53 Electrogenic E-type conversion | EVD E-Mobility Engineering | May/June 2024 however, they need to commission it, which involves putting it through a computer-driven checking process. “We provide them with all the support they need, both over the phone and electronically. We have a plug-in electronic diagnostic unit they use for commissioning the car in a step-by-step process,” Drummond says. This unit can help with troubleshooting. It picks up any faults in the 12 V wiring, which triggers the safety systems that protect the high-voltage circuits and prevent the car from starting. “Often, it is something as simple as a brake switch being wired the wrong way round, or something like that. It tells you all that stuff and, when you’ve fixed it, you get green lights, commissioning is complete, and the car can be driven away,” he says. Electrogenic also provides installers with brand support to give their customers more confidence in the car. “Their customers know they are great at making beautiful E-types, but they might doubt the installer’s knowledge of electric drive, so what they get from us is that ‘Power by Electrogenic’ brand support,” he adds. Choosing a candidate In deciding which vehicles to offer conversion kits for, Electrogenic relies on gauging demand, and early in the company’s life that was expressed by people asking them to convert Land Rovers. Drummond says: “I couldn’t imagine anything further from an ideal EV as they are large, heavy and square, but we said yes, and now we do more Land Rovers than everything else put together.” In contrast, some classic cars seem better candidates for conversion than others, in part because the original ICE powertrain was not as good as it could have been from the start; the Citroen DS being a good example. “That had a compromised engine and seems ideal for an electric conversion. It is a beautiful car, but it is a very difficult one to convert. We are working our way towards a kit for it, but it isn’t going to be available any time soon,” he says. One of the many ways in which an E-type differs from a Land Rover or a Citroen DS is that the 3.8 and 4.2 litre straight-six, and the 5.3 litre V12 engines are central to the knowledge of the original cars and an established customer base. “They have a demand from within that customer base for an electric option,” Drummond says. “We train them to fit our kits and we give them all the tools. The kits are manufactured in our factory and are complete, so you have everything you need to install them.” Installation support Each kit comes with key ancillaries mounted to the major components. “For example, the vacuum pump and vacuum chamber for the brake servo are already mounted to the side of the battery box; the cooling pumps are already mounted and piped up. If you have power steering (the E-type does not), the pumps are already mounted. All of the cables are pre-terminated, the wiring loom comes ready-made and everything just bolts in,” Drummond explains. During installation of these kits, the original vehicle structure does not need to be drilled or cut, with the main physical tasks being to bolt in the kit and wire up the dashboard. Before they can hand the car to the customer, The conversion’s front battery box also houses the BMS and coolant pumps, and it comes with external brackets to mount other ancillary components
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