NETJETS US VOLUME 12 2020

© ELECTRIC GT
IN GEAR
partly because of the plentiful supply of parts. The models include
an original open-top Beetle and a 1964 VW Type 2 Microbus for
maximum Cali-appeal, which is somehow only enhanced by the
zero-emissions powertrain. In comes a new transmission, brakes,
suspension, and interior refurb—alongside the biggest change of
all, those lithium-ion phosphate batteries. Cars that might have
otherwise been frustratingly slow and temperamental are given a
new lease of life.
Manufacturers themselves are starting to bang the drum too.
VW of America commissioned EV West (evwest.com) to convert
a 1972 Microbus to show off the capabilities of a modern electric
engine—taken from a 2017 e-Golf. The result was a van with twice
the power and a usable range of 125 miles. Inside, a digital EV
gauge on the dashboard, designed in authentic analog style, is the
only discernible nod to its new power source.
In L.A., Electric GT (electricgt.com) is doing something a little
different: The team has developed an off-the-shelf “crate” motor that
can be supplied to car shops or even enthusiastic amateurs to convert
any pre-1990 car in roughly 50 man-hours. “People are calling up
the guy that fixes up their custom-built icon 4x4 and asking, ‘What’s
your electric option?’” says co-founder Eric Hutchison. “It absolutely
opens up the field to take a classic car that you want to drive more
for the style, and makes it super usable.”
Another L.A.-based purveyor, Zero Labs (zerolabs.com),
whose HQ isn’t far from Tesla’s, is taking a super-modern startup
approach, deploying artists and specialist designers in trendy
workshops to create incredibly high-spec finishes for its 150
electrified Ford Broncos ($185K), whose blocky, 1970s design has
found new appreciation from a fashionable, modern audience. The
result is a car that manages to be a proficient off-roader, luxury allrounder,
eco-conscious lifestyle choice, and design-led headturner
all in one. Those who still think electrifying vintage cars is a crime
against automobiles might do well to consider whether this may
be the way to keep car culture alive.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A converted Fiat 124
Spider from Electric GT.
46 NetJets