REINVENTING THE LOVE BUS

How Jack's Garage & Circular EV are building the Future of Bolt-On EV Kits

- JEROME ANDRE

ZONIC 70 motor producing 70 kW (95 hp) of smooth electric torque.

WHEN Joseph Salama stands beside Aziza, his Pearlescent Gold 1978 Volkswagen Type 2 bus, he's revealing a blueprint for the future of classic motoring. Aziza is more than a beloved family camper with 18 years of road trips under her belt with Joseph; she's proof that electrification can be reversible, affordable, and scalable, all without butchering heritage. And in true Joseph fashion, she's also been tested the hard way—nearly 10,000 miles since conversion, including almost 2,000 grueling rally miles across Europe. Aziza isn't a show queen; she's a working development vehicle, and a rolling business card for Jack's Garage and its latest partnership with Fellten.

FELLTEN'S UBP55E battery pack and Zonic 70 motor in their new home.

From Tripoli to Ladbroke Grove

Joseph's love affair with Volkswagens began before he could walk. At six months old, his father packed the family into a VW camper van and emigrated from Southend-on-Sea to Tripoli, Libya, almost 3,000 miles away. That formative journey left its mark. By the 1990s, Joseph was already steeped in VW culture, and when Jack's Garage, a modest workshop under the railway arches at Ladbroke Grove in London, came up for sale, he jumped at the chance. He took ownership in 2007, inheriting a team of mechanics and a reputation for keeping London's classic Volkswagens alive, especially his favorite air-cooled Beetles, buses, and Karmann Ghias.

THE 55 kWh Battery pack is validated to withstand 21G crash loads. No welding, no cutting; every component is fully reversible.