If you want an old French car but also want something electric, you’re in luck. Renault is teaming up with French EV retrofitters R-FIT to crank out authorized electric powertrain retrofit kits for several of its classic models. Although they certainly the most high-tech retrofit options on the market, these kits are a pretty neat concept for opening up the expensive world of EV conversions.
These kits include everything a Renault 4L, 5, or Twingo owner needs to switch to electric power from a 10.7 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack to a motor controller to professionals doing the installation. There’s even a two-year warranty, and R-FIT will sort out registering the vehicle as an EV. Oddly enough, Renault claims that the kit uses the 4L’s original gearbox, in case you want to row gears in an electric car. At €11,900 for the Renault 4L kit, it’s expensive. Offering just 50 miles (80 km) of range and no DC fast charging, it’s not an option for those who road trip classic cars either. However, Renault seems to have the right idea when it comes to an electrified Renault 4L because the car’s powertrain isn’t a huge part of its character.
I believe that the ideal cars for OEM EV conversions either aren’t massively engaging to drive or aren’t feasible for anyone short of a magician to keep on the road. After all, the thrum of a good engine and the tactility of a sporting chassis make so many classic cars iconic. We wouldn’t want to ruin all that with heavy batteries, would we? [Ed Note: I agree that the best EV conversion candidates are the cars for whom driving excitement isn’t the main selling point — namely, most vehicles with automatic transmissions. The Renault 4 above, though? Have you seen the weird stick shift?! Plus, I hear they’re fairly reliable (relatively). I’d love a stock one, but yeah — they’re not exactly meant to be sportscars. -DT]. What’s more, their makers still need to exist in some form, so things like Bristols are out of the question entirely. Ideally, those makers would even have experience building EVs, so kits can be fitted by local dealerships. So what sort of cars am I thinking of? Well, here are four.
1961-69 Lincoln Continental
Let’s start off with an obvious choice. The clap-door Conti is an effortlessly cool cruiser, a car designed for the stylish ‘60s to travel arrow-straight interstates for as long as a full tank would last. However, those full tanks are getting expensive, so wouldn’t it be great if you could fill one up with electrons?
Not only does the Lincoln’s huge size help provide space for batteries, its body-on-frame constructions means they can be slung underneath, allowing for a truly gargantuan frunk. Sure, it might weigh as much as a moon when the EV conversion is done, but with a zero-to-sixty time that can’t be described as quick, it won’t take an egregious number of kilowatts to improve on the factory acceleration. Plus, imagine the smoothness once powertrain vibrations are virtually nil. Electric power could really take this luxurious land yacht to the next level.
Rover P5B Coupe
If you want to blame a marque for the rash of four-door cars being called coupes, blame Rover. The P5 Coupe is a misuse of language, but also a style icon, and the P5B was the last and most popular of the bunch. While the sedan version with its traditional roofline was favored by Prime Ministers and royalty, the coupe had a more rakish image.
While the 3.5-liter Rover V8 is fairly reliable, these weren’t exactly quick cars. Combine that with the luxury bent, and EV conversions make a degree of sense. [Editor’s Note: Just gonna pop in with another opinion: If V8 or manual (and especially if that’s an “and”), then not ideal EV conversion. Unless the V8 sucks, like the one in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer (which is an ideal EV candidate). -DT]. The remnants of Rover Group are now owned largely by Chinese carmaker SAIC, and it’s no stranger to EVs. In fact, it has several EVs for sale in the UK right now under the MG brand, so it already has a network of dealers used to servicing electric vehicles. It seems like a lot of the groundwork is there for OEM (sort-of) EV conversions, and who wouldn’t want to waft along in a trouble-free silent Rover?
Pre-1987 Maserati BiTurbo
Remember the last time you saw a running early Maserati BiTurbo? Me neither. These plushly-appointed performance cars were unfortunately saddled with serious unreliability. Not only was the cam belt interval just 24,000 miles, oil leaks were routine, the cooling systems just weren’t built for hot climates, and high under-hood temperatures would just cook rubber bits. Small wonder that a running BiTurbo is a rare sight indeed.
