Classic Cars to Electric Vehicles: Good or Bad?
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Classic Cars to Electric Vehicles: Good or Bad?
London Electric Cars
Matthew Quitter set up his business in 2017. He has gotten much popular over the years for his skilful work and techniques. He converts classic cars into modern electric vehicles by replacing the combustion engine with an electric motor. Most of the electric motors are the ones that would be scraped if not for him. The electric motors and batteries come from accidental cars that can no longer function perfectly, but their batteries are as good as new. Quitter takes those motors and batteries and fits them inside the car. The cars are fixed under a railway arch in a garage in Vauxhall. All the working is done there and once it is done, the car is given to the owner.
Time and Cost
It takes quite a lot of effort and time to get things done. We ate not talking about some simple task qs replacing the batteries. Cars are fully functioning devices. They are not toys that can be fixed in a few minutes. The car must be safe to drive. To replace the combustion engine with the electric motor the company may take 3 to 6 months. The time may also depend upon the type of car. Some cars are easier to convert while others are not.
The cost is not as cheap as you would think. Currently, it costs £20,000 to convert a car. Even though the company wants to decrease the cost to £5000, it is still very disappointing. The funny thing is that you can buy a new electric car at this price. Skoda CITIGOe iV, SEAT e-Mii Electric, VW e-Up, and Fiat 500e are all under £20,000. This limits the conversion to only those who are crazy about the look of the classic cars. Those who would actually want to drive their classic car on a day to day basis. It is not a cheap alternative to buying a new electric car.
Type of Car
The type of car matters. Every car has a different internal mechanism. Some cars are easier to convert while others are not. The Aston Martins cars are very challenging. They are super hard to convert as their light internal parts are not suitable for electric power. Bentleys and Rolls-Royces are different. They are the best and easiest to convert. It means that their internal mechanism and parts are suitable for running on an electric motor. Land Rovers and Old Minis are also very well-suited for conversion. They are the cheapest cars to convert.
Other Companies
There are many other companies that are also playing their part in this sector. Steve Drummond runs his company Oxford-based Electrogenic that converts old cars. He is passionate about classic cars and wants them to be on the road again. Since the petrol-powered ones would hardly function well, the electric ones may save the day. He wants the classic cars to be used and not just play the role of a decoration piece. His firm has signed a contract and is now converting all the Glastonbury Festival's Land Rovers to electric power
There is one more electric carr conversion firm called Lunaz. It was founded by David Lorenz. The conversion of classic cars to electric is expensive, but there are no limits to passion. According to the Department of Transport in the UK, classic cars are only responsible for 0.25% of the total mileage of vehicles. Lunaz wants to change that. Lorenz believes that there is a need to revive the classic car industry and we should think about what we can do to make it a viable sustainable project. His firm charged £500,000 for the conversion of the footballer David Beckham's Rolls-Royce. He says that "They're beautiful objects which are very much under threat, and there's a feeling that younger drivers want to preserve, and further the legacy of these cars [by making them electric]."
Need for Government's Cooperation
Mr Quitter insists that there is a need for the government's cooperation in this sector. There is a grant of £2,500 for buying a new electric vehicle in the UK, but there is no such grant for the conversion of an old vehicle. There should be more support for the people who want to continue driving their classic cars. If you buy a new EV you are throwing away a perfectly good car that could work perfectly used after conversion. Moreover, it is a chance to use scrapped EV batteries again. Recycling is always a better option.
Angry Car Enthusiasts
Even though this initiative was initially taken to win the hearts of car enthusiasts, many disagree with the whole concept. They consider the electric conversion blasphemous. They consider it idiotic to change the heritage by converting a car that wasn't built that way. You may instead copy the design of the old cars if that is all that attracts you. The director of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, Wayne Scott, said "While I would never dictate what people chose to do with their cars... I advise people to think about the effect of changing our heritage by converting it."
Car enthusiasts consider the sound of the car its main attractive aspect. The rattling of the engine makes this car unique. Taking it all away from the cars would leave them empty from inside. It's like playing a song by The Beatles in a child's choice. The experience does not remain the same.
Conclusion
We have so far discussed everything that could be said in the favour of or against the conversion of vintage cars to modern electric vehicles. What remains is to discuss our own opinion. Well, both sides have some really good points. It feels like car enthusiasts have been divided into two groups. One group wants to preserve the original nature of classic cars. They do not want them to go through modern modification and are okay with keeping them as just decoration pieces. The other group wants to use these cars. They are okay with keeping only the appearance of the car intact. Even though they seem to have a little less passion, their choice is a practical one.
We believe that it is up to the ca oner what he wants to do with his car. If he wants to drive it on daily basis, then conversion to the electric motor is a viable opinion. Similarly, If he wants to preserve it, then there is nothing that can stop him from doing that.
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