Electric Conversion Option

[Bajabrewer]

My brother sent me this link for an electric V8 conversion option. I think the dual motor setup with 240 HP & 340 lb-ft would move a Bronco nicely. I'm not sure how much space the battery's would take up & if the weight would mean heavier springs? The article says they're doing an FJ40 with maybe Early Bronco kits in the future. No price yet.......


https://www.autoblog.com/2019/10/14/electric-gt-crate-motor-ev-conversions/

 

[Bajabrewer]

Another link with more info on what a "Electric Crate Motor" is.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/...qrkJ4/edit?ts=5d9f6cf7#heading=h.rrar1dgps27e

 

[sykanr0ng]

240 HP & 340 lb-ft?

Those are the same numbers as a 1st gen F150 Lightning 351W, so I would agree that should move an eB right smartly.

 

[SteveL]

It's only a matter of time. What's the cost for the swap. I know there's a company out in the valley that does full electric swaps on vintage vehicles but it's in the 6 figures. Might be the same guys.

 

[duffymahoney]

Tesla swap parts/ other companies parts are starting to come down in price. Retailers are popping up. Custom fabricated parts etc.. It's only a matter of time till they are pretty cost effective. My guess is it will be a huge movement in the classic car world to swap to EV. People are swapping tesla motors in to 70-80s porsche and get 2 second 0-60 times for 20-30k. Direct bolt in motors will be a huge hit.

My next build will be a 70s Porsche with dual tesla motors and Model S battery pack. You can find Porsche's with no motor or blown motors pretty cost effectively.

 

[duffymahoney]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vTCK9ywBA

This thing is amazing.

 

[dougsride]

my wife drives a BMW i3 all electric back and forth to work. thing is FAST up to 40 mph and I mean take out a modern muscle car fast up to that speed. cruises easy at 80 plus on the hwy no problem. Cost me 8 bucks a month on my electric bill. Now range that's another story, but heck its her commuter so no problem. Thought about doing a VW bug kit but I can get a used Bev too cheap and it comes with ac and heat, so I think I will go that route. people are still scared about battery life so there are really good deals on used electric cars now.

 

[SteveL]

My buddy couldn't stand his electric BMW. Loves the Tesla he replaced it with. Prius ant teslas are real popular out here.

 

[Scoop]

I'd like to see how the cost compares to a Coyote conversion.

 

[Bajabrewer]

I'm curious what the range is & what it would do to my home electric bill if I used it as a commuter vehicle? 50-75 miles a day 12-15,000 a year?

 

[blubuckaroo]

I'm curious what the range is & what it would do to my home electric bill if I used it as a commuter vehicle? 50-75 miles a day 12-15,000 a year?

Right! The difference in you power consumption is noticeable.
Here in the NW, where electricity is pretty cheap, it's a great option. Not so much in places with high power prices.

Also, taxes are eliminated when you charge at home.
Actually WA is addressing that right now. They're considering taxing by the mile rather than by the gallon. Their reasoning is cars are becoming too efficient, causing reduced revenue.?:?
https://www.king5.com/article/news/...-tax/281-36178ba6-7ad4-4178-be31-16118c91a74b

 

[OX1]

Hopefully, it doesn't come with this "feature" also..........

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvgxqp/worn-out-flash-memory-is-suddenly-bricking-tesla-cars

 

[Broncobowsher]

The challenge with electric vehicles has always been the battery, not the motor. There was just an article about the worlds fastest electric corvette that broke its own prior record. In the details it weighs something like 1000 pounds over a stock corvette. And a corvette isn't a lightweight to start with.

The wear item on an electric car isn't the motor or transmission. Those are simple, no wear parts. It is the battery where all the money and all the wear is at. It is also where all the technology is at.

20 years ago I drove a friend's S10 that was an electric conversion. Bed full of golf cart batteries as that was the technology of the day. Still had the 5-speed in it. Brushed DC motor. I'm helping with a few details on a modern versions using some Tesla scraps. It is not simple like the S10 was. They are writing code for the CAN network to run the motors. Everything is cooled. The plumbing is nuts. This isn't just next level for the hobby electric car conversion, it's several levels above that.

I look at Indy cars today, very tech loaded. I have a friend who was an engine builder back in the 60s that built a handful of Indy engines. Those were mostly built in home garages back in the day. The tech level today there isn't room for any home garage parts much less the whole car. That jump in technology is what I have also seen in the electric car in the past 20 years.

 

[BanditBronco]

I bought my girl friend a 2013 Focus EV in 2015 for $10K and we have driven the piss out of it. I bought it with 40,000 miles and have 76,000 on it now. At this point I think we will just run it till it dies. I am curious how much over 100k we will see before it says its finished. EV West does some really cool swaps, this is the shop everyone else is speaking of. I would love a manual electric swap, driving a manual without any rpm feed back takes some getting used to I would imagine, but they do rip the tires right off also. I am not sure if we will see a drop in price over the next 10 years or if we will see it still climb as they move forward with the technology.

 

[Broncobowsher]

EV West does lightweights. VW, vintage Porsche. Lightweight makes it a lot easier.

Manual transmission with electric isn't as fun as it sounds. You start at a stop with the clutch engaged. Pull away. Every gear change requires clutch slip. The motor has so much rotating mass and so little drag it won't drop speed like a gas engine. You spin it to 3000 RPM, shift gears, that motor is still doing 3000 RPM. No drag to pull it down. All you can do is slip the clutch or beat up parts. It was neat to drive, but I wouldn't want to own it.

 

[duffymahoney]

Most of the ev swaps don’t use transmissions. They simply don’t last or work with the torque. I have a friend that is a engineer in the automotive world and his company is trying to figure it out.

The battery tech will continue to advance. That will be the next huge jump for EVs. All auto manufactures are hopefully scrambling to catch up to Tesla. If you go to a major city they are everywhere. Plus the are fun as hell to drive. The new roadster goes 600+ miles on a single charge. 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. That’s nuts!

 

[hyghlndr]

I still wish more would go with the primary electric but built in small gas motor. For big trips knowing you can fill up easily and be on the road is a nice option.

I also think the charging stations will significantly increase prices as more and more people depend on them. Its funny when the electric car guys tell me that they don't pollute, so where is the magic electricity coming from?

 

[sykanr0ng]

Its funny when the electric car guys tell me that they don't pollute, so where is the magic electricity coming from?

It's wall current, it comes out of the wall.

That is how they think.

An acquaintance of mine was an electrician, he told me of a customer who cut a hole into the wall and screwed an outlet into the wall (no wiring), then when it didn't work he called an electrician. The customer was an computer programmer.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Its funny when the electric car guys tell me that they don't pollute, so where is the magic electricity coming from?

Along the same lines I had an argument that planting trees doesn't fix the CO2 problem. They argued that the trees take in the CO2 and make O2. I pointed out that was only a short term. What happens when the tree dies? Chop it up and burn it for firewood? There goes the carbon right back into the environment. Just letting it sit on the ground and rot still releases the carbon. If they really wanted to get the carbon out of the air for good you need to chop down the trees and bury them deep underground in a sealed tomb. Where they will eventually transform into natural gas and coal to be mined later. They were not happy with me pointing out reality to them.

 

[blubuckaroo]

I still wish more would go with the primary electric but built in small gas motor. For big trips knowing you can fill up easily and be on the road is a nice option.

Here you go!