A2 EV Conversion.

A

A2A2

Member
Just a pebble in the pond:

Your A2 may currently meet EURO 4 emissions standards, but the slow tightening of the economic screw for any petrol or diesel vehicle over the next 25 years is going to make a move to an electric vehicle almost compulsory as time goes by.
if you are an A2OC member you are very likely to be planning to keep your A2 running for quite some time to come. So my question is, would you be interested in converting your A2 to electric power, or taking a scrappage offer and going for a new or near new EV?
Taking some BMW i3 figures as an example, you would currently pay around £30K for a new one, or around £18-20K for a 3 year old model. Let’s say your A2 is worth £2000. How much would you be prepared to pay to have it upgraded to, say, a manual gearshift EV with a 250 mile range and vastly better performance? £10,000, £15,000 or even more? You would have to find around £16K (net) for that three year i3 right now.
I would be very interested in feedback opinion, whether you would be interested in doing such a conversion and what you might be prepared to pay for it.
I am not offering a conversion service, just trying to see if it is a viable project.
 
You said a manual gear shift conversion, that's not possible as EV are auto only as their are no gears. I'll be honest I wouldn't try a conversion to electric, I would keep it as a classic car whether or not I could drive it and buy an EV for my motoring needs.
 
An A2 conversion with 250m range? No chance of that with current battery technology.

RAB
 
A2A2 said:
Just a pebble in the pond:

Your A2 may currently meet EURO 4 emissions standards, but the slow tightening of the economic screw for any petrol or diesel vehicle over the next 25 years is going to make a move to an electric vehicle almost compulsory as time goes by.
if you are an A2OC member you are very likely to be planning to keep your A2 running for quite some time to come. So my question is, would you be interested in converting your A2 to electric power, or taking a scrappage offer and going for a new or near new EV?
Taking some BMW i3 figures as an example, you would currently pay around £30K for a new one, or around £18-20K for a 3 year old model. Let’s say your A2 is worth £2000. How much would you be prepared to pay to have it upgraded to, say, a manual gearshift EV with a 250 mile range and vastly better performance? £10,000, £15,000 or even more? You would have to find around £16K (net) for that three year i3 right now.
I would be very interested in feedback opinion, whether you would be interested in doing such a conversion and what you might be prepared to pay for it.
I am not offering a conversion service, just trying to see if it is a viable project.
Click to expand...
I will humour you. I would pay £8000 for such a conversion, assuming you mean take a car I already own and convert that. For that I would want it to be turn-key with all paperwork done as well.
 
dj_efk said:
I will humour you. I would pay £8000 for such a conversion, assuming you mean take a car I already own and convert that. For that I would want it to be turn-key with all paperwork done as well.
Click to expand...
I hear what your saying David but the A2 was never meant to be or ever going to be an EV, the cost to convert the necessary components ect would cost a complete fortune, it would never be viable unless your extremely wealthy and can do it for the hell of it.
 
Mka306 said:
I hear what your saying David but the A2 was never meant to be or ever going to be an EV, the cost to convert the necessary components ect would cost a complete fortune, it would never be viable unless your extremely wealthy and can do it for the hell of it.
Click to expand...
Maybe a one-off, and the full weight of large company behind it but this link does demonstrate possibilities. This project has many threads and comments about the unique floor space that the A2 offers and therefore possible EV conversion.

I also would never go through the conversion process but I am sure a few would be tempted.

https://carbuzz.com/news/new-electric-vehicle-record-set-by-converted-audi-a2
 
dj_efk said:
I will humour you. I would pay £8000 for such a conversion, assuming you mean take a car I already own and convert that. For that I would want it to be turn-key with all paperwork done as well.
Click to expand...
£8000 will just about buy you a secondhand battery pack to give reasonable range, but not 250 miles. To put yourself on the right track, test drive an ID.3; possibly cheaper than an A2 conversion, better range and it's got good front suspension as opposed to two lengths of 3x3! Not to mention all the other features that a an A2 EV wouldn't have.

RAB
 
When the time comes for my "classic" IC engine vehicles, I'll probably be dead. Not that it's the most responsible stance to take on such matters!
I understand that I could go out and buy any pure EV with 130% business tax rebate and even allowing for company car benefit in kind, still be quids in.
In fact, an electric van could well be the way forward for local journeys.
National courier services do the rest 99% of the time anyway.
But convert an A2? I cant see the benefits. Old plastic will be the end of all post 1960's cars anyway...
 
These guys will do one for you.

Welcome to Electric Classic Cars

At Electric Classic Cars we can source and build an electric classic to your specifications, or supply parts you'd need to convert your own car to electric.
www.electricclassiccars.co.uk www.electricclassiccars.co.uk
Featured on TV recently.
You can keep manual gearbox, it's an option.
Expect a simple conversion to cost around £15k but prices are dropping rapidly.
DIY for about £10k
I quite fancy doing one but have a Ur to rebuild first.
 
