Classic Cars Are Being Restored As Electric Vehicles
Jul 09, 2024 7:00 am
Classic Cars Are Being Restored As Electric Vehicles
2 min read
Classic cars are a masterpiece to some who even use them as a collection item as they would with an art piece – having them just to look at. However, others still want the joy of driving the car around which can be difficult due to safety, reliability, and drivability issues inherent in classic cars. This is the problem that classic car conversion company, Lunaz, seeks to solve.
Company founder and CEO, David Lorenz, wants to build cars for future generations and to see classic vehicles have a new lease of life. The company reports that it’s winning the hearts and minds of the younger generation through its classic car conversions.
Classic car conversion procedure
- Remove the internal combustion engine
- Completely dismantle the car
- The chassis of the car is scanned in 3D to map out its conversion on the computer
- Every individual piece is meticulously restored
- Chassis and body work (including welding, waxing, and painting) is done
- Electric motor and battery are installed
- Bespoke interior is installed
- Fully restored and electric classic car is test-driven around the Silverstone Grand Prix racetrack
- On the track, the car's technical systems are optimised again and adapted to the vehicle
- The electric classic car gets updated with modern technology.
Cars the company has converted
- Aston Martin DB6
- Bentley
- Range Rover
- 1961 Rolls Royce Phantom
- Jaguar XK120
The company's most famous conversion is the 1961 Rolls Royce. The car is fitted with a 121kWh battery, twice the capacity of Tesla’s entry-level car, the Model 3. It has a range of 500 km on a full charge and has a sticker price of €700 000 (R13 720 280).
David Bekcham had his Rolls Royce converted to a fully electric vehicle by Lunaz. The British footballing legend also owns shares in the Lunaz company.
The company also remanufactures and technologically upgrades electric refuse trucks out of upcycled material. Upcycling is the process of making a new object using abandoned materials by repairing, refurbishing, and/or repurposing them. These upcycled trucks, known as UEVs (Upcycled Electric Vehicles) are part of their ‘Zero Waste. Zero Emissions’ initiative.
Converting classic cars to electric vehicles is nothing new, especially for the purpose of special occasions. On their wedding day in 2018, Prince Harry and Meagan Markle drove in an electric 1968 Jaguar E-Type.
What do you think of classic cars being converted to EVs? Do you think that this could help us accelerate the renewable energy revolution? Share your thoughts by replying to this email!
For more information on energy efficiency, or any other energy related articles, view the blog posts on my website and be sure to open my weekly emails every Tuesday at 9AM CAT.
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