This $2,000 kit from China will convert a classic VW Beetle to electric
Have an old VW Beetle from the 1960s or 70s laying around and want to convert it into an electric vehicle? It’s easier than you think, and cheaper, too. An electric conversion kit from Alibaba designed specifically for classic VW Beetles can nearly get you rolling for $2,000.
Electric conversions of classic cars are quite common, breathing new life into older vehicles yet without the environmental cost of those heavily polluting engines.
Air-cooled cars like a VW Beetle are some of the best options for conversion, and classic cars with simpler designs and roomier engine bays make it easy to perform custom work like this.
A new electric conversion kit designed for VW Beetles made from 1965 to 1975 takes advantage of those perks, offering a relatively easy way to get an old combustion engine car back on the road in fresh, electric glory.
The kit was first spotted by the Autopian‘s Jason Torchinsky, who seems to have as much fun dumpster-fire diving in Alibaba’s catalog as I do.
The design of the kit looks fairly straight forward. It includes a 15 kW electric motor that puts out around 20 horsepower. A 1965 VW Beetle of that era originally carried a 4-cylinder engine that produced closer to 40 horsepower, but electric motors feature much higher torque and thus are capable of producing higher performance than gasoline-powered engines even with lower power ratings.
The 48 kg (105 lb) motor appears to bolt straight onto the Beetle’s transaxle. It’s a simple approach – something has to spin that shaft and the car doesn’t care if it’s a motor powered by electrons or cancer-causing dead dinosaur juice. (This might not be the time for it, but here’s a friendly little reminder that your gasoline-powered car is literally giving your kids future cancer, and probably you, too).
In addition to the bolt-on electric motor, the Beetle conversion kit also includes the electronic speed controller and also a replacement (or rather add-on) digital dashboard with the new electric readouts.
One key aspect that seems to be missing though is the battery. This is very much a “batteries not included” type of deal.
You’ll need a 96V battery pack, which isn’t exactly something you can pick up at WalMart. But with several interesting US-based auto-battery resellers out there, you’ve still got a number of options.
As for a factory electric VW Beetle, don’t get your hopes up. VW threw cold water on the idea of ever making a new electric Beetle. The VW bus, though? That’s alive and well as a modern electric vehicle in the VW ID. Buzz.
Electrek’s Take
This probably isn’t a good kit for you if an IKEA bookshelf assembly turns into a phone-a-friend situation, but it also won’t take a lifelong mechanic to install a kit like this due to the relatively simple design.
Compared to other kits in the US that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, this one seems fairly compelling. That being said, I always advise caution when making big purchases from Alibaba. In fact, I usually advise to not do it. That hasn’t stopped several of my readers, but I still don’t think it’s worth risking thousands of dollars (and untold thousands more in shipping and customs fees) with untested online vendors from halfway around the world.
I’ve already got a fun little air-cooled Chinese EV of my own, so I don’t think I need to do any Beetle conversions at the moment. And if I did, I’d be on the lookout for a 1969 AMC AMX with a bad drivetrain anyway. Everyone has a Beetle. Give me something interesting.
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Lucid Motors (LCID) is recruiting more high-profile stars to spotlight its new luxury electric SUV, the Gravity.
The luxury EV maker is teaming up with some of the NBA’s biggest stars, Jalen Brunsen and Josh Hart, in its latest collaboration.
Lucid enlisted Jalen and Josh, teammates on the New York Knicks, for a new market campaign designed to celebrate “those who refuse to settle for the status quo.”
Keep a lookout this Wednesday, October 22, during the New York Knicks home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers to see Jalen and Josh hype the Lucid Gravity electric SUV.
Lucid, Hart, and Brunson plan to showcase “how precise performance, cultural influence, and athletic excellence come together — on the court, on the road, and in the moments that move individuals.” The partnership is the latest as Lucid builds a roster of high-profile celebrities and athletes to promote the brand.
“To be one of the best, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes,” Brunson said, adding “It’s a commitment to improving every day, and never accepting that you can’t reach that next level. I see that same passion for excellence in Lucid.”
Lucid said the collaboration “underscores the brand’s mission to compromise nothing” as it builds a roster of high-profile celebs and athletes to promote the new Gravity electric SUV.
In August, Lucid teamed up with Timothée Chalamet, its first global brand ambassador, for an ad campaign called “Driven.”
Lucid also attended NFL star Travis Kelce’s, Kelce Car Jam last month. For every test drive, Lucid donated $87 to Kelce’s Eighty-Seven and Running Foundation. Kelce founded Eighty-Seven & Running in 2015 to mentor disadvantaged youth, help develop their skills, and motivate them to get out and do their best.
As it ramps up output, the EV maker has been actively promoting the Gravity. Last week, Lucid trolled Tesla on social media in a video asking Elon Musk’s Grok, “What’s the best luxury EV?”
Grok’s answer: The 2025 Lucid Air. Do you agree? ChatGPT and CoPilot said the same.
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Elon Musk has openly threatened to leave Tesla, or at least his role as CEO, if he doesn’t get his ridiculous compensation.
He is now saying the quiet part out loud.
Tesla shareholders are about to vote on a new, controversial compensation package for Elon Musk.
While many are focused on the ridiculous size of the stock options, which could be worth up to $1 trillion, many analysts have highlighted other problems with the package.
A Reuters report last week noted that, with business as usual and a market capitalization growth below the S&P average, Musk could still receive one or even two tranches of his compensation package, worth between $20 billion and $40 billion.
In short, under the rules of the package, Musk could receive the biggest payday in history for returning below average returns.
That’s on top of the CEO already having received more compensation from Tesla than the company has earned in profits since its existence.
One commentator on X pointed out the concern about the first tranche of the compensation plan. Instead of addressing the genuine concern, Musk responded by boasting about Tesla’s market capitalization and suggesting that he won’t be Tesla’s CEO if he doesn’t get the pay:
Tesla is worth more than all other automotive companies combined. Which of those CEOs would you like to run Tesla? It won’t be me.
The CEO then shared posts encouraging Tesla shareholders to vote for the shareholders meeting, which is happening on November 6th.
Electrek’s Take
There are many issues with this comment. First off, it completely ignores a real problem with the comp package. Even if you believe that Musk would deserve $1 trillion in compensation for bringing Tesla’s valuation to $20 trillion, the package shouldn’t allow for Musk to make tens of billions from below average return.
It looks like the package is being used as a trojan horse to dazzle shareholders with the promise of unlikely crazy returns when the more likely outcome is to give Musk what would still be a record compensation for Tesla delivering a below average return on investment.
The fact that Musk doesn’t want to address this clear issue is a red flag.
Furthermore, Musk is using a dirty card: you play by my rules or I’m gone.
This is what I previously called the ‘Tesla Dilemma’: Elon Musk is destroying Tesla’s profitable car business, but at the current valuation, his lies about self-driving and robots is what is keeping the stock alive.
Therefore, Tesla shareholders are disincentivized to vote against Musk if he threatens to leave because he would leave with his stock pumping lies – leading in the stock crashing.
He has a complete hold on Tesla and he is going to force shareholders to give him another ridiculous stock compensation package.
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