There is much debate among enthusiasts as to whether converting your classic to electric would take away from the authenticity and feel of driving a classic. But for those who are interested in making their classic more environmentally friendly, Classic Motor Cars are leading the way.
With the drive to provide their clients with an option to move with the times, Classic Motor Cars have embarked on a new partnership with Electrogenic, one of the UK’s leading electric vehicle engineering companies. With CMC’s 30 years of experience bringing vehicles back to life and Electrogenic’s innovative electric conversions, together they are a winning duo.
“The problem was not that we didn’t want to move with the times especially when clients were starting to ask us to find a solution,” says CMC’s managing director Nigel Woodward.
“As a company it was a dilemma. We knew that we could restore a classic car to an award-winning specification, but we could not find an EV partner who could match this level of expertise in the conversion of the car from an internal combustion engine to an electric powertrain.”
That was until the CMC came across Electrogenic through a friend’s recommendation. After seeing an E-type with an electric motor with a proper clutch and gearbox, wheels started turning.
“Our aim right from the start has been to make our cars better versions of themselves, and this includes retaining the classic driving experience,” says Steve Drummond, Managing Director of Electrogenic.
He continued, “We wanted to keep gearboxes where possible and offer a range of power and charging options, all seamlessly melded with the character of the car. We wanted the cars to be the same weight as the petrol car where possible, to retain its original handling characteristics, and to re-distribute the weight where possible to improve the handling. Now, every time I get behind the wheel of a classic car, I think how much better it will drive once it’s electric.”
“We are very focused on our technology however, and although we do a lot of fabrication in-house to build things like battery boxes, motor mounts etc, we don’t restore vehicles. CMC obviously does and having spent time in their premises at Bridgnorth we are incredibly impressed not only with their organisation but with the quality of the work that they do. So, we are delighted to have a trusted restorer that we can refer our customers to. And we are even more delighted that CMC feels the same way about us and will be referring customers to Electrogenic.”
Considering conversions are reversible, would you ever convert your classic? Let us know in the comments below.
If you’d like to find out more about the CMC or Electrogenic please visit the websites at:
https://www.classic-motor-cars.co.uk/
https://www.electrogenic.co.uk/
Electric vehicles powered by batteries that are eye watering expensive to replace no no no. they degrade and lose power as they age so that's not much good if you have a classic you want to keep for thirty or forty years, plus it would not make the same noise, who wants a silent sports classic. Besides if everything was to become electric where is all that power going to come from, all the massive copper cables to carry it all, its a complete nonsense. Then there's the waiting in endless queues miles long waiting for hours to charge your car when there are millions of E v's on the road. We need a fuel that can fill your car in minutes and has at least the same range as a fossil fuel car that doe's not use all the earths rare metals and require massive new power stations. Maybe hydrogen ammonia or some such that can be made by electricity from wind power etc stored and transported as fossil fuels are. Save digging up all those roads and streets to supply all that power for E v's. The government have got no idea Well that's just a small rant you ought to see me when in full rant.
Ted, 12/07/2021
I have the purchase of a particular car in mind, and when the time is right, I will get it converted with a decent electric motor...... I've wanted an electric car for forty years and I'm going to have the one I want before I depart this earth! Meanwhile, I'm off to play with my 1970's and 1980's big-bore two-stroke motorcycles. They smell nice and tend to make most cars feel tame in comparison!
Martin I Henry, 09/07/2021
Love my two classic cars. But also love the quiet addictive torque of an EV. Suggest watching some videos of white zombies to see just how easily a home conversion EV destroys many a souped-up big block American muscle car. I would convert mine in an instant if I could afford it. Yes, it would lose some character such as the nagging worry it will at some point inevitably break down. Perhaps Overheat whilst sitting in a traffic jam. Or burst into flames when ethanol corrodes the fuel lines. I won’t miss the classic headaches from the smell of petrol Oil and exhaust gases or accelerating to the sound of hundreds of mechanical parts trying not to break and trying to source an obsolete mechanical part when something does break. The fact is that the ICE is old technology that is being replaced with a superior electric power plant. Our youths want EVs. The pin-up cars are Teslas or Rimac. There is little point in railing against the future. If you really love your classic car then investigate the technology and learn what a conversion actually entails. You may come to realise that a faster, more reliable, more useable every day and cheaper to run version of your beloved classic could actually be the future for our cars. Many classic owners think nothing of putting in new technology. Electronic ignition new bigger brakes modern engines gearboxes diffs etc etc. swapping an old ice engine to an electric motor and a fuel tank for batteries isn’t really that different to swapping a 900cc engine for a V8. It’s no longer the same car it’s lost its original character. Ultimately everyone’s car is their own and they have every right to do whatever they want with their cars. Keep totally original concourse. Modernised retro. Custom etc. More classics will be EV converted and when they are more common they will be accepted.
Notsoworried, 09/07/2021