These companies will convert your classic into an EV

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The electrification of the automobile seems, to many, to be simply unstoppable, but as battery technology advances, styling looks like it’s going in reverse.

We struggle to think of modern vehicles in general we’d call pretty, but today’s electric vehicle (EVs) are arguably the most homely of the bunch.

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These companies will convert your classic into an EV Back to video

There’s also something very sterile about new cars — they don’t have a character or a tactile feel to them. For the most part, they’re recyclable appliances, discarded after they’ve outlived their use.

Luckily, there’s a new solution to these issues: classic car EV conversions. A classic car has a character and a feel when you sit behind the steering wheel — whether it’s a fully restored stunner or a clapped-out heap, it has a story to tell. When converted to electric power, it brings all the benefits of looking and feeling good to a world where you no longer need to burn fuel.

But just because you’ve converted your classic to be more environmentally friendly doesn’t mean everybody is going to think you’re a hero.

In fact, the Federation Internationale des Vehicules Anciens (FIVA), a group dedicated to the preservation and protection of vintage vehicles, recently declared once your vehicle has been converted to electric, it “doesn’t comply with the FIVA definition of a historic vehicle, nor does it support the goal of preserving historic vehicles and their related culture.” So, take that into account before shopping for electric powertrains.

If you don’t care about FIVA, though, here are ten companies that will convert your classic car into an EV.

Electra Meccanica’s 356 eRoadster

Range: 250 kilometres
Peak torque: 644 lb.-ft.
Price: $124,900

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Electra Meccanica is an electric offshoot of parent company Intermeccanica, which has been making Porsche replicas since the ’70s. In the last few years, it’s turned to electrifying its replicas to make them into stylish West Coast cruisers even more hippie than their predecessors.

Voitures Extravert’s Porsche 911

Range: 321 kilometres
Peak torque: 672 lb.-ft.
Price: $450,000

Not only will these guys convert your Porsche 911 to electric, but they’ll restore it for you too. Voitures Extravert has said it won’t touch 1960s Porsches. However, it will backdate your ’70s or ’80s Porsche to look like it’s from the 60s, with a few added modern conveniences to boot — and in the boot.

Lunaz’s Jaguar XK120

Range: N/A
Peak torque: 516 lb.-ft.
Price: $594,790

Named after the daughter of the company’s founder, upstart Lunaz converts vintage British luxury vehicles into electrically-powered beasts. Its first project was a 1953 Jaguar XK120 that was meticulously disassembled and 3D-scanned in order to properly fit the company’s bespoke drivetrain.

That drivetrain, by the way, makes 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Next up is a 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, but for now, interested customers will have to settle for the £350,000 ($594,790) Jag.

Jaguar’s 2020 E-Type Zero EV

Range: 275 kilometres
Peak output: 295 hp
Price: N/A

Jaguar itself will build you an electric version of its classic E-Type, dubbed the E-Type Zero. Famously driven by Prince Harry at his wedding, the classic conversion mixes great looks with perfect reliability (yes, despite the brand’s reputation).

This is one of the best EV conversions available as it’s completely reversible. Plus the electric drivetrain weighs the same as the original, so it retains the same weight distribution.

Zero Labs’ Ford Bronco

Range: 305 kilometres
Peak torque: 277 lb.-ft.
Price: $265,000

If sports cars aren’t really your thing, perhaps a classic truck is more to your liking. The Bronco is a bona fide classic, but it was never really known for its powerful drivetrain. That can change thanks to Zero Labs, which will install an electric motor good for 440 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque in the 4×4, a 500-per-cent improvement! Add a 305-kilometre range and you’re good for a few hours of off-road fun.

Charge’s Ford Mustang

Range: 200 kilometres
Peak torque: 885 lb.-ft.
Price: $509,820

Sporting “Eleanor” body kits, the Mustangs turned out by this British firm take muscle in a different direction. Underneath the reproduction 1967 ‘Stang body sits dual electric motors, capable of providing 402 horsepower and 885 lb.-ft. of torque to all four wheels.

While it looks vintage, there’s really nothing vintage about it, especially in terms of performance. Zero-to-100-km/h happens in just 3.1 seconds, and you’ll get 200 km out of a full charge — all for £300,000 (CAD$509,820).

Garage Italia’s Icon-E Fiat 500

Range: N/A
Peak torque: N/A
Price: N/A

If being environmentally friendly is all about reducing your footprint, there isn’t a much smaller shoe than the Fiat 500. Garage Italia is a firm based in Italy dedicated to the preservation of the style and history of motor vehicles, so it only seems fitting it would build a future-proof EV Fiat 500 Jolly.

Details such as battery size, range, or price are not available, but it doesn’t really matter in a piece of history like this. The only indication re: performance is the gearshift lever, which has selections for “Tortoise” or “Hare.”

BB Classic Cars’ Zastava

Range: 150 kilometres
Peak torque: N/A
Price: $30,000

Owning an EV can get expensive — I mean, despite saving a ton of money on fuel, the cars are usually pretty costly to begin with. However, a small company from North Macedonia is trying to change that with its $30,000 EV, based on the Zastava 750 — a Yugoslavian copy of the Fiat 600. The frugal EV is powered by a 10-kWh battery pack, which is good enough for 150 kilometres of vintage transportation.

Aston Martin’s Heritage EV Concepts

Range: N/A
Peak torque: N/A
Price: N/A

Aston Martin vehicles are special — many have been immortalized in film and on television, and they have an impeccable pedigree in the motorsports world. Now, the genuine article can be immortalized as well, in the form of a reversible classic EV conversion.

Think of this swap as a range-extender, but not the kind you’re used to. Aston Martin itself will discretely convert your vehicle to electric power to save the real drivetrain from wear and tear, while you zip around in quiet and smooth bliss.

RBW Classic Electric Cars’ MGBs

Range: 250 kilometres
Peak torque: 167 lb.-ft.
Price: $167,000

The only real way to do a classic car “conversion” is to not convert a classic car at all. If you want to avoid people getting angry at you for ruining a piece of history, then a new production body shell with new components is the only way to go.

RBW Classic Electric Cars is doing just that in the U.K., with new MGB, Jaguar XKSS and Jaguar C-Type bodies driven by electric power. The MGB matches the original’s power figures and now has a 250-kilometre range. Cost? About £99,600 ($169,260).

For more on electric vehicles, listen to Driving’s EV podcast Plugged In.

Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.