The X1/9e. Conversion of a 1983 X1/9 - my own since 1993 - to electric

[Hybridfiat]

A couple of years ago I enquired of 2 EV conversion companies here in Perth about converting one of my X1/9s to electric.
I only had 2 criteria: 100hp and a guaranteed 100miles range.
They both told me to forget it.
The weight penalty of batteries for that range was too high and the car's handling would suffer badly.
I was a bit non-plussed.
I didn't expect companies who do this for a living to say "don't bother".

I also contacted Oxford University about their new motor that was smaller and better than most others on the market.
They didn't bother to reply.

 

[X19e]

Hyper9
KW continuos is 38
KW peak is 90
When you want 100hp or 74kW the company should ask peak or continuos, the latter is the value you can read on the type plate of the motor. To reach - or even know - peak you have to know more parameters of the motor, maybe add cooling and - the critical part - have the right battery configuration.
My first reference was this Lotus Elan project, but you will find similar projects with this motor / battery configuration.
https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/lotus-elon-electric-1969-lotus-elan-s4.203693/#replies

 

[Bryce-o-rama]

A couple of years ago I enquired of 2 EV conversion companies here in Perth about converting one of my X1/9s to electric.
I only had 2 criteria: 100hp and a guaranteed 100miles range.
They both told me to forget it.
The weight penalty of batteries for that range was too high and the car's handling would suffer badly.
I was a bit non-plussed.
I didn't expect companies who do this for a living to say "don't bother".

I also contacted Oxford University about their new motor that was smaller and better than most others on the market.
They didn't bother to reply.

A lot of the companies doing conversions right now seem to be latched onto specific makes and models where engine swaps are common and people are willing to spend big money. VW and air cooled Porsches have several companies offering bolt in kits. Old school Land Rover Defenders are also popular.

I’ve been following a guy in NZ who is converting a Honda Beat using an Energica motorcycle as the donor.

 

[Hybridfiat]

A lot of the companies doing conversions right now seem to be latched onto specific makes and models where engine swaps are common and people are willing to spend big money. VW and air cooled Porsches have several companies offering bolt in kits. Old school Land Rover Defenders are also popular.

I’ve been following a guy in NZ who is converting a Honda Beat using an Energica motorcycle as the donor.

After I had been deflected, I read-up on the first Tesla (Roadster).
Based on the Lotus Elise it started off as a standard 862kg and after conversion had ballooned to1305kg.
This sealed the demise of my electric dreams.

 

[Bryce-o-rama]

After I had been deflected, I read-up on the first Tesla (Roadster).
Based on the Lotus Elise it started off as a standard 862kg and after conversion had ballooned to1305kg.
This sealed the demise of my electric dreams.

Yeah, that was a major weight gain. To be fair though, Tesla changed a lot about the Elise platform. One of the engineers said something to the effect of the end result would have been better with a purpose built chassis rather than the extreme adaptation of the Elise.

Battery technology is evolving rapidly, Toyota is making progress on solid state batteries and has shown a “mid-engine” concept. Even if that comes out in the next few years, it will be ages before this stuff becomes available for retrofit use.