AUTOCAR BUSINESS
Classics plug in to EV demand
Converting classic cars into EVs is becoming big business, but does it have a future?
The conversion of classic cars to run on electric power was once seen as a hobby industry, something done by people in their garage in the same way as other, one-off modified car projects.
Today, though, it is big business, with a constant flow of announcements about new companies either creating the powertrains themselves or converting classic cars. It’s a controversial subject among enthusiasts (see separate story, right), but whether you agree with it or not, it is becoming a multimillion-pound business. It even grabbed the attention of David Beckham, who recently became a shareholder in Silverstonebased high-end conversion company Lunaz.
It is also an industry surrounded by a great deal of uncertainty when it comes to regulation, standards, safety and the question of cost versus value. With many classics too old to require an MOT, there are no proper rules about what can be done and the implications there might be for safety.