Carl Penwarden reckons he’s inherited a VW Beetle gene. He’s on a mission to convert his car into an electric Beetle. In part one there’s some research to do and certification to prepare for.
My Dad started young with Volkswagens and his father had Beetles too. I sat my drivers licence in a 1963 Beetle, the first car I owned was a ’59 Beetle, and today I have a ’65 Beetle which my eight-year-old daughter loves riding in.
I got to thinking, how can I make this vintage car relevant to my daughter when she is ready to start driving? One answer is to make it electric! Andy at Abletech pointed me at the Zelectric website. They custom build classic electric beetles.
After doing a bit of research I ended up talking to EV West who designed the electrics and build the custom components for Zelectric. That discussion sealed the deal and I ordered a DIY electric conversion kit for Trixie, our ’65 Beetle.
Before ordering the kit, I investigated what is involved with making sure I end up with a road legal car. I’ve learnt about the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association (LVVTA) who oversee the certification of these types of modifications.
I have become familiar with the LVVTA’s Low Volume Vehicle Standard 75–00 (Electric and Hybrid Vehicles) and the certifier has been very helpful as we’ve discussed making Trixie electric.
Read more about the conversion:
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Electric certification in part one
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Power and brakes in part two
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Removal of petrol components in part three
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Flywheel and clutch upgrades in part four
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The AC induction motor in part five
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New Fuel in part six
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High Currents in part seven
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The Loom in part eight
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Keeping it cool in part nine
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Putting it all together in part 10 (including a video of the first drive!)
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Bottom balancing and battery management systems in part 11
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Getting the certification examination in part 12
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eTrixie the Movie! Video walk through
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A DIY EV in the real world in the final part
Stay tuned!
