The sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) have increased by 55% in 2022 compared to the previous year. However, there are still many gas-powered cars on the road, and it looks like this trend will continue for a while. To tackle this issue, a new industry has emerged, converting internal combustion engine vehicles to electric. This trend has led to the growth of shops and aftermarket communities to meet the new demand.
The Rising Demand for EV Conversions
Michael Bream, founder and CEO of EV West, a shop based in San Diego, California, is one of the pioneers in EV conversions. He shared that a customer brought in a 1976 BMW 2002 car, which was underpowered. The customer wanted to install a 550 horsepower Tesla drive unit in the car, and the shop successfully converted it. Bream’s shop has become so popular that there’s currently a four-to-five-year wait to get a slot.
Bream believes that being involved in electric cars is like being involved in computers in the ’90s. He also said that the transition to sustainable fuels should be fun and exciting for car enthusiasts and people who are part of car culture.
Apart from conversion shops, there is a growing number of DIYers taking up these projects themselves. One such example is Frances Farnam, a 14-year-old who is working on converting a 1976 Porsche 914. She has been documenting her process on her YouTube channel, Tinkergineering. Farnam took a course with Legacy EV, an electric vehicle aftermarket shop, to learn how to work with electrical systems. She hopes that her work will prove that converting cars to electric is not too challenging.
The aftermarket ecosystem is blowing up with EV-focused parts to support people who want to build their electric cars. Companies like Ford and GM offer components for EV conversions, and several other companies are also entering the space. The Specialty Equipment Market Association, a trade organization that represents automotive manufacturers and resellers, has seen the number of EV-focused products in the market grow exponentially. According to Mike Spagnola, the president and CEO of SEMA, the EV section at SEMA grew from 2,000 square feet two years ago to 22,000 square feet last year. He also predicts that it will be 100,000 square feet in the next five years.
The demand for EV conversions is on the rise. Both conversion shops and DIYers are taking up these projects. With the aftermarket ecosystem evolving, the conversion process is becoming more accessible and easier to do.
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