Wondered this after bumping into an article about companies doing this in South America.
Brand new full electric vehicles are quite pricey. But what if you could change that old rusting Bhamba-datya or Sunny box parked outside into an EV? Essentially swap out the petrol engine for electric parts. Body stays the same, but instead refuelling it, you plug it into a Zesa socket at home, or one of the few electric car chargers around Zimbabwe.
Would this make sense cost wise, or is this just a project for car enthusiasts looking for a challenge? Could this be a possible venture for auto-electricians? Or are second regular Japanese vehicles still cheaper even when you factor in long-term fuel vs electricity costs?
There are apparently a number of Chinese companies selling EV retrofit kits for different vehicle models, even going back vehicles made in the 80s. The Latin America company that’s the subject of the article are supplied by a Chinese electric power system company called Zhuhai Enpower Electric. You can also buy EV parts on platforms like Alibaba if you know what you’re doing.
The article says of the retrofitting process itself:
The retrofitting process requires skilled EV technicians to remove the engine, gas tank, exhaust, and other components within a regular car, and fit the electric motor, batteries, on-board charger, and computer into the empty space. Weight has to be carefully distributed so the car doesn’t tilt to one side. The original electrical components — such as airbags and sensors — must function properly, and the battery shouldn’t overheat.
But maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. What about the power situation in the country? We’ve had extreme load-shedding throughout the country for over a decade now. And the power it takes to charge a car is not going to come from your average low cost solar setup.
Just for the enthusiasts then?
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16 comments
You need to do an update article on the EV status in Zim. How many EVs in Zim sofar? What the service I like. Costs. Charging etc
great idea but training is very vital at the moment
they are now over 35 EVs on the road and charging stations both private and commercial 15 including the petrotrade fast charger 40kw DC
Ndoona sekuti Charging sources should be of main concern in major cities. Pane pauchacharger washandisa 5% from 100??
Great idea but there are other aspects to consider such as safety, efficiency and drivability. Removing parts and changing the weight distribution of the vehicle can have numerous side effects.
Urikupanga cha’ani achimwene?
I have no idea what you are saying and what that means, but I like it😀
Technology is fast revolutionising the way way we live and think, leaving the stone-age era as a bygone epoch. Thanks for the real-time updates.
A Kenyan Company called Roam has been doing it for a while now. They converted some of the National Parks’ Land Cruiser 79 Series into EVs
I used to like seeing that dairy bird EV vehicle of way in the 80s, silent it was no pollutants jus delivered milk door to door or to central milkman station it was indeed owesome, but there is hybrid conversion too, where on massive workload or retiring battery some mechanical. applications should be required
And so as Zimbo, I feel our model should just be hybrid energy if only we could bolstera and capitalise on to that before many realise their effectiveness
Those in Mutare how is Telone Blaze performing?
EV Scotch Cart
Top speed 38km/h
Carrying capacity 1\2 Ton
Options:
Steering Wheel \ Joystick $5
Leather seat $20
Decals $5 per side
Rain cover $20
LED lights $5 per fitting
Spot lights $20
Radio and Speakers $75
Rims $75 per wheel
Upgraded Disk Coloured brake calipers $20
This is not a good solution to our problem as we are already facing problem of a limited grid right now. It’s important to look at the cost effectiveness of all solutions, this is going to be an extra problem as more strain will come as a result of that.
Other people are relying on Solar to charge the car. With a decent amount of panels you can fully charge a Tesla without relying on the Grid
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The cost outweighs the benefits, the batteries are expensive and conversions don’t usually perform efficiently. You are better of buying a second hand plugin hybrid.