Posted on 04/08/2024 1:13:07 PM PDT by Red Badger
As the automotive industry rapidly evolves towards electrification, high-voltage batteries are finding their way into various applications. From mining trucks to hydrofoil boats, electric powertrains are finding their homes in many unsuspecting vehicles. But one area is particularly fascinating: the classic car domain. Due to the high-torque nature of electric motors and battery packs that allow for a low center of gravity, swapping an old gas-guzzling engine for a battery pack and electric motors provides a quieter, faster, and more refined driving experience.
Florida-based automaker E.C.D. Automotive Design Inc. has been working on precisely that. Founded in 2013, the automaker began by restoring and rebuilding classic Land Rovers. In 2021, the firm entered the world of electrification by offering an EV option on its menu. In the following years, E.C.D. added the E-Type and Beach Runner to its lineup, consisting of the Defender 90, Defender 110, and Range Rover Sport. Considering some of these vehicles are of vastly different proportions, it begs the question: how does E.C.D. implement an electric powertrain into an aging ICE-powered vehicle?
E.C.D. is now on its second-generation EV powertrain. When it was solely working on Land Rovers, the battery pack was effectively two large boxes (one placed in the engine bay and one in the trunk) of refurbished Tesla Model S battery cells. The powertrain was functional, though it could only work in large vehicles and lacked some features like DC fast charging.
The second-generation EV powertrain option can be implemented in a wider variety of vehicles, like the recently added E-Type. It offers fast charging, and it requires no structural changes. For instance, E.C.D. said a customer decided to switch back their EV powertrain build for a V8.
Owners will still need to have their vehicles shipped to E.C.D.'s facility for the powertrain replacement. Some other companies infusing lithium-ion battery cells into classic cars use skateboard platforms, but E.C.D. thinks that will detract from the car's feel. "Our intention is always to maintain as much of the characteristics of the car as you can," Wallace said. E.C.D.'s goal is to simply electrify the E-Type, not make it a Tesla Model 3 with the shell of a classic car.
The $299,995 E.C.D. Jaguar E-Types get a 42kWh battery pack, and the $249,995 Land Rovers get an 82kWh one. E.C.D. says this yields a respective range of 150 and 200 miles, though, in the boxy Land Rovers, it is fair to expect a significant range penalty when driving on the highway. Since these are fast charge capable, driving one on small road trips can be much more feasible than if it were fitted with the older powertrain. Based on E.C.D.'s claim of a 10 to 80 percent charge in under an hour, we can extrapolate this to be a peak charge rate of around 50 kilowatts in the E-Type and 100 in the Defender.
Despite the benefits of the EV powertrain, E.C.D.'s boss, Scott Wallace, says that electric powertrains only make up a small percentage of its orders. But for customers in regions where emissions laws mean they can't register their build by a particular year, this gives them the option to enjoy a V8 powertrain until regulations kick in, requiring the emissions to be lower— or zero.
As the world progresses to stricter emissions laws, electrifying classic cars is a way to future-proof them well in the 21st century.
Note: This article was edited to ensure non-clients cannot have their vehicles swapped with an EV powertrain.
Hard pass. Kills the “classic” part of Classic.
But I've heard of no one actually doing it.
Depends. I have a 69 Lincoln that I can only imagine with a big block. But my Opel? I could see that making a greart EV car. Probably very fast as well...
I’m sure President Retard will immediately clear out the illegal documents from his classic car with zero emissions and sign up
“...a battery pack and electric motors provides a quieter, faster, and more refined driving experience...
BS.
Ruins the classics and any vehicle, with electric crap.
Zero emissions control that’s what libtards drive while preaching down to others They need a battery up their butts
Never...
I searched out an original 1952 Pontiac straight eight and a 1948 Plymouth flat six. Nothing can beat the sound and feel of the original engines. I don’t know what you’d have if you put in a battery and an electric motor.
Making an electric car is something that needs to be done from scratch. The battery is big and heavy and usually makes up the entire bottom of the car. There it lowers the center of gravity and adds to safety and maneuverability. Where would you put a thousand-pound battery in a car that weighs 2800 pounds? It would handle like a beast and be even more unsafe on the road. Oh, let’s not forget we need to really, really beef up the brakes.
...and tires..................
No!
Riiiiight. That’ll happen the day after the 12th of never.
Came here for this. The problem with both Ford's and Chevrolet's e-crate motors is that it was just the motor. No power motor drive inverter, no speed controller, no computer, no battery options, no charging system. Nothing but a bare bones electric motor.
had either one of them offered an end-to-end solution, or just all the proper bits to work with their motor, they might have taken off.
Most people today who want to electrify a classic car will just steal the guts out of a wrecked Tesla instead, which is a complete EV package.
Here's a company that does just that to many classic European cars (they're base https://www.youtube.com/@ElectricClassicCars
Uh, nope!
For even thinking about doing that to an E-type, they should have a Tesla battery pack hooked up to their naughty bits.
But-but-but there would be no room left for the flying car conversion. I know it is coming, that was predicted with the “Back to the Future” series.
Maybe these conversions would work better with a fuel cell power source, rather than lithium-ion batteries. Hydrogen in a tank compressed to 10,000 psi, what could possibly go wrong?
Absolutely not. Just finishing putting a crate Coyote in my 1968 Ford XL.
F*** if I’ll do that!
Just... No.
Batteries are STUPID at our current tech level. Not to mention expensive and a hazard.
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