Retrofitting supercars with electric motors is wrong?

Mandzhalas · 11-04-2019 11:28AM #1

I have came across this Irish startup that will retrofit expensive cars with electric motors.

Company website states :
"Electrifi is developing a range of high-performance electric cars in Co Wicklow, becoming the first company to manufacture cars in Ireland of any scale in almost 40 years. The cars, known as hypercars, will be taken by Electrifi and will include some of the world’s most iconic classic car brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. They will be rebuilt and optimised with the latest technology and powered by a Tesla engine "

In my opinion gutting out classic cars to make them modern is just so wrong.

colm_mcm · 11-04-2019 11:36AM

If this was a serious venture then it might be worth discussing. Any indications that this has any substance?

For example, the media making a fuss over Fintos.

Mandzhalas · 11-04-2019 11:42AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

If this was a serious venture then it might be worth discussing. Any indications that this has any substance?

For example, the media making a fuss over Fintos.

Well I think this is serious, as it is founded up by Norman Crowley, owner of Crowley carbon which is multimilion company.

They state that they will make cars in 2 factories - Wales and Powerscourtt, co.Wicklow

Effects · 11-04-2019 11:45AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

If this was a serious venture then it might be worth discussing. Any indications that this has any substance?

There's a company in the UK that have already been doing this for years. It's not cheap though.

Effects · 11-04-2019 11:46AM

Mandzhalas wrote: »

In my opinion gutting out classic cars to make them modern is just so wrong.

It's marrying the technology of two different centuries.
It's not like every classic car will be forced to do this, but if it's what you want to do with your own car then why not.

Del2005 · 11-04-2019 11:48AM

Mandzhalas wrote: »

In my opinion gutting out classic cars to make them modern is just so wrong.

That's where the fun starts. For some a car has to kept as is for ever and can never be changed, these have concourse. But for others the a car is designed to be changed and modified, these have every other option. So the 2 groups will never meet but the issue here is that in a relatively short time frame fossil fueled vehicles will be harder to use so it's either scrap the car or change the power source and keep it going.

IMO sitting in a museum is worse, vehicles are designed to be used not shown.

beauf · 11-04-2019 11:50AM

Some people take old classics and put new more powerful engines in them. Is that so different to electric.

I prefer they kept them as original, but it costs a fortune and many are not reliable and need constant maintenance, deep pockets.

Heres one thats done that can be undone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PREftlfZuXA

Then again listen to the sound on this turned up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewQaikxTUJs

coastwatch · 11-04-2019 12:31PM

Mandzhalas wrote: »

Well I think this is serious, as it is founded up by Norman Crowley, owner of Crowley carbon which is multimilion company.

They state that they will make cars in 2 factories - Wales and Powerscourtt, co.Wicklow

He was on with Marian Finucane last Saturday (6th April) and I think he came across well. It seems they bought a company in Wales that is already converting older, high end cars to EV. The cheapest in over €1 million and the order book is full for 1-2 years. The customers are wealthy individuals who want a unique / custom, high end EV, so Powerscourt Estate makes sense for the "boutique".

The strategy is to create a buzz around the high end custom EVs, and develop the skills and capability for making more affordable EVs in 10+ years.

Effects · 11-04-2019 12:39PM

coastwatch wrote: »

The strategy is to create a buzz around the high end custom EVs, and develop the skills and capability for making more affordable EVs in 10+ years.

It doesn't sound like their particular business model will lead to developments in making more affordable EVs. The larger car manufacturers will handle that.
Haven't KIA said they'll have a 20k EV car in 5 years?

Auguste Comte · 11-04-2019 12:42PM

Putting the E into E_Type, I don't see the problem myself.

jimgoose · 11-04-2019 12:44PM

Here's a beautiful old 308 GTE that the twunt has destroyed, so far:

https://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/is-this-the-worlds-quietest-ferrari-38004361.html

dastardly00 · 11-04-2019 12:45PM

There's an article on the IT about it
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/test-drive-classic-ferrari-goes-electric-as-wicklow-aims-to-be-ireland-s-motown-1.3857007

Granted, the acceleration of the electric version is now far superior, but give me the old V8 any day of the week.

