Why am I being quoted £40k+ to convert Fiat 500 to EV?

[nickpan]

Hi Everyone,

I'm wanting to use my mid-70s Fiat 500 in and around town more frequently so am contemplating an EV conversion.

I've phoned around and can't seem to find anybody that will do it for <£40k, bearing in mind that I am supplying the car and the car itself is sound.

Is this a supply/demand thing? Or am i just blissfully ignorant as to the parts costs + price of expertise?

TY

Nick

[Hammersia]

nickpan said:

Hi Everyone,

I'm wanting to use my mid-70s Fiat 500 in and around town more frequently so am contemplating an EV conversion.

I've phoned around and can't seem to find anybody that will do it for <£40k, bearing in mind that I am supplying the car and the car itself is sound.

Is this a supply/demand thing? Or am i just blissfully ignorant as to the parts costs + price of expertise?

TY

Nick

Unless someone else has already done it, it's a lot of engineering design work for a one off. Particularly on something as small as a 500, there's unlikely to be many Tesla / Leaf bits that can be made to work.

A lot of the work is getting the original controls, particularly the mechanical dials, to function properly and look good with completely different inputs.

[ds666]

nickpan said:

Hi Everyone,

I'm wanting to use my mid-70s Fiat 500 in and around town more frequently so am contemplating an EV conversion.

I've phoned around and can't seem to find anybody that will do it for <£40k, bearing in mind that I am supplying the car and the car itself is sound.

Is this a supply/demand thing? Or am i just blissfully ignorant as to the parts costs + price of expertise?

TY

Nick

I got quoted £95-£120k for the electrification of an XJS ... needless to say it will remain petrol .

There is a Mini kit for £15k which I suppose is based on them doing some decent volume .

[PistonTim]

Seems cheap for a bespoke engineering job?

[kambites]

These people will do it for £28k+VAT: https://www.silentclassics.co.uk/fiat-500e/

[raspy]

nickpan said:

Hi Everyone,

I'm wanting to use my mid-70s Fiat 500 in and around town more frequently so am contemplating an EV conversion.

I've phoned around and can't seem to find anybody that will do it for <£40k, bearing in mind that I am supplying the car and the car itself is sound.

Is this a supply/demand thing? Or am i just blissfully ignorant as to the parts costs + price of expertise?

TY

Nick

Why not buy a 1965 one that has already been converted to electric? I see it's on sale for £27k

https://www.classic-chrome.net/used/cars/fiat/500f...

[gmaz]

How much is this kit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zl1WGqK8k4

[FeelingLucky]

gmaz said:

How much is this kit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zl1WGqK8k4

They don't sell the kit to the public, only to installers they've already vetted, so it's unlikely they'll quote you.
It's hard to imagine you'll beat the used pre-converted example quoted above for VFM. Which incidentally was converted by these guys, Electric Classic Cars.

[Glassman]

https://www.electrogenic.co.uk/

[-Cappo-]

See if you can track down Blib on here, didn't he have a 500 done as a surprise for his wife or something like that? I've a vague idea he spent £25k but I may be imagining that, and I don't know how much work was needed.

I saw a 500 converted to electric on a tv or online programme and it looked very straightforward.

I also don't get the prices. I like my V8 auto Defender (which I converted) but I'd also be interested in converting that to electric, but the cheapest DIY kit I have seen is about £28k before you start. Seems an inordinate amount of money for what you're getting.

[georgeyboy12345]

man hours, expertise.

[AlexIT]

Sorry if I seem to come out like a pedant, but I think the beauty of such cars comes from how they are. An electric conversion won't make it much more usable than it is and you'd loose some of the uniqueness of the car.

I'm getting old and nostalgic...

[nickpan]

AlexIT said:

Sorry if I seem to come out like a pedant, but I think the beauty of such cars comes from how they are. An electric conversion won't make it much more usable than it is and you'd loose some of the uniqueness of the car.

I'm getting old and nostalgic...

I agree - but this is 2023 and for one reason or another, the people that run this country are pushing electricity as a means of travel so on the basis that I want to continue to travel in central london in my Fiat, and my house is supplied with electricity using a renewable resource, I am inclined to electrify the Fiat.

For the record - I don’t believe one should do this to older cars that are centred around their engine.

[Mars]

This guy will give you some idea of the efforts needed to retro-fit an electric solution into a classic car:

https://www.youtube.com/@ElectricClassicCars

I'd say £40K is quite reasonable for the amount of kit and effort required, even if it looks out of place in regard to the perceived value of the car.

[camb10]

Why bother? classics are exempt from Ulez and you wont find a more city friendly car than a 500! They sip fuel, have the footprint of a motorbike and are easy to drive round town.

[s p a c e m a n]

Um yeah, if it's a '70s car it's exempt from ulez so you can use it in town as much as you want?

[996Type]

Is there then an issue upon EV conversion around major changes to the vehicle that trigger an inspection that any car older than a couple of years can’t pass due to regs?

One idea would be for a small universal electric platform from the likes of Lotus that you can then drop any body onto to create a completed car. Take your pick from an Elise, Dino, Fiat 500 etc! The original Esprit especially would definitely make a fantastic EV….

[Mars]

996Type said:

Is there then an issue upon EV conversion around major changes to the vehicle that trigger an inspection that any car older than a couple of years can’t pass due to regs?

One idea would be for a small universal electric platform from the likes of Lotus that you can then drop any body onto to create a completed car. Take your pick from an Elise, Dino, Fiat 500 etc! The original Esprit especially would definitely make a fantastic EV….

ECC made the Teslarossa motor a bolt-in arrangement. They fabricated a subframe around the motor so that they didn't have to alter the original chassis at all, and therefore didn't need to trigger an IVA.

[nickpan]

camb10 said:

Why bother? classics are exempt from Ulez and you wont find a more city friendly car than a 500! They sip fuel, have the footprint of a motorbike and are easy to drive round town.

Having owned a number of EVs, my experience of this drivetrain is that it is infinitely better suited to city driving, where average speeds can be single digit and there is much start stop.

Air toxicity in a city centre is also a consideration. I cannot explain how much more pungent these old cars smell in London traffic nowadays.

If there is an option to combine the retro design language (and proportions) of yesteryear with the benefits of an EV drivetrain - I am all for it.

Like I said - I wouldn’t dare interfere with the ICE of a classic car that is centred around its engine.

[OutInTheShed]

nickpan said:

Having owned a number of EVs, my experience of this drivetrain is that it is infinitely better suited to city driving, where average speeds can be single digit and there is much start stop.

Air toxicity in a city centre is also a consideration. I cannot explain how much more pungent these old cars smell in London traffic nowadays.

If there is an option to combine the retro design language (and proportions) of yesteryear with the benefits of an EV drivetrain - I am all for it.

Like I said - I wouldn’t dare interfere with the ICE of a classic car that is centred around its engine.

Where average speeds are 'single digit', people really need to think about getting out of their cars.

I remember how nice London was when the first congestion charge came in.