Vintage Morris Minor with converted electric engine
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Matthew Quitter’s electric Morris Minor looks very vintage from the outside. But under the bonnet is some very new technology. Using batteries salvaged from computer repair shops Mr Quitter replaced the old engine with a battery powered one.
Under the bonnet of the electrified Morris Minor.
The battery can be charged from a normal mains plug. It has a range of approximately 40 miles and has a top speed of 45 miles per hour.
“This is enough to drive for a week on £1 worth of electricity.”
Now Mr Quitters electrified car is inspiring others. After exhibiting it at the Classic Car Show earlier this month he has seen a sharp rise in demand for his kits.
“Perfect for London Life“
Converting your car to electric makes sense for Londoners, according to Mr Quitter.
The average journey in London is 5 miles, well within the range of the converted electric cars, and much of it is spent in traffic.
“Electric cars are cheaper to run. You pay no congestion charge, cheaper road tax and cheaper parking permits. And you can charge the car at home for as little as £1 a week.”
He also claims that they are better for the environment as they produce no exhaust fumes unlike a traditional combustion engine.
They also use no energy at all when stationary in traffic so are more efficient in congested cities like London. The only issue is how the electricity is produced.
200 Mile Range Electric Cars
But Keith Pullen, Professor of Energy Systems at City, University of London, says the limited miles per charge reduced the usefulness of this technology.
“We need to convert to electric cars. Its going to happen. But we need more research first.”
Professor Pullen says such conversion technologies cannot compete with the purpose built electric cars like the Nissan Leaf or Teslas in terms of range. Some of these cars now have a 200 mile per charge range.
“40 miles may be enough for most city-based journeys. But people need the option and the sense of security that they can travel further and get home.”
However, converting a car is significantly cheaper. Matthew Quitter’s conversions cost around £10,000 compared to £70-120,000 for a Tesla.
If such technologies can be mass produced they could be a viable option for the future, Professor Pullen admits. But he believes that for now electric cars are too expensive and their charging too impractical to allow them to break into the mass market.
Tune in to City New at 3:30pm for the full report…
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Standfirst
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HeadlineConverting your car to electric: could they be the future?
Short HeadlineElectric conversion kits for cars: the future?
Standfirst
Matthew Quitter’s electric Morris Minor looks very vintage from the outside. But under the bonnet is some very new technology. Using batteries salvaged from computer repair shops Mr Quitter replaced the old engine with a battery powered one.
Under the bonnet of the electrified Morris Minor.
The battery can be charged from a normal mains plug. It has a range of approximately 40 miles and has a top speed of 45 miles per hour.
“This is enough to drive for a week on £1 worth of electricity.”
Now Mr Quitters electrified car is inspiring others. After exhibiting it at the Classic Car Show earlier this month he has seen a sharp rise in demand for his kits.
“Perfect for London Life“
Converting your car to electric makes sense for Londoners, according to Mr Quitter.
The average journey in London is 5 miles, well within the range of the converted electric cars, and much of it is spent in traffic.
“Electric cars are cheaper to run. You pay no congestion charge, cheaper road tax and cheaper parking permits. And you can charge the car at home for as little as £1 a week.”
He also claims that they are better for the environment as they produce no exhaust fumes unlike a traditional combustion engine.
They also use no energy at all when stationary in traffic so are more efficient in congested cities like London. The only issue is how the electricity is produced.
200 Mile Range Electric Cars
But Keith Pullen, Professor of Energy Systems at City, University of London, says the limited miles per charge reduced the usefulness of this technology.
“We need to convert to electric cars. Its going to happen. But we need more research first.”
Professor Pullen says such conversion technologies cannot compete with the purpose built electric cars like the Nissan Leaf or Teslas in terms of range. Some of these cars now have a 200 mile per charge range.
“40 miles may be enough for most city-based journeys. But people need the option and the sense of security that they can travel further and get home.”
However, converting a car is significantly cheaper. Matthew Quitter’s conversions cost around £10,000 compared to £70-120,000 for a Tesla.
If such technologies can be mass produced they could be a viable option for the future, Professor Pullen admits. But he believes that for now electric cars are too expensive and their charging too impractical to allow them to break into the mass market.
Tune in to City New at 3:30pm for the full report…