As Porsche and the “turbo” buttons on old PCs will tell you, the word “turbo” has almost lost its meaning. Couple that with a reputation for unreliability, and you have the perfect base for an electric conversion. A Maserati BiTurbo Folgore, if you will. Once all the really fiddly bits are swapped over to EV power, you’re left with leather that smells like an expensive purse, lively handling, and some of the finest browns Italy had to offer in the ‘80s. Sounds wicked, yeah? Derelict BiTurbos litter America and it’s about time we did something with them.
Chevrolet Corvair Rampside Pickup
While General Motors doesn’t seem massively proud of the Corvair, downplaying this incredibly innovative vehicle feels like a crime. When Chevrolet set out to build an economy car, it didn’t scale down a traditional American car, it changed everything it new about carmaking. The shift to EVs is essentially doing the same thing, so it only feels right to give this landmark car its due with a factory EV conversion using GM’s Ultium batteries.
My model of choice is the Corvair Rampside Pickup because come on, it’s just the perfect candidate for an electric drivetrain swap. It already comes with a bunch of space behind the rear wheels for battery modules, which means that you shouldn’t lose any cab or bed volume. Even better, the motor will still be in the back and most of the weight will hang out over the ass end, ensuring some of that Corvair spirit stays intact.
So there we are, four awesome candidates for OEM EV conversions. Sure, converting these cars to electric won’t be cheap, but I have a feeling it also won’t detract too much from what makes them lovely. I could go on and on about possible EV conversion candidates, but I’ll end it here with a question. What classic car do you reckon would be great with an electric powertrain?
(Lead photo credit: Renault)
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Neil Young ~ LincVolt: a ’59. Not pure electric, runs a biofuel small generator.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LincVolt#:~:text=LincVolt%20is%20a%201959%20Lincoln,%2Defficient%2C%20hybrid%20demonstrator%20vehicle.
Not necessarily a classic but I think a first-gen Honda Insight would be the perfect car to convert to an EV.
The same could be said of any restomod project. Taking an old temperamental carbureted car and sticking a reliable and powerful supercharged LS in it changes the soul of it. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Sometimes it’s better to enjoy the old styling combined with modern reliability really is the best of both worlds.
Yeah… big luxury cars from the 1960s and 1970s should be at the top of the list for BEV conversion. And I love those Continentals from the 1960s.
And I bet that all these cars with big block V8 engines and heavy old automatics probably will end up weighing the same after the BEV conversion assuming modern Lithium batteries are used.
The big block engines alone are around 700lbs, the transmissions are another 200 and add in all the other stuff like fuel tanks, exhaust pipes and other misc stuff not needed by a BEV has to result in 1400lbs of stuff getting removed.
A Tesla rear motor apparently weighs around 290lbs and a Tesla Model S 100kwh battery pack is around 1200lbs. So if there is any weight gain by converting a 1960s or 1970s Lincoln, it’s probably a negligible amount. Or weight can be reduced by reducing the number of modules, making a smaller/lighter pack, but with less range.
Electric Classic Cars in the UK was converting a Jenson Interceptor, and it ended up that it was going to be lighter, and they were able to possibly put more batteries.
the 440 and 727 auto weighed at least 800 lbs, I think.
The only one of the four presented that would catch my attention is the Corvair ramp side. Seems to me the Green Briar and it’s panel version would also lend themselves to conversion, albeit not as elegantly.
I personally hope I live long enough to see truly compact motors and batteries that could open up the possibilities of any number of wonderful old reasonably priced sports cars being converted. Imagine a TR-3! Or an Alfa Romeo Giulietta!
After I thought about it I loved your choice of the Lincoln Continental. A large body on frame vehicle that was designed for heavy weight from the get go with a frunk the size of a community center. Not every car needs to be an urban runabout.
