive just put a new engine in it) Just one question I wanted to ask. How does the electrics handle wet weather conditions.
Even with all those expensive batteries, the range is 40km. It's a museum piece.
Matthew seems like a bright chap. I wonder if, two years down the line, technological advances have reduced the cost and improved the range. I would like to have a go at Minor conversion one day.
I don't think the electrification of classic cars will spread so much.
The transformation costs are not low and at the same time reduces (almost) to zero the value of the car (in particular for high value cars it’s an economic disaster). Reduces to zero also the passion (who will take his fake-Porsche, transformed into an electric toy, for a ride on the weekend anymore?).
Collecting is business, but there can be no business without value. There will be a small number of classics electrified for nostalgia, for not to be scrapped. But the real valuable collectibles will always be only with original cars. If the collection of original cars will decrease in quantity, this will paradoxically lead to an increasing of the value of the remaining classic cars. If you want an electric car, buy it new. Technically it’s much better, it’s much safer and, with the same performance, it costs much less.
Just brilliant ... That has put a smile on my face and made my day. With so many cars on the road that will become obsolete why not convert them to electric .
What about in Golf 1 Cabriolet,. Would be a nice summer runabout
Wow ! How clever is that guy!!
I love engines , the sound of v12's and v8's etc but I love my kids more and it's time for engines to go and for us to start cleaning up the mess we have made of our planet for there future. Hats off to that guy !! Excellent video Jack 🖒
Ryan Mccormick glad you approve Ryan! I was expecting more negative responses to taking petrol out of the equation!
Number27 like I said Jack I love engines but unfortunately they just don't make sense as we run out of oil and pollute the planet! I'm not a eco person per say but it's obvious we all need to change and at the end of the day electronic cars are or can be crazy fast so electronic cars are a win win 🖒😊
Ryan Mccormick completely agree it’s sad but we have to think of the future it’s a pity we have come to this but I think this guy could be on to something very big
Paul Dolden Details, definitely Paul his tech is the future and it needs to be to have a future! I agree it's a shame to give up engines but electronic cars will be better in a lot of ways 🖒😊
Petrol engines, especially those in a small minority of vehicles used for pleasure, are not the problem. Large diesel engines that are used to move the vast majority of cargo are the real problem. Let's not discard our heritage over some false sense of duty.
First ever electric car I've had any interest in! When the time comes when you need to go electric you can always keep the old combustion engine on the shelf!...well done jack great vid.
fuch1971 thanks dude!! Please share it if you can!!
This is the way of the future for classic cars that are actually used as a daily or very regularly.
Glad to see prices for these conversions coming down and people starting building kits for popular cars.
Until now it has mostly been all one off custom creations that are very labour intensive and thus either very expensive or only for skilled fabricators.
Over time the costs for motors, controllers and batteries have come down a good way already, and as this becomes more popular prices for these should come down further still.
Been thinking of doing this to my mark 1 golf for ages.
It would be awesome when a complete diy kit could be had for 3,5k or so instead of 7, that would make it a very acceseble option for a lot of people and make it more viable for the less exclusive classics. Putting 9k into a 4k car simply still is not something most people are willing or able to do.
Maybe another 5 years and that could be reality with a bit of luck.
Good times ahead!
I think its a good idea .
The performance and usefulness of the Morris is enhanced , specialy in stop and go traffic .
In case of a Ferrari SWB I am not so sure , beqause the V12 is a huge part of the cars charme , and you don't use these in traffic , I hope !!!!!
Just had to find out if your designation of 'Number27' was at all related to "The Prisoner", where Patrick McGoohan was "Number 6".
I hope that we see electrification catch on here in the States, although some provision will have be made regarding long distance travel.
@0:22 ... and it isn't to a lot of others, since the the dawn of fuel - the time it is not profitable anymore, is decades, probably half a century, ahead.
i was wondering is it possble to have better power steering in a 2006 Fiesta ST which has Hydrolic Power steering and they suffer badly with boiling the fluid so it ends up pretty heavy
#loveIT - really surprised BMW haven't snapped up the idea of creating a new retro MINOR like the Mini and making it #EV only - would love to see a Citroen Travant EV or DS
Pad A I think that will come down to crash crumple zones etc ,
40 miles?!?!? All that extra weight and a ~40hp motor, is this really the future? Think of the amazing classic car you can have for £9000. By the time you take account of the limited life of the batteries and the lithium and rare Earth elements, this is NOT even an environmental success. Carrying power in batteries is far more dangerous than petrol. In fact in EVERY way, apart from day to day running costs, the only logical choice is to stay on petrol!
