MIT Students Convert Porsche 914 to Electric
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.07
The most wonderful car I ever owned was my 1972 Porsche 914. It was a bomb, figuratively and literally; it handled fabulously but it was a mid-engine and you drove with nothing but a tank of gas between you and the front end. Now some lucky kids at MIT are converting one into an electric car. According to MIT News, their goal is "To demonstrate the viability of advanced electric vehicle technology and to help clarify what research and development has yet to be done." They appear to be filling the trunk (in the front) with "lithium phosphate rechargeable batteries, which are lighter, last longer, charge up faster, have a longer lifetime [than lead-acid batteries] and don't pose a safety risk."
To make the conversion, the students replaced the original engine with an electric motor, 12 of the batteries, the battery-management system, various relays and a controller that makes all the components work together. They say it will have a top speed of 70 to 100 miles per hour and go 100 miles before charging. I hope it handles as well as the original did and isn't front-heavy from the batteries. ::MIT News via ::BoingBoing
While nosing about looking for pictures I found that there are many 914 conversions and companies that produce conversion kits. I gotta get me one of these! ::Electro Automotive
They talk as if it's the first time someone has done this.
How many Porsche 914 electric do you want to see?
I love the idea. However I love a lot of ideas. But love doesn't pay the bills. The kit is expensive and you have to find a good car without a lot of rust (getting harder and more $$ intensive). Better batteries will be the key to all this.
vk
someone HAS to do this to a DeLorean.
and ideally, they'd give it to me afterward.
They should do this to the hummer and the world oil crisis will be solved.
They should do it at agricultural equipment and the world oil crisis would be solved.
I have a 1974 TVR that I would love to convert to electric, but I agree that waiting for battery technology to advance is a good idea. While it is possible to do this today, it is ideal to wait. That said, I can not help but wonder why it is that a bunch of MIT kids can do this, and a major auto manufacturer does not have an electric car in the show room.
As for the comment about a DeLorean -- it is a lovely idea if the vehicle as not made out of stainless steel and weighs as much as an H3. Weight is still an issue for electric vehicles, I believe.
Wow awesome! I hope they can do the same thing for Cadillac Sevilles from the 70's, Opel Commodores and more beautiful old cars, that are so un-green...
Why is this news?
The company linked to in the post has been providing kits for this since 1979.!..?
How about some vetting of these posts.
I have speculated about the Big SUVs to EVs idea. The suspensions would be better able to handle the battery weight. I don't know enough about the math to figure out the more room/more batteries performance vs. the less weight/less batteries performance.
At least the bigger roof and windows would have more area for solar panels!
vsk
DeLorean electric? Done long time ago.