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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JackRabbit, the maker of pint-sized electric microbikes, is back with a new product designed to quickly recharge their batteries from pure, uncut photons mainlined into an e-bike directly from the sun. In true independent charging form, the Solar Charging Kit from JackRabbit keeps riders rolling even when there’s not a convenient AC outlet in sight.
Unveiled this week, the Solar Charging Kit consists of a single folding solar panel and a tiny voltage converter that is configured to output 42.0V, which is the exact voltage required by JackRabbit’s little e-bike batteries. There’s also an added USB-A and a USB-C charging port for powering other devices in addition to charging JackRabbit batteries.
“This Solar Charging Kit plugs directly into your bike,” explained the company, “letting you recharge without needing an outlet, but with a speed comparable to the charger that comes with the OG/OG2 (42V, 2A).”
That would mean the panel outputs around 80W of solar power, which the company says can recharge its batteries in just three hours. That fairly quick recharging speed is helped by the fact that JackRabbit’s batteries are a mere 151 Wh, or around a third of the size of most e-bike batteries.
If that sounds small, then you’re right – it is. But JackRabbit is all about going micro, offering barely 25 lb rideables that are easy to store and bring on adventures, even when they aren’t actually being ridden.
With small batteries that fit under the 160Wh limit for many airlines in the US, the batteries can be quickly charged and taken to the widest number of locations. And for riders that want to go further than a single 10-mile (16-km) battery will allow, extra batteries are small enough to fit a pants pocket. The company also offers much larger Rangebuster batteries, though they won’t pass by TSA and make it onto an airplane in your personal item.
It sounds like the Solar Chargking Kit should be able to charge up JackRabbit’s large RangeBuster batteries, though likely in more than three hours.
The $349 Solar Charging Kit is a bit pricier than building something similar yourself, but it’s also safer and more convenient than hacking together your own battery charger since it’s designed to work with JackRabbit’s batteries right out of the box.
Technically it’s only inteded for JackRabbit’s micro e-bikes (themselves technically seated scooters, even if they look and feel more like a typical bike), but it’d probably work for just about any 36V e-bike that requires 42.0V to charge.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen solar charging kits for electric bikes, and it’s a trend that is certainly appreciated by outdoors and camping enthusiasts, festival goers, or anyone who finds themself and their bike spending extended periods in the great, sunny outdoors.
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Solar generated 11% of EU electricity in 2024, overtaking coal which fell below 10% for the first time, according to the European Electricity Review published today by think tank Ember.
EU gas generation declined for the fifth year in a row, and total fossil generation fell to a historic low.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Dr Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst and lead author of the report. “At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition could be where it is today; wind and solar are pushing coal to the margins and forcing gas into structural decline.”
The European Electricity Review published today by global energy think tank Ember provides the first comprehensive overview of the EU power system in 2024. It analyzes full-year electricity generation and demand data for 2024 in all EU-27 countries to understand the region’s progress in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
Wind and solar continue their meteoric rise in the EU
The EU power sector is undergoing a deep transformation spurred on by the European Green Deal. Solar generation (11%) overtook coal (10%) for the first time in 2024, as wind (17%) generated more electricity than gas (16%) for the second year in a row.
Strong solar growth, combined with a recovery of hydropower, pushed the share of renewables to nearly half of EU power generation (47%). Fossil fuels generated 29% of the EU’s electricity in 2024. In 2019, before the Green Deal, fossil fuels provided 39% of EU electricity, while renewables provided 34%.
Solar is growing in every EU country and more than half now have either no coal power or a share below 5% in their power mix. Coal has fallen from being the EU’s third-largest power source in 2019 to the sixth-largest in 2024, bringing the end into sight for the dirtiest fossil fuel. EU gas generation also declined for the fifth year in a row (-6%) despite a very small rebound in power demand (+1%).
The EU is reaping the benefits of reduced fossil fuel dependency
The surge in wind and solar generation has reduced the EU’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and its exposure to volatile prices since the energy crisis. Ember’s analysis found that without new wind and solar capacity added over the last five years, the EU would have imported an additional 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes of coal, costing €59 billion.
“While the EU’s electricity transition has moved faster than anyone expected in the last five years, further progress cannot be taken for granted,” continued Rosslowe. “Delivery needs to be accelerated particularly in the wind sector, which has faced unique challenges and a widening delivery gap. Between now and 2030, annual wind additions need to more than double compared to 2024 levels. However, the achievements of the past five years should instil confidence that, with continued drive and commitment, challenges can be overcome and a more secure energy future be achieved.”
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe said: “This milestone is about more than just climate action; it is a cornerstone of European energy security and industrial competitiveness. Renewables are steadily pushing fossil fuels to the margins, with solar leading the way. We now need more flexibility to kick-in, making sure the energy system is adapting to new realities: more storage and more smart electrification in heating, transport and industries.”
Read more: China installed a record capacity of solar and wind in 2024 – in numbers
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