The limited range will radically improve in a short time. There will always be a place for some petrol classics but other like this can actually be improved in many ways with electric. It would be a slow car, stressful to drive in traffic
My old man has a Sunbeam Alpine that I would love to convert to electric. The cost is a bit prohibitive at the moment. I think when there are more used EV batteries around it will be a lot more affordable.
Yes for sure!! Thanks for watching buddy!
whats the cost of the conversion kit?
They mentioned £9,000 - hope you got it
this is excellent ! ... ive been thinking of converting my mini (classic) to electric :) so will keep tabs on progress here...
just the main motor, and control units is all i would need :)
yep a converted mini would be fun!
Count us in. You have our attention.
London has a reasonably temperate climate. That 40km range could become 4km's in an Alberta winter.
as ever a great take and a balanced view .. thanks man!
Thanks for watching Matt!!
The range would be the issue for me. Living in Australia, with our cities very much less dense, 40 miles wouldn't get me from one side of the city to the other. Let alone back again. On another note Hydrogen power seems very promising. You can convert a regular internal combustion engine to run on Hydrogen. Obviously you can't refuel at home, like Electric power, so some infrastructure changes need to happen. But that's already a reality in California.
"People will say, 'What are you doing?'"
And I won't hear them over my sweet exhaust notes.
👏😂
Will be working on a mini cooper s turbo 2008 wants to do a conversion into electric. Thinking of a package that give 50 to 60 miles and a 100 miles distances what can you suggest for me I am in the United state really want to make this proyect
please make some calculations as to when the reduced running cost will break even considering the initial investment. How long will the Batterie last vs service cost of the engine/ tax etc. Should be rather interesting.
Rather quickly actually if it is a daily driver . The petrol, maintenance and stuff adds up rather quickly on these older cars. Running it like this makes it virtually free, especially if you're cheeky and charge at work lol.
For most cars it probably will be around 3 to 5 years, which isn't that bad i think. But most will depend on how much fuel it uses ofcourse. The landrover hes doing will roi a lot faster then the morris obviously.
And some classics run years without major engine issues while others spend most time in the shop, kinda depends on luck.
It will need an amplfier and speaker to make the classic Minor v-vroom after first gear... Another point occurs to me when I see this sort of thing is, would it be more efficient to remove the gearbox as well (and all its drag) and have the motor directly drive the back axle? I realise it would need different control electronics and I'm sure you are ahead of me.
Yep you’re right it would be way more efficient but at this point an engineering challenge that would really increase development and conversion costs. Thanks for watching!
Hi have got a kit for a series 3 Landrover yet thanks Gary
He’s got a Landie almost done.. will try and do a video soon!
looks great, just a question, how does the 12v battery get charged?
Most likely a DC-DC buck converter that reduces the traction voltage (likely 100+ volts) down to ~14 volts.
Ceramicolive the battery gets changed by coal fired power stations, but probably not in your back yard ,
would love to do this to my 1977 series 3 landrover but would go with more batteries if possible,, but wow cost
How much would you estimate the cost of converting a Silver Shadow?
Using Tesla Battery Modules, I reckon that you would need 80 to 100kWh of battery capacity to move over 2 tonnes of Silver Shadow and get a reasonable range. I would guess at 20K to 25K to do a real good job. Twin electric motor drive, and the motors could 'cut-in' just when you need acceleration and power. I keep scanning You Tube just to see if anyone enterprising has taken on the project of converting a Silver Shadow. But nobody wants to convert any Automatic Car, and Manual Transmission is the EV vehicle choice. EV conversion would make the car quieter still! I do hope that somebody takes up this challenge.
Tesla model S is about 2 tons so similar to the Royce.
Electric Classic Cars are a Tesla battery OEM and have converted heavier vehicles.
They generally configure for around 250 mile ranges.
www.electricclassiccars.co.uk/
While you are at it, it would probably be about the same cost to convert an SZ series (Bentley 8/Silver Spirit)
How much weight difference is there with all those batteries in the front and the boot an old moggy doesn’t have a great suspension or breaks to begin with.
Hi. Has he also done a conversion for a Morris Traveller?
Matthew, excellent work, subscribing to londonelectriccars.
Glad you enjoyed it, more video to one soon!
So awesome...
I am feeling mad for this since 1.5year...
I want to do the conversion with my car. How the calculations are done? And the specifics of motor n components needed...
Please can you explain in the video upcoming
will add more detail in next video
Long way to go yet! But gotta start somewhere.
My wife converted a 67 mk 1100 in 2008. A lot of fun to drive . just put 5 model s batteries in it
C my u tybe
£9000!!! I'd love to do it to mine but OMFG!!!