SEPT 23 1989 · 11-04-2019 12:49PM

sacrilege

11-04-2019 01:06PM

It depeds on the base vehicle. Something like a Rolls Royce would be perfect as an EV as the maker always meant the mechanicals to be as unintrusive as possible. Having a silent drivetrain with absolutely no vibration and no gear changes would make the car better than new. Also the extra weight from the batteries might make the car even better riding than when it was new.

But I wouldn't go to rip out a B12 from Ferrari Testarossa for example, let alone mutilating masterpieces like F40 or Porsche 959.

Wibbs · 11-04-2019 01:13PM

If it's a classic with an originally "meh" engine, or one that's as reliable as a baby's arse I think it's definitely an option and a good way to keep them on the road. Something like an Italian V12 not so much, but if it's done like the AM built EV's and totally reversible then cool.

TCP/IP · 11-04-2019 01:20PM

God, not more EV garbage if anybody had a lovely car like above Ferrari and they changed it to EV then it should be taken off them.
These are real cars with beautiful engines, soul, real passion and sound not sound like a milk cart.
The people on the EV forum would love it though.

H3llR4iser · 11-04-2019 03:40PM

Balderdash - a classic car is "classic" only in the entirety of its original form, otherwise it's just old; Modifications and engine swaps are the bane, for example, of American enthusiasts as there are many Corvettes and Camaros in the US which had truck engines fitted into them.

In the case of the 308 GTO linked...that's not a Ferrari anymore as it doesn't have a Ferrari engine. It's not a classic car anymore as the experience driving it is nothing like driving the original article;l It's value is basically zero - no collector nor enthusiast of sane mind would buy it, only somebody needing a practical EV might find it interesting...and there are better options than an old destroyed Ferrari for that! It can realistically only be sold as scrap metal as It's not that different, really, from a kit car, or to some completely lunatic EV-fanboy/girl.

Then again, considering the whole motoring landscape is going towards iPads on wheels thanks to the clueless "oh I hate cars so much but don't want to walk" generation, you never bloody know.

And we actual enthusiasts will be labeled "dinosaurs", "conservatives" or worse. What a time to live

TCP/IP · 11-04-2019 04:09PM

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Balderdash - a classic car is "classic" only in the entirety of its original form, otherwise it's just old; Modifications and engine swaps are the bane, for example, of American enthusiasts as there are many Corvettes and Camaros in the US which had truck engines fitted into them.

In the case of the 308 GTO linked...that's not a Ferrari anymore as it doesn't have a Ferrari engine. It's not a classic car anymore as the experience driving it is nothing like driving the original article;l It's value is basically zero - no collector nor enthusiast of sane mind would buy it, only somebody needing a practical EV might find it interesting...and there are better options than an old destroyed Ferrari for that! It can realistically only be sold as scrap metal as It's not that different, really, from a kit car, or to some completely lunatic EV-fanboy/girl.

Then again, considering the whole motoring landscape is going towards iPads on wheels thanks to the clueless "oh I hate cars so much but don't want to walk" generation, you never bloody know.

And we actual enthusiasts will be labelled "dinosaurs", "conservatives" or worse. What a time to live

Really excellent points made in your post and I totally agree its best left to the green brigade.

beauf · 11-04-2019 04:49PM

It would devalue the car certainly. But the shell without the engine would still be worth a fair bit. As you could always add a engine back to the car.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_matching

biko · 11-04-2019 06:24PM

Company website states :
"Electrifi is developing a range of high-performance electric cars in Co Wicklow, becoming the first company to manufacture cars in Ireland of any scale in almost 40 years. The cars, known as hypercars, will be taken by Electrifi and will include some of the world’s most iconic classic car brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.

Vanda Dendrobium is a hypercar
RAESR Tachyon Speed is a hypercar

A Ferrari with a Tesla engine is not a hypercar
No car on their website is a hypercar.

gctest50 · 11-04-2019 06:33PM

Porsche had electric in 1900 n a bit :

No problem converting british leyland or bits of fiats

Wibbs · 12-04-2019 06:39AM

I saw another 308 that was converted in the States, but it was an insurance write off as the engine had caught fire. Ferrari and that... No issue with it there. No real issue with putting a leccy motor into something like an old Fiat 500 and using it as a city car as the original engine only has "charm" if you're a tad odd. No issue with the Aston setup which doesn't do anything that isn't reversible. As the guys in that video noted there are cities where you can't drive the original because of "green" issues, so having a leccy version makes more sense if you lived somewhere like that. Though don't get me started on the "green" angle... Driving a well maintained 50 year old car around is more "green" than buying a new Nissan Leaf or whatever every four years.

