Article content Converting classic vehicles to electric power is a topic that carries as much controversy as, say, a German theologian nailing his 95 theses to a church door. Heresy! Take away that combustion engine and you’re taking away a beloved icon’s beating heart, leaving an appliance behind that has no more soul than a toaster. In some cases, the purists have a point.
Yes, converting a Ferrari 355 to battery-electric might make it more reliable and bring down servicing costs, but it’d completely ruin the charm of one of the greatest mid-engined V8 sportsters to come out of Maranello. But would such tears be shed over losing the 1.8L lump out of a vintage MGB? That cast-iron four-cylinder made all of 95 hp, and actually weighed more than the Rover V8 that got put in some of the GT ‘Bs.
RWB, a company based in the U.K., swaps out the MGB’s four for 43 kWh worth of batteries and a 188-hp electric motor that transforms the classic British roadster into something new and fresh .
Admitted, part of the joy-slash-misery of British-car ownership should properly include hitting the oily bits with a hammer while swearing, but you can’t fault RWB’s blend of vintage look and modern power. This got us thinking: what other classic machines could benefit from an EV swap? We mean ones that not even the purists could complain about — machines that are just crying out to be improved with a battery pack and electric drive. Here are seven picks for EV conversions that have .