Convert now while it is still available as the new Electric cars flood the market then it will get messy to even match the parts. Besides the range is just indicative- you will get easy 200-400 miles in One Charge with Dry Cell & Super Capacitor combined installation which will be way smaller than any Battery you have seen like this one with Lithium. Lithium will be history soon.
Prisoner State lpg is ok but is limited by access to LPG. What about hybrid conversions? Nobody seems to have seriously considered that. Adding hub motors to the front wheels to boost the mpg of the engine and improving performance overall.
Interesting how small the electric motors are compared to the old ICE.
The batteries don't take up much, if anymore room than the gas tank.
Obviously as they are not equivalent components. A motor only converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. An ICE creates energy from fuel. When you add the weight and volume of the battery it’s a very different story.
Can I ask if it wouldn’t be easier to convert to gas for anyone who doesn’t live in the Smoke? I was thinking it would still run cleaner than petrol or derv
WAIT just a minute, AN HOUR to do 5 MILES!?!? That sounds like torture! Living in the U.S., that's like a *really* bad gridlock.
I would like to do something like this, but use a wagon or something and just completely load the back end with batteries.
I see a day when someone will make a killing developing a conversion like this for old air-cooled 911s. I'd definitely consider it when battery density gets better and petrol cars get legislated off the roads.
Gina Purcell there is already a company in mid-Wales doing exactly that, alongside a successful conversion of a couple of Beetles and a Range Rover. The G-series 911 is nicely covered in ua-cam.com/video/AJLdzRJdKrs/v-deo.html
Yes.. I was going to say that 911s have already been converted! Do think though this makes more sense for old town type cars.. in sports cars less so!
Exactly! - perfect for city car. But it's great people are working on sports cars too, just for that day when petrol cars are completely banned from cities. Just imagine - you are driving along the Embankment one night in your electric Morris Minor - you're having a good time compared to all the Prius drivers - but then a '69 silver 911 comes flying past. Perfection! It's true that it will be harder to get a driving experience true to the original from the Porsche but it's still nice to imagine a future where there will still me Minors, Land Rover S1s & S2s AND 911s running round the city.
Anna Thema ?....it's a Morris, not a Lancia.
Fascinating stuff, hope that works for him..
Would you remove the chime from Big Ben? Or replace the iconic clock face with a huge digital display? Would you replace the Merlin engine in a WW2 Spitfire with one of the electric aviation motors in development? Classic vehicles of any kind should be preserved in their original form whenever possible, to remove the engine is to rip out a large part of the their soul. Why would you spend upwards of £9k doing this to a Moggy when you could spend less on a relatively new second hand modern electric car?
What modern electric car could you possibly get second hand for less than £9k? A mobility scooter?
ube790 www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201903256237381?atmobcid=soc4
@@davesanderson1843 Huh, waddyaknow.
I just want a lipo battery replacement for my hybrid camry....to give it more range on electric.
How about a 1969 Ford 3/4 ton. Motor and related equipment sealed from snow and salt.
Seems strange seeing a mid black 1950s car being powered by a futuristic motor, very strange ,the sound of the car is part of its character ,good ldea though, at least you still have the original looks of the past ,l wonder what my old forr popular would be like
If there is space for the batteries it with be great to do a classic mini or MG.
l was thinking the same and other British cars , amaze-balls !
All new cars should be sold with a future conversition kit to be made available.
Excellent, so I can keep my little BMW convertible forever! Can I have a bit more range though please, it’s a diesel and good for 600 miles when I drive across France so 600 miles would be great thank you
Ha! You ask for so little David! Thanks for watching!
The solution is to fit a towing hitch to your car and then pull a generator set along to charge the batteries as you drive along.
I’d love to do this, but in America, that range would have to be 400+ miles, meaning cost would be $25,000+
People do love to pretend they drive 400 miles per day, but in reality it's 50 or less.
🤣🤣🤣😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🤣🤣🤣
Great bit of film as always Jack.
It's an interesting debate that's for sure, and one solution that definitely has a market, with London being one of them of course...
Would I take a 'Busso' out of an Alfa for one... No, but a moggy engine or similar then yes as that makes more sense.
For me personally the tech isn't quite there yet, with battery capacity and range being the real issue. Also 9k for the conversion makes it kinda out of the reach of the many too, but I guess with the right R&D, plus economy of scale this could be become more realistic.
Totally agree with you.. as long at the engine is forgettable a conversion is ok.. but no way would I take an Alfa engine out for this!! But in the Minor I really think it is an improvement..