Not sure how far Huw has got with this recently, but @55Stars was making good progress in Cardiff.

Fusion

Liking the Blue A2 in the pics (is it for sale? ?), also, are you a Sadist ??? Great Project, hope it is all worth it in the end. Just for clarity - it is not the real me doing this project. COVID made me busier than ever at work and the resulting stress made me go out and buy a Nissan Leaf...
www.a2oc.net
 
Surely it is better to adapt the Exhaust System to meet LEZ around the UK? This has been done successfully on most Transport for London Buses and a significant number of Lorries.

Economy of scale may not be such a problem given the amount of 1.4TDI Engines in circulation.

A Selective Catalyst Reduction System, DPF and associated tanks; pipework etc isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

Gain a Reduced Pollution Certificate- or an equivalent and hey presto! I'd imagine this to be less expensive than an EV conversion and all the work that entails...

These are just my thoughts.
 
One of the things that is so good with the A2 is its light weight.
How much weight would you add to the A2 by EV?
Once your done, you then have a brick to drive...
One of the things EV cannot do so far is 'add lightness'.
Drive any EV and you feel the weight so much...the A2 is a delight in comparison.
 
Leopard680 said:
Surely it is better to adapt the Exhaust System to meet LEZ around the UK? This has been done successfully on most Transport for London Buses and a significant number of Lorries.
Click to expand...
I very much doubt that the space is available on an A2, never mind the cost of such a conversion. Buses and lorries don't have this problem. The cost of such conversion as a ratio against replacement of the latter, is also much more favourable.

RAB
 
RAB said:
I very much doubt that the space is available on an A2, never mind the cost of such a conversion. Buses and lorries don't have this problem. The cost of such conversion as a ratio against replacement of the latter, is also much more favourable.

RAB
Click to expand...
I don't doubt that the cost would be high; it is likely to be less expensive than an EV Conversion.

*Edit* I feel concerned about the safety of an EV Installation; all that HV Wiring and how the battery will be protected in a collision. All of this is taken into account in a purpose built vehicle; not to mention integration of Brakes; ABS, Traction Control, Climate Control, etc...

As regards to installation in Buses, installation is indeed very tight; engine bays are cramped- ask me how I know- and there is not a great deal of space around the Underframe- low floors! Not to mention increased Unladen Weight! ?

Most lorries will have a bit more room. Much easier to work on and work round! ? ? ?
 
Last edited:
Leopard680 said:
I don't doubt that the cost would be high; it is likely to be less expensive than an EV Conversion.

As regards to installation in Buses, installation is indeed very tight; engine bays are cramped- ask me how I know- and there is not a great deal of space around the Underframe- low floors! Not to mention increased Unladen Weight! ?

Most lorries will have a bit more room. Much easier to work on and work round! ? ? ?
Click to expand...
For an A2 you would need a new ECU; you would need a lot of conversions to make that viable. You would also need to find room for all the SCR equipment, including a urea tank.

There was obviously sufficient space on the buses to find room for the SCR equipment.

RAB
 
RAB said:
For an A2 you would need a new ECU; you would need a lot of conversions to make that viable. You would also need to find room for all the SCR equipment, including a urea tank.

There was obviously sufficient space on the buses to find room for the SCR equipment.

RAB
Click to expand...
Similar points apply to an EV conversion though, don't they? I would be very surprised if what I was thinking of would be more expensive than an EV Conversion.

I'm certainly not against EV Conversions of Electric Vehicles. I believe older vehicles lend themselves to conversions as they don't have so many complex electronic systems to integrate.
?
 
The era of fossil fuel power is drawing to a close. The sooner the better! Why prolong it?

The parts for such an A2 conversion don't currently exist, unlike those for an EV conversion.

RAB
 
An electric conversion has already been successfully completed on the A2. There's the gentleman in Holland and a Youtube article, too. I'm sure that there's a lot more if a search of the Internet is performed. As regards the overall weight of the converted A2, there's the loss of the weight of the removed engine and fuel tank and also the fact that the chassis is lightweight aluminum. What's really needed is an advance in battery technology. I'd say that the A2 IS a prime candidate for conversion ....

David
 
RAB said:
£8000 will just about buy you a secondhand battery pack to give reasonable range, but not 250 miles. To put yourself on the right track, test drive an ID.3; possibly cheaper than an A2 conversion, better range and it's got good front suspension as opposed to two lengths of 3x3! Not to mention all the other features that a an A2 EV wouldn't have.

RAB
Click to expand...
I never said I expected this to realistically be enough to convert my car - only that I’d be willing to pay up to that amount for a converted A2.

Else I would look at an actual EV and pay more for a much more modern car as you suggest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top