Apart from the fear that the electric car won’t give you enough mileage on a single charge, the next biggest hesitation when it comes to user’s end is the fact that the electric cars really don’t give you much of style and performance that we have learned to associate with more conventional cars. That is where David Bernardo comes in who has been converting a symbolic car into an electric car.
David Bernardo is from Zelectric Motor and specifically specializes in transforming the Volkswagen Bug into an electric car that is far more smooth and quiet. He started off by working with the Volkswagen Bugs that were built between 1958 and 1966. The first step in this process is to replace the engine of this classic and iconic car with motors that are electric.
The battery packs are distributed between the hood and the car’s rear seats in order to tackle the added weight of 158 Kg without disrupting the balance of the car. Mr. Bernardo then enhances the car’s suspension and installs brake discs that are stronger in order to cater to the added weight while employing help from electric car experts from EV West. In order to keep the classic touch, Mr. Bernardo has kept the four-speed transmission to allow the user to shift gear manually although this can be swapped with the single-speed transmission.
As of now, the company has come up with a red and a black prototype and has plans for building more models that can be sold during the next year. According to the company, a complete car will cost around $45,000. The car will run up to 177 km on a single charge and shall come with a top speed of 144Km/h.
Bernardo says; ‘Retrofitting a classic with an electric drivetrain just makes good sense. This makes best use of an existing car rather than using new non-renewable resources to create one from scratch. Investment-grade vintage Beetles continue to rise in value, and when Zelectrified are incredibly smooth, quiet, and super fun to drive.’
Mr Bernardo told that the only modification to the original car is made when holes are made to cater for the wiring and apart from that no thing is touched. His choice of this particular model for this particular era isn’t a random decision; this model is capable of catering to the increased toque that the car will be subjected to by the Zelectric Drivetrain.