I definitely see this as the way of the future for a lot of classics and a way to keep them on the road. As for the "beating heart" removal part. If the original petrol engine was a true blue classic of its own then I can see an issue with swapping it for an electric motor, but few enough classics would fall into this category. Most like the Bug and Moggie Minor had pretty boring lumps.
I'd love of all things an X-19 with this conversion. Mind you I am mad so... :D
How about a 2002 Suzuki wagon r
What a cool looking car..I want one, I want one!
The big drawback to electrics are range per charge. Here, in the USA, there are greater distances to drive, hot and cold weather that also needs power that will shorten driving range even further. Also, electric cars suck off of the electric power grid for their voracious charging appetites. The prime mover for the electric grid is coal, natural gas, and nuclear with very little renewable fuels.
Well that's the US for ya
From 25 Dec 25 EV's will have to pay £15 a day to drive in London, that's £5k+ a year.
Rather than converting classic cars like the Morris and the Landy, why not start converting black cabs? Imagine if every London taxi was like this? A. How much cheaper it would be to run for the taxi driver and hence earn them more money 2. Imagine how much cleaner London would feel if every London cab wasn’t pumping exhaust fumes out. C. How much quieter the streets would be with loads of electric taxis??
Interesting idea for sure that one... are modern black cabs hybrids?
Outstanding job 👍🏻
1:24 “some might consider to be the beating heart...” these people need to get a grip on reality - a car is not an animal, it is a machine.
Well, I heard it here first. " ...frowned upon.... if you drive a petrol engine into the center of town..." I could see a day when this will happen.
Unfortunately I think it might...
Please tell us what an Anna Thema is.
An attractive Italian girl 👧
@@Number27 I went out with her English cousin Ann Athema.
I Love your channel. The soul is in the car not the engine My favorit car is Saab 96 v4. Keep it Up with new episodes. Stefan 👍❤️
Something very ironic about your post, you say the soul is in the car not the engine... but then specify the V4 version of the Saab 96 rather than the 2-stroke... so... the engine is important... Or you'd have just said Saab 96...
Not legal in Belgium... Engine swap.
Imho, i believe a lot more in hydrogen. But that's impossible for general public t the moment.
Hydrogen very interesting.. but as you say I think it is some time away yet! and boo to restrictive Belgian car laws.. terrible over there.
Yes, absolutely! And no need for an engine swap in order to convert to hydrogen, mainly just a change to fuel injection. I wish more people would start thinking of this before we discard all of our petrol engines. Once they're gone, they're gone.
I can see hydrogen engines in a hybrid electric car, but not as a main power method.
Have it built and registered in Holland then import it.
Ludicrous
Does it still have a heater?
D Jm yes a coal fire in the back 😂
It's a good thing. Will free up a few spare engines for us purists :)
Ha!! 🤦🏻♂️😂😂😂😂
thats ok in town, but for the most of us 40-50 mile is rubbish, even entering a city the car will still be liable for the congestion charge because the car will be detected as petrol or diesel from the log book details. sadly now petrol and diesel is classed as the fuel of the devil, i would like to see a battery hgv, ship or plane that can carry similar loads to their fossil fuel equivalent.
No, car has to be re-registered once work is done and will be classed as electric so no congestion charge.
The largest shipping company in the world is now gearing up to turn everything electric, and those house sized quarry trucks are also being changed over.
Planes will probably wait for the next generation of battery, but they could easily do domestic flights with current commercial equipment.
@@MsSomeonenew but where is all the electric coming from, to charge these batteries, no one seems to answer that question. As I said here in the UK, we are at near maximum capacity, so how do we charge all these electric vehicles?
@paul austin hmmm, it's annoying that people who drive electric cars think it's clean, but no matter what someone drives it pollutes, there's nasty stuff in those batteries, then the electric they use could be from coal, gas or nuclear all of which have issues regarding the planet.
You have a very nice car and a very good idea converting nice older cars like the beetle but the combustionengine is in no way outdated. It`s still evolving. If common sence rules the combustionengine may have another onehundred years to come. It will only be outdated when antigravity is introduced and that my come the next ten years, P
Do you think it is common sense to waste 80% of the fuel you put in your car? The average efficiency of an internal combustion engine is about 20%. That means only 20% of the fuel that you pay for makes the car go. The other 80% is blown out of the radiator and exhaust pipe as lost heat energy and pollutes our atmosphere. We have been
driving these ICE cars for over 100 years now. It's time to do something smarter. It is like buying a six pack and
drinking one and pouring the other five down the drain. How would feel about doing that?
How much for one with a 341km range?
Probably about $20k for the batteries alone!
Is it DC or ac motor