Well IMHO you cant do a desirable car because you lose value converting it and spend money you wont recoup. No smaller cars because in addition to cost to convert you have to upgrade everything from frames, brakes, even tires used so extra cost not to be recovered.
So best cars? Big old crappy cars that arent worth money to restore. Seventies and later Rolls Royces, 70s and 80s American land yachts, late model VW buses, the craptastic 70s mustangs (pintos) any old model decent body car you cant get parts for anymore. Hey a model T would be hillarious, how about lower model cars
of expensive cars? How about a Delorean? At least then one could hot 88mph?
You do recoup the money, by not having to pay for gasoline, and 90% of maintenance costs are no longer needed. If you have your own solar panels, the “fuel” is free. If not, charging at a local Walmart is still much less per mile than the cheapest regular gasoline.
It’s been a dream of mine to EV convert an MGA. Something like 100 miles of range and 130-150 hp sounds about right to me. They never had above 100 hp in their original form and I would imagine the size/amount of batteries needed for a 100-mile range wouldn’t add to the weight significantly. And an extra 30-50 hp would be enough to offset whatever the weight gain might be anyway.
I still think EV converting a classic ruins the soul of that car.
Yes, I get why people do it….it’s more efficient, more reliable, better for the environment, etc…but it’s not the same car anymore.
Yes, I get it would likely improve performance, but it’s the smells, feel, emotions and experiences we buy old cars for and EV-converting them removes a HUGE part of that 🙁
Rover P5B Coupe owner here. Hard to do without replacing hydraulic PAS (which is a notoriously leak-prone worm-and-peg box that shits quadseals with alacrity) because electric PAS pumps all operate at too-high a pressure compared to the old engine driven pump. Also, the automatic gearbox fitted to these was borderline inadequate for the torque of a Rover V8 in 1969 and none were fitted with manuals (3 Litre P5 straight 6s were sometimes manuals though). Very few electric motors seem to be available to replace a straight through RWD application and connect to the rear diff. Closest/simplest retrofit seems to be a Nissan Leaf motor removed from the FWD diff and connected through a 1.9 reduction gearbox (ala Torquetrends) into the diff.
Hey, I just saw a running Bi-Turbo the other day.. Well, it was in a parking lot with a man sitting in it so it might have been dead but it got there somehow!
I am happy to see you chose my photo of a Biturbo! Being a Wikipedia photo nerd is strangely satisfying.
As for EV conversions, generally it’s a no thanks. Keep the classics intact and use an EV for driving around. Although the Citroën DS would be really cool with Mazda’s upcoming electric/rotary combo.
NO NO NO. Do not convert old cars to EV. 1, they are all terrible to drive in the first place (thats their charm), they are death traps – especially Renault 4s and Citroen 2CVs leave them alone. FFS if you really must have an EV just buy a used Leaf to commute in and keep your cool charming old classic car for when you want to enjoy life. I like my commute to be quiet, comfortable and listen to a podcast or the radio, put me in THE dreariest SUV, sedan, hatch. I actually don’t care. When I want to enjoy driving then, yeah give me a fun car, a stupid car, an old unreliable car whatever, just don’t ruin the charm and the smell and noise by throwing an electric motor into it.
While you’re entitled to your opinion, I think you’re wrong… particularly if it’s being done to an example that needs a restoration anyway… and especially for old luxury cars where the OEM originally did as much as possible to make the car really quiet and smooth.
The correct answer is none. Classics are finite resource and should be treated as such. Shoehorning an EV drivetrain into one and disposing of the original parts is obscene and confers no benefit to anyone.
Except those of us who like clean air and predictable weather…
Their engines and engine parts are similarly finite resources. If the choice is between the world having x of them or x+n but n of them are electric, ::shrug::
Porsche 914, Opel GT, Volvo 1800 ES, ‘59-‘60 Corvette, ‘67 Dodge Charger, ‘57 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, Dodge Rampage, ‘56 Chevy Nomad, Lotus Europa, Mini Pickup, AH Bugeye Sprite, Pinto Station Wagon, AMC AMX, etc., etc.
