54 character of the originals in sound and feel, and such a fundamental change might present an emotional barrier to someone who wants an E-type. “The motivation for owners differs with different vehicles, but our typical E-type customer is somebody who has at least one example already, but wants one they can drive every day,” Drummond says. Conversion challenges As with many classic cars, the E-type presents a challenge in engineering an EV conversion because the space available for the components is limited, despite the car’s long nose hinting at a cavernous engine bay. “It looks big, but when you open the bonnet there’s very little room in there, and most of it is taken up by the space frame chassis. The original engine was long, but also quite narrow, so fitting the batteries in that space is a challenge.” In a way, Electrogenic makes life more difficult for itself with its insistence on not cutting or drilling into the original structure. Therefore, all of the new components need to fit onto the mounting points for the parts that have been removed, particularly the engine, gearbox and fuel tank. The different sizes, shapes and positions of some of the new components often oblige Electrogenic to build supporting structures, such as subframes, crossmembers, brackets and mounting plates to bridge the gap between where the new component has to fit and the most convenient original mounting point. “When you’re just locating something like a pump, it’s no big deal, but when it’s the motor, which has to be supported in the right way in isolation mounts, etc, it can get complicated,” Drummond says. Electrogenic sources most of the electric drivetrain components from leading manufacturers. Drummond says running the company is very much like running a miniature version of a major automotive OEM. “We have to have the same processes and it all works in the same way. We have to have all the same parts systems and design protocols, and we work to set standards. In terms of designing the drivetrains, we basically do the same as they do. They buy the motor, the battery modules and the inverter from specialist manufacturers, and then they do the design integration and write the software. And that’s what we do.” Drummond emphasises that much of the know-how and practical skill lies in areas such as integrating the boxy battery modules into an enclosure that complies with all the applicable safety regulations and enables the resulting pack to fit into an unusual space. “In some ways, our challenges are greater than, say, Ford’s because they can build the car around the battery, whereas we have to build the battery into the car, which is not so easy.” Filling the box Because of the limited space available and the effort to make installation of the kit as simple as possible, Electrogenics puts a lot of equipment besides the cells inside its battery enclosures. In addition to the interconnects and busbars, there are thermal management system components and power distribution units, for example, which the company also manufactures. In the E-type there are two battery enclosures, one at the front and one at the back, welded together from 2 mmthick, laser-cut, mild steel sections. The front enclosure contains all the power-distribution components and the main contactors, along with the above-mentioned thermal management components and the BMS. The front enclosure is bolted to the original engine and transmission mounts, while the rear enclosure is attached to the E-type’s fuel-tank mounts. Electrogenic has developed “cassette mechanisms”, designed to hold the battery modules in various orientations in different-shaped battery enclosures in different vehicles, and the BMS mounts directly onto these mechanisms. “What you end up with is a beautifully engineered box that has a whole bunch of connections on the side, some for the high voltage and some for the low voltage,” says Drummond. The firm designed a single-speed reduction gearbox to connect the electric motor to the original prop shaft, which is made by an outside contractor. Offered with a ratio of either 2:1 or 2.45:1, this transmission lets the owner specify a ratio that prioritises either the top speed or starting torque, respectively. This has an extension that bolts onto the original gearbox mounts, and the original prop shaft simply bolts onto that. The Series 1 and 2 E-types have a stiffener plate positioned at the bottom of the bulkhead, between the engine bay and the passenger compartment. As this plate bolts in between the chassis rails, it is technically not part of the chassis, EVD | Electrogenic E-type conversion May/June 2024 | E-Mobility Engineering Despite the E-type’s long nose, the space vacated by the narrow engine is limited. The battery box is designed for attachment to the original engine mounts
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