Owners of vintage cars and avid hot-rodders will now have an option to make their vehicles environmentally friendly.
A partnership, involving Parksville-based and in Victoria, has designed electric engines that can fit into standard engine mounts of popular classic cars with minimal integration. They will still produce high-power performance, only with zero emissions.
canEV and Webb Motorworks produced e-Crate motors that were recently unveiled at the popular SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) trade show in Las Vegas.
The innovative electric powertrains will provide decades of trouble-free performance with virtually no maintenance. The beauty and styling of iconic cars will no longer feature exhaust pipes spewing untreated particulate emissions and climate damaging greenhouse gases.
鈥淭hese powerplants are state-of-the-art systems with performance and driveability that is well beyond the engines they replaced,鈥� said Todd Maliteare, president of canEV. 鈥淭his first run of three cars was a challenging project for our team, and we鈥檝e gained incredible experience that we look forward to utilizing for future high performance EV projects.鈥�
The three iconic show vehicles showcased at SEMA included a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible; and a 1969 Camaro Z/28. They were the result of six months of research, development and refinement.
鈥淭his combination of components sets a new bar for EV conversions,鈥� Maliteare said. 鈥淲e have surged through the low voltage and horsepower barriers of the past. Our new approach rockets the conversion market to the performance level expected from high-end OEM electric vehicles.鈥�
Each of the three vehicle features a customized electric power plant housed in Webb Motorworks鈥� e-Crate designs. The prototypes that were on display at SEMA21 are expected to be taken into production in 2022.
鈥淔inally, hot-rodders and classic car fans can maintain their vehicle鈥檚 power and performance without having to compromise the aesthetic of their engine compartment,鈥� said Chris Webb, owner of Webb Motorworks.
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