Wibbs · 12-04-2019 06:46AM

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Then again, considering the whole motoring landscape is going towards iPads on wheels thanks to the clueless "oh I hate cars so much but don't want to walk" generation, you never bloody know.

And we actual enthusiasts will be labeled "dinosaurs", "conservatives" or worse. What a time to live

I hear you H and double brownie points for the use of "balderdash".

Thing is most people on the roads don't care and never really have. More might have cared in the old days when cars required more owner input and everyone's da was under the bonnet of a weekend fettling points and the like. You were more likely to make some sort of "connection" with the car. Since then cars have become far more reliable which is great, but have tended to become more like appliances than before and bonnets only tend to get raised at the dealers. I mean look at most current cars under the bonnet, an ocean of plastic covering up those nasty oily bits is what greets you. Which like I say suits most people.

swarlb · 12-04-2019 07:57AM

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Balderdash - a classic car is "classic" only in the entirety of its original form, otherwise it's just old; Modifications and engine swaps are the bane, for example, of American enthusiasts as there are many Corvettes and Camaros in the US which had truck engines fitted into them.

In the case of the 308 GTO linked...that's not a Ferrari anymore as it doesn't have a Ferrari engine. It's not a classic car anymore as the experience driving it is nothing like driving the original article;l It's value is basically zero - no collector nor enthusiast of sane mind would buy it, only somebody needing a practical EV might find it interesting...and there are better options than an old destroyed Ferrari for that! It can realistically only be sold as scrap metal as It's not that different, really, from a kit car, or to some completely lunatic EV-fanboy/girl.

Then again, considering the whole motoring landscape is going towards iPads on wheels thanks to the clueless "oh I hate cars so much but don't want to walk" generation, you never bloody know.

And we actual enthusiasts will be labeled "dinosaurs", "conservatives" or worse. What a time to live

Converting a 'classic' to electric is no different to when people ripped out engines in Bugatti's and replaced them with Ford V8's, or stuck an WW1 aeroplane engine into a Bentley. And both of these things were done by people who at the time thought it was a good idea, And both cars still exist.
That's what real car enthusiasts do... they 'modify' cars to their own liking.

zilog_jones · 12-04-2019 08:49AM

Yeah, modified classics are nothing new. At the end of the day, people are entitled to do whatever they want with their own cars - whether you like it or not. No one's being forced into this - and any claims about urban restrictions on emissions is mostly bollocks as classic cars usually have an exemption, e.g. >=40 years for London.

I'd much rather see them continue to be on the road, by any means.

hi5 · 12-04-2019 08:50AM

This is their sister company in Wales...

https://www.electricclassiccars.co.uk/

Personally I can't see many classic super/hyper cars being converted but
I could see cars like 15 year old Mercedes CL, jaguar XK, BMW 6/8 series and other fast depreciating luxury cars.
The €120 road tax and cheap charging would help too.

Mickeroo · 12-04-2019 08:52AM

Aston Martin have been at it themselves:

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

Subcomandante Marcos · 12-04-2019 08:55AM

I don't see the problem. Lots of older classics cars have engines that barely run and are near impossible to replace unless you're willing to spend more than the car will ever be worth. If you can get a classic that is structurally sound and has decent panels and you can get it running with an electric motor, fire away.

Eric Cartman · 12-04-2019 09:15AM

don't see the problem as long as the motors are built to fit the classic cars existing structure and nothing is damaged / modified on the classic.

Also it might circulate some rare parts to the world for a purist. The chap might make more money selling classic exotic parts than his electric wagons.

that said, I'd never buy one, the sound and the character of an engine in a classic car is as important as the aesthetics.

This is basically this generations equivalent of an MR2 ferrari conversion for people with more money than sense.

CosmicJay · 12-04-2019 10:39AM

People can do what they want but I'll definitely view the person who owns one as a gigantic floppy penis.

TCP/IP · 12-04-2019 10:41AM

CosmicJay wrote: »

People can do what they want but I'll definitely view the person who owns one as a gigantic floppy penis.

Tip of the cap to you sir. Had me laughing

Retrofitting supercars with electric motors is wrong?

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