The General Motors Corporation has announced about the large-scale attack on the electric segment of the aftermarket. This year, Chevrolet Performance will be offering universal kits to convert any car to electric power and teach the skill of conversions to anyone who wants to.
The parts and accessories division of Ford Performance Parts has already started selling kits from the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, which can be used to turn almost any old car, pickup or SUV into an electric car. An example of such a transformation was the factory electric Ford F-100 Eluminator.
GM is a little behind in this regard, with electric conversion kits set to go on sale in the first half of 2022, and GM has already presented several examples of converting classic cars to electric power, with the most recent one being the 1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS pickup. This car became an electric vehicle at tuning studio Lingenfelter Performance Engineering of Brighton, Michigan, which was one of the first to receive a GM installer’s certificate confirming that the conversion was done correctly, taking into account all safety requirements.
“The component donor in this case was an electric Chevrolet Bolt EV hatchback. A 203-horsepower electric motor with power electronics unit is installed in place of the atmospheric V8 and mated to the old 4-speed hydromechanical gearbox. The 66 kWh battery is housed in the body.
In general, the case is not complicated, any experienced mechanic can do it. GM estimates the market of electric conversions at the level of 20 billion dollars by 2030, as it believes that not only enthusiasts, but also numerous car fleets, which for some reasons will not be able to buy completely new electric cars, will switch cars to electric propulsion.