Electric conversion project
- Thread starter 4lifea2
- Start date
That's the issue, there are multiple ways of doing an electric conversion but people who've done it - mostly in Europe - have designed and installed their own systems, often using parts from other electric cars, e.g. Nissan Leaf. Costs can be high - £10,000- £20,000 - particularly if you don't do the work yourself
I'm hoping someone offers an A2 kit of parts (batteries, engine, ecu etc.) that could be installed for a reasonable price. Quite a few threads discussing this.
Do you want an Electric A2?
I'm hoping someone offers an A2 kit of parts (batteries, engine, ecu etc.) that could be installed for a reasonable price. Quite a few threads discussing this.
Do you want an Electric A2?
Alan_uk
A2OC Donor
Converting an A2 (or any ICE car) to EV is a non-trivial job. Back in 2020 I followed many threads on European forums (using Google translate) to try and produce a list of components and tasks. Some of the threads made it to the end but others just petered out, so maybe the task was too challenging or expensive. There are also YouTube videos about A2 conversions, some quite old when just having an A2 EV was the goal despite very limited range. An English chap in Italy (I think) made a successful conversion documented in about 12 videos.
I did get as far as listing the components and tasks see below (but not the costs and time - perhaps you can do that and post back!) . These lists are no doubt incomplete and maybe wrong. I did contact some UK EV conversion specialists. Most didn't reply and others said the A2 was too modern (i.e. it has a CAN-BUS). The EV needs to be registered with the DVLA and pass a though inspection and they need photographic evidence of the conversion work as it progressed. Also, any one doing this is advised to undertake a course on how to safety handle EV batteries and electrical components -they can be lethal.
I did get as far as listing the components and tasks see below (but not the costs and time - perhaps you can do that and post back!) . These lists are no doubt incomplete and maybe wrong. I did contact some UK EV conversion specialists. Most didn't reply and others said the A2 was too modern (i.e. it has a CAN-BUS). The EV needs to be registered with the DVLA and pass a though inspection and they need photographic evidence of the conversion work as it progressed. Also, any one doing this is advised to undertake a course on how to safety handle EV batteries and electrical components -they can be lethal.
A2Dreamer
A2OC Donor
There's a good thread here, doesn't help much with any technical detail, but there's a good post from @ecoangel about half way down the page. I have to say that I absolutely agree with everything he says, and have been saying so for years.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the technology and potential performance of EVs, I just Don't believe they are the panacea that our governments are telling us...
Really? Lied to by the government? Who'd have thought it..!!
??
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the technology and potential performance of EVs, I just Don't believe they are the panacea that our governments are telling us...
Really? Lied to by the government? Who'd have thought it..!!
??
Malcyb
Member
I‘m definitely not an EV evangelist, however a YouTube video just came up on my feed about this company, quite interesting. Evidently not production-ready yet but the principle is supposedly that the company will sell conversion kits to local garages and it’s claimed the conversion would take about 4 hours. It‘s focused at small cars (Fiat 500s, Twingos, etc…), the tiny battery only gives claimed 60 miles range, and the €5000 cost is with a government subsidy, but it does seem to be a potentially relatively affordable way to converting something such as an A2.
G
Guest 4123
Guest
You presumably have a better option? Go on, share it with us!
Four hours????
RAB
G
Guest 4123
Guest
Even so, removing the engine and installing a motor and battery, not to mention everything else, in four hours!
RAB
Malcyb
Member
It does seem like a fanciful claim, but they’d look a bit silly if they were wildly inaccurate. Go to around the 14 minute point in the video. I suppose if the process became standardised over time for conversions of specific models it will become easier, but tackling any new model would take much much longer
G
Guest 4123
Guest
Inaccurate or not, the job is meant to be done by your local garage, not specialists who could do the job blindfolded!
RAB
RAB
Malcyb
Member
The claim is repeated in this article, though it does say the 4 hours is a “goal”…
French Startup Transition-One Wants To Supercharge EV Conversions With Its Ecological Transition Solution - CleanTechnica
Transition-One is one of the firms taking advantage of France’s new homologation regulation and subsidies for conversions of ICE vehicles to EVs. Transition-One says it is offering an ecological transition solution for the automotive sector.
cleantechnica.com
A2Steve
A2OC Donor
I can remove an A2 engine in about 35 minutes with my trusty angle grinder, but don't ever expect any of the electrics, fuel supply or waterworks to be usable again.
I think an experienced mechanic is going to need about 2 hours to get a engine out of a small car like a 500 safely and correctly. I could imagine that if there is a made to measure bolt on kit with all the wiring loom connectors and adaptations already built into the system then it may not be too unrealistic once a couple of conversions have been done.
I think an experienced mechanic is going to need about 2 hours to get a engine out of a small car like a 500 safely and correctly. I could imagine that if there is a made to measure bolt on kit with all the wiring loom connectors and adaptations already built into the system then it may not be too unrealistic once a couple of conversions have been done.
A2Steve
A2OC Donor
Synthetic diesel? Surely better than the child labour and environmental damage done by cobalt mining, not to mention the production pollution of making so many electric cars?
Clean diesel fuels – DW – 08/17/2017
Some German industry officials have lately been touting 'e-fuels,' synthetic liquid fuels that can be burned in diesel engines, as an alternative to an all-electric automotive future. Is this workable - or mere PR?
www.dw.com
G
Guest 4123
Guest
No, there would never be sufficient. It would be a choice between synthetic diesel powered cars or food. In the first case, many would go hungry. Alternatives have to utilise non-food materials. Additionally, there would still be a problem with NOx.
RAB
G
Guest 4123
Guest
There are two choices at the moment, battery electric or hydrogen from electricity. "Blue" hydrogen derived from methane shouldn't be an option because of the CO2 produced. The first option is something like 6 to 8 times more efficient than the second due to the inefficiencies of producing hydrogen from water and that of fuel cells; in addition the hydrogen has to be compressed and transported. Thus hydrogen should only be used when batteries are not an option, e.g. HGVs.
Here is an article on resources for EV batteries:
www.nature.com
Note that Lithium is not the predominant metal required. Also note that lithium extraction doesn't necessarily mean mining:
cornishlithium.com
RAB
Here is an article on resources for EV batteries:
Electric cars and batteries: how will the world produce enough?
Reducing the use of scarce metals — and recycling them — will be key to the world’s transition to electric vehicles.
www.nature.com
Note that Lithium is not the predominant metal required. Also note that lithium extraction doesn't necessarily mean mining:
Cornish Lithium Plc. | Lithium exploration within Cornwall, UK
Cornish Lithium is an eco-technology company providing the raw materials for the Green Industrial Revolution.
cornishlithium.com
RAB
