Electric dreams

How easy is it to convert your classic car to electric power – and is it worth the effort? That probably depends on whether you drive a Land Rover or a Ferrari

- DANIEL PEMBREY

The urge to modify popular cars has been around for as long as famous marques have existed. Tim Birkin’s early ‘Blower’ Bentleys, Harold Radford’s 1960s Minis and today’s Eagle E-Type Jaguars sit in this tradition, driven by a quest for optimal performance and appearance. Now a new type of change has arrived: the conversion to electric power. It promises to be perhaps the greatest transformation yet.

Electrification could mean reduced costs to the pocket and to the planet. Not only is charging an electric vehicle far cheaper per mile than running one on petrol or diesel, but with a fraction of the moving parts, electric vehicles also have a lower risk of breakdown, which in turn reduces service costs. Indeed, a conventional car with an ageing or failing combustion engine can make an ideal candidate for conversion.

“While historic cars make up a tiny percentage of UK vehicle mileage and emissions, there is growing interest in being seen to do ‘the right thing’,” says Daniel Geoghegan, managing director of Bicester Heritage, the former World War II RAF base converted into a historic car hub. “I heard of one collector who had a Porsche 911 converted to electric in order to have a car that his children would love. Perception is becoming reality, and electrification is expanding the historic-car world, especially among the younger generation.”