Would you turn a Ferrari 308 into an EV?

[ChewChewTrain]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Y4Y62EEB8

When a Ferrari 308 owner turns their prized car into an EV, one needs to take notice.

[ChewChewTrain]

Here's someone that turned a classic 1968 Mustang into an EV. Is this the beginning of the end of gas powered cars?

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

[benlovesgoddess]

There are so many beautiful cars that I wouldn't consider due to terrible fuel economy, high road tax and high insurance costs due to unnecessarily powerful and inefficient engines.
I previously dismissed all non-diesel cars, now I would dismiss all non diesel, non hybrid and non EV cars from future choices (so all straight petrol engines then!).
If someone out these is able to turn beautiful old cars into beautiful electric cars, then that's brilliant - an electric Mk III Ford Cortina or Chrysler 300C....!
I don't even know why I'm so obsessed with fuel economy though, there must be more to it than simply cost.
Buying my last 2 cars new, they would need to be doing hundreds of miles to the gallon to work out cheaper than buying old 45 mpg diesels for less than £1,000....
It might not even be an eco thing, maybe we've just got OCD about getting the maximum miles per gallon - control over one tiny part of our lives, ha ha ha!
Much as I love driving my car for pleasure, I have to stop myself taking it out on solo runs designed just to return above average figures - creeping around country lanes at night and rolling down hills!
My highest published figures for my last car, 80 and 86 mpg weren't true full tanks, but fill ups after 300-400 miles of mainly motorway (the car could do over 600 miles per tank most time)

[ChewChewTrain]

Ben, with your Prius, other than timing your approach to red lights, are there any hypermiler techniques that work on a Prius or has Toyota already engineered that into the car?

[benlovesgoddess]

Interesting question - I am still learning! Coasting in gear not only uses no fuel, but actively charges the battery for further EV use. I am not sure if the standard 56mph is optimum efficiency cruising speed - it seems a lot more variable. Due to the way the battery charges, assists or takes over, the best speed for efficiency can vary a lot more than with a diesel. For instance, 65 mph in a diesel was always worse than 55, but not necessarily with a hybrid. I'm at work, will think more and reply later!

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by benlovesgoddess

I'm at work, will think more and reply later!

While speed reading I thought you wrote, "I'm at work. I'll think later."

[benlovesgoddess]

The tyres I think are meant to be about 33 psi, but came from Toyota at 38 so I 've kept em that high (woulda plumped for 35psi). Not much in the boot, but guess I could empty it.
Used to drive with window down, but a different driving position means fully down blows my hair in my face, so perhaps with it nearly closed I 'm more aerodynamic!
The start stop works very well, better than in the diesel i20 I had before.
It has many scoring, or self improving features that help you compete with youself to better efficiency - I can list them if youre interested.
My previous big "luxury" cars were Nissan Bluebird, Citroen Xantia (with hydrapneumatic suspension) and a Rover 75. It beats all of them for comfort and handling, and for power delivery too.
It definitely feels luxurious, not like my last budget eco box.

[Draigflag]

Here's my opinion on the matter. It's ok to do this in circumstances where it's too expensive to repair or replace the original engine, for instance a fire or crash etc. I don't think its right to remove a good original engine from a valuable car, as that's kind of what makes it valuable, and given the limited number of miles most cars of this nature do, they have a fairly low carbon footprint anyway, despite having high emissions.

It's kind of like giving an amputee a prosthetic limb, entirely different to what was there before, it can give them a whole new lease of life, but you wouldn't chop somebodies leg off unless it was absolutely necessary!

[trollbait]

Some of these project cars were done pre-Tesla to show that an electric car was more than just a big golf cart.

[benlovesgoddess]

I was suprised to find the golf carts here petrol with stop-start technology, I'd always thought they were electric!