A photograph of an American Classic car, as seen through the side window, showing the steering wheel, dash board and blue interior, Image taken in August 2018 on a sunny day at Goodwood Motor Circuit, in the UK, at a classic car meeting (breakfast club), open to the general public.

1018915066

A photograph of an American Classic car, as seen through the side window, showing the steering wheel, dash board and blue interior, Image taken in August 2018 on a sunny day at Goodwood Motor Circuit, in the UK, at a classic car meeting (breakfast club), open to the general public.

Photo by: Tim Stocker Photography

Tim Stocker Photography

Retrofitting Older Cars with Electric Motors Could Transform Transport

By: Robin Fearon

Low emission battery-powered electric cars are still a tiny fraction of all cars sold despite offering cheaper running costs and eco-friendly credentials. The higher purchase price is one reason, but retrofitting older cars and trucks with electric motors could be the fix needed to turbocharge electric vehicle uptake.

November 01, 2021

Less than one percent of registered cars, vans, and trucks on American roads in 2020 was electric. Sales may have tripled since 2016, but new owners are put off by the fact that electric vehicles (EVs) are still 45 percent more expensive to make than gasoline or diesel cars.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley say they may be cheaper to build than internal combustion models in as little as five years. And replacing the engines in older cars with electric motors could make EVs affordable to millions more.

Electric engine

157188044

Electric engine.

Photo by: GreenPimp

GreenPimp

Electric engine.

Ford and General Motors are among the big names offering electric conversion kits for drivers looking to keep their current car on the road while drastically lowering its emissions. General Motors announced its motor, battery, and converter kit in 2020. Ford is readying a drop-in 281 horsepower electric crate motor for sale.

Independent suppliers, auto-mechanics and startup companies also deliver and fit a wide range of conversion kits for everything from rusty old trucks to modish two-wheel scooters. But prices vary from $1,000s to $100,000s, and conversions take anywhere from hours to months.

Classic cars make up the high-value end of the conversion market as you might expect. Zero Labs in Los Angeles offers a platform electric drive chassis system for different classes of vehicles including 4x4 SUVs, pickups, and muscle cars, but it says its first edition classic rebuilds begin at $185,000.

London Electric is a UK company offering conversion for original Minis, Land Rovers, and Morris classic cars, starting at $40,000-plus and taking on average three to four months. Certainly more affordable, but hardly small change.

Conversion for mass production models should be less expensive, and if take-up is to be effective then it needs to be to stay within the reach of most car owners. New Electric is a Dutch-Irish company, that is taking experience gathered from boat refits and applying it to cars. The company can either cheaply convert a car or teach owners how to do it themselves for as little as $1,200.

Retrofitting cars destined for the scrap heap by replacing the internal combustion engine allows New Electric to give older car stock a new lease of life. As more and more retrofit companies emerge, then mass adoption could contribute effectively to tackling climate change.

Transitioning from fossil fuel cars to electric will take time and retrofitting needs regulation oversight for it to be safe and effective. Electrification of car stock brings its own complications. Carmakers are in the midst of a chip shortage, better rapid charging infrastructure needs to be put in place, and the national electric grid will need an upgrade likely costing more than $100 billion.

On top of that, there are likely to be shortages of essential metallic elements like nickel and lithium used in EV batteries. Analysts say that forces EV makers to look at alternative battery technologies, including solid-state batteries with faster charging times and longer life, and the auto industry has invested heavily to find solutions.

Electric car lithium battery pack and power connections. Blue toned

1281734563

Electric car lithium battery pack and power connections.

Photo by: Prapass Pulsub

Prapass Pulsub

Electric car lithium battery pack and power connections.

That will likely leave room for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to take an inside track. FCEV use is likely to increase over time, but one company – Seatlle-based Hytech – has created an alternative low power drop-in electrolyzer to create hydrogen for ignition.

Hytech’s proton exchange membrane electrolyzer uses a metal hydride liquid solution to produce hydrogen that is burned in the vehicle’s engine. By retrofitting internal combustion vehicles to use zero-carbon hydrogen, the company hopes to create green transport for a fraction of the cost of buying a new battery EV or FCEV.

Whichever route drivers choose, EVs are set to hugely disrupt the traditional market for personal and work vehicles worldwide. Retrofitting existing cars could be just the boost needed to enable that transformation. Over the next decade, that means millions more becoming converts.

Next Up

Hydrogen Ready to Ignite as Transport Network and Technology Takes Off

Transport is undergoing a massive transformation so it can meet society’s demands for a low-carbon economy. Introducing electric vehicles (EVs) and declining gasoline and diesel use are helping, but zero-carbon hydrogen can speed up both the transition and long-term decarbonization of transport.

California Proposes Ban on New Gas-Fueled Cars by 2035

If enacted, California’s mandate would be the first to prohibit new gasoline or diesel cars in the next decade.

How Lithium Batteries Will Improve EV Range and Rapid Charging

Electric vehicles (EVs) are due for huge upgrades in driving range and charging times as new battery technologies are introduced.

Recycled Lithium-Ion Batteries are Outlasting Brand New Ones

Car batteries made with recycled materials are outlasting their un-recycled counterparts– boosting auto manufacturers’ confidence in reusable parts.

Sustainable Aviation Will Reduce Jet Fuel Emissions to Zero

Zero carbon flights are the ultimate goal for an airline industry that relies heavily on fossil fuels. Aviation pumps out at least 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions today. Sustainable aviation fuels will shrink the industry’s climate risk by 2030, but zero-emissions fuels like hydrogen are beginning to emerge.

Doing Renewables Right

Having a “net-zero future” – where the world isn’t emitting excess carbon dioxide – can seem like a far-off pipe dream.With sea levels still rising, wildfires becoming more and more frequent – alongside other extreme weather like floods and storms – and biodiversity rapidly dwindling, it’s imperative we focus on expanding renewable energy across the world, increasing energy sources to help mitigate the impact that fossil fuels have on the climate.

Future Professional Racers are Go-Karting on the new discovery+ series, BABY DRIVERS

The all-new discovery+ series BABY DRIVERS is introducing us to the high-stakes world of racing and the kids behind the wheel aiming to be the next great professional racing superstar. Coming exclusively to discovery+ on Monday, May 23.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Rapamycin For Rover, H-Fueled Flight, Mind-Controlled Arms

Today, you’ll learn about how a drug that helps in human organ transplants might be able to extend the lives of man’s best friend, the airline industry's potential but difficult switch to hydrogen fuel, and how a high school student is transforming prosthetics with brain waves.