Electric classic cars

[cromwell]

It just dawned on me the other day that the move to electric cars might not actually mean that every petrol and diesel car has to be thrown away.
Some people obviously had the same thought, only a lot earlier!
Because out there right now are classic cars driving around with electric power plants.
After a quick browse through the internet I've found MGB's, TR6's, Midgets, Morris Minors,Beetles, Minis and a Lancia Fulvia.
OK, an electric motor will never reproduce the lovely sound of a straight six going through the gears, but you can't win 'em all.
Atm the main problem is the cost of the conversion, but battery technology is advancing quickly and by the time 2035 comes round, who knows? It may be possible to keep these cars after all. In fact thinking about it we'll probably have to because there won't be enough new electric or hydrogen cars around to meet demand but there will be second hand reconditioned car batteries.

[Suff]

This has been going on for a while Cromwell. But it will remain niche because fossil fuelled vehicles are not built to fit large enough batteries

We'd need to see around 200% improvement in kw/h per kg before it would become viable and then new EV's would be close to the price of their fuel breathing competition.

[cromwell]

Thanks for that Suff.
One thing I have noticed is that they all seem to be RWD cars.
My favorite is the Moggy Minor in London. It only has a range of 50 miles but for running around London it's plenty. It has even kept it's original gearbox.

[Workingman]

When the Nissan dies I will not replace it. It is built on the same chassis as the Renault Captur and that was destined to be a hybrid, so it has a strong chassis. So, I am going to remove the rear seat and dig down into the boot, then I will install a battery, or series of. On the roof there will be a small yacht's wind turbine in a purpose made air intake cowl and an electric motor where the engine new sits.

Getting going will rely on power from the battery to operate the motor to drive the wheels, but once moving the magic starts. Air will flow into the cowl to turn the turbine and that will charge the battery. The motor will take power from the battery to move the car and more air will flow to the turbine to charge the battery in a never ending cycle. I might even install a flexible PV panel on the bonnet. Sorted. Who needs charging points and all that guff?

Eat yer heart out Elon.

[Suff]

Will you also be pulling yourself up by your own bootlaces to get into the car WM?

Cromwell,

If you think about it, before the Mini, just about everything was RWD. On top of that, with RWD you pull the engine and the entire bay is empty. If you pull the engine on a FWD half the bay is still full.

[Workingman]

FCOL! Get with the times....I will be on my multi-gyro anti-gravity hover seat - desk to car in one bound. I sit at the desk and spin the chair round and round and round.... Once I am up to speed I use the seat height adjuster to 'eject' then the arms to navigate.

It's all in my patent applications. I just need to get the self-filling envelope doobywotsit to work and I'm away.

I gave up doing the boots thing when a lace broke and I fell down the stairs. I knew then that I had to move on.

[Suff]

On a slightly more serious note, the Cybertruck is being touted as having options to 500 miles real world driving. Of course you have to pay 70k for that. The 39k one is only 220 miles.

But it is movement.

Apparently Tesla is close to a 0% Cobalt Li battery and we have all those cornish mines swimming in Lithium...

[cromwell]

Suff, the classic Triumphs were old fashioned even in their day, with a separate chassis as opposed to a monocoque.
Also the Vitesse, Spitfire, GT6 and Herald had a flip up bonnet - easy access and plenty of room. Additionally the Vitesse and GT6 had straight six engines with a cast iron block. A heavy old lump which leaves a big hole when it's gone.
Probably why a few have been converted.

[Suff]

I remember them well Cromwell. I worked on a few when I was a teenager before joining the Army.

My Uncle had a Vitesse which he and my Aunt drove back from Australia.

The thing is, with Electric, all vehicles today have the entire underside of the vehicle as a sled type battery. This forms part of the chassis and the body is built over the top. The fuel reservoir, of these vehicles, was at the back and connected with a pipe. That doesn't lend itself to the EV style.

Then there is the fact that the battery in an EV weighs over half a ton and carries the same energy (equivalent in KW/h) as 2 gallons of diesel.

All challenges for the avid EV converter. But, still, the older RWD vehicles lend themselves to it better. Consider converting a Mini.... Where are you going to put the battery? If there is one thing an EV is not, it is compact.