Some guy has an electrified 914 in Hawaii. Rough life.
I have a death wish and the need to send it. Let me EV-swap a Trabant.
Did I miss it, or did no one suggest the Avanti? No Gattica fans here? The Citreon DS would also be an excellent choice, but I think someone mentioned that.
70’s style custom vans would be great too.
If range is a major consideration, the a Lincoln Mk VIII would be a great choice due to aerodynamics. Make sure you maintain the adjustable suspension so it can “squat down” at speed to improve airflow.
https://www.electricclassiccars.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/@ElectricClassicCars
Highly recommend this YouTube channel.
Great conversions where they weigh each corner of the car and maintain or beat the previous weight.
Subaru SVX…That is all…
Drive a converted ’69 Ghia. Have owned multiple VWs over the years, mostly air cooled, and this is my favorite. Started with a range of 200 miles and soon pulled out the weight to be close to original and 60 mile range. Did not like the extra weight.
Am considering converting a 40s Hudson.
Criteria for a good conversion is one that you can cruise around. Power and range multiplies the cost and weight very quickly.
Poor choice for a conversion is a car where the motor is a part of the charm, like a Jag or Packard
Please share more info on this converted Ghia.
@toecutter, what do you want to know?
Parts: EV West with Tesla batteries. Two most difficult parts were the battery box and getting good at crimping the multitude of small connectors.
Good points: garage smells better, nothing to adjust, just plug in at night, keeps up with traffic, so easy to drive, can change it back to an ICE, a gearhead’s dream as it is never finished.
Bad points: is a custom build and mistakes are made, much more expensive than an off the shelf EV with none of the safety features, there is always something to improve so it is never finished.
the EV west kits are not terribly cheap, but seem to be pretty complete. https://www.evwest.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=40
60 mile range is a bit scary though.
@JDE, EV West sells all almost everything that is needed. You can do it cheaper if you are willing to put in the time.
After driving a year and a half the farthest I drove the ghia in a day was 40 miles so 60 mile range was fine for me.
Have owned many hobby cars and prefer not to drive them far.
Thanks. I mainly wanted performance specs. 0-60 mph, and top speed? But with a Tesla drive system, you probably don’t even have enough traction to use it to its potential anyway.
I have a Biturbo and wow is that thing tough to keep running. Mine is carbureted and intercooled, which is a large part of the challenge, and I also live in california and have to run the smog equipment. I’m told the injected ones are more reliable.
So yes, an ev biturbo would be very nice. It would lose a lot of the charm, but that charm is only present for the 50% of drives that don’t end in a tow truck ride.
I would not mind an EV:
CJ-3 to CJ-8
Willys-Overland Jeepster
Saab Sonnett
Volvo 1800
VW Thing
Jeep FC
Nash Metropolitan
Yes good idea. Put super excelleration and speed into a top heavy 4wd. There are cheaper and more intelligent ways to kill yourself. And more reliable ways.
Oh, my friends, there is a list in my head of all the vehicles I would convert to EV if I had F-U money. Mostly cars that looked good but didn’t have the performance to match, were unreliable or both (Looking at you Lancia Scorpion).
My list, though is topped by a Morris Mini Traveler which I would make a dual motor, AWD beasty that would absolutely surprise people in stop light races. That’d be what I took around town for running errands.
Alfa GT 1750-2000 up to 1972 or so.
GM’s a bit ahead of you with the Corvair platform – they had their own EV version of the regular coupe in the 60s
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-story-of-the-1966-chevrolet-electrovair-the-electric-corvair-you-never-knew-existed-176296.html
And a few attempts with fuel cells, originally intended for the corvair but eventually installed in the similar-looking “Handi-Van”
https://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/index.php/gm-electrovan/