Table of contents for Fall 2024 in EV Builder Guide

MEET THE EVSC THE Electric Vehicle Standards Council (EVSC) is excited to announce several updates to its efforts in shaping the future of electric vehicles. The Council is making significant progress on developing the first-ever road-safe electric repower standards, which are expected to enter the peer review stage this summer. These standards are designed not only to empower individuals who choose to DIY their own vehicle modifications, but also to set a higher bar for companies in the aftermarket E-mobility industry, ensuring that all electric vehicles meet rigorous safety and performance standards. Furthermore, the Council is also drafting aftermarket standards for battery boxes to provide recommended best practices for those looking to build EVs from the ground up. Here’s a closer look at what EVSC stands for and its contributions…

THE Electrify Expo made its first stop ever in Phoenix on May 4-5, marking a pivotal moment in the advancement of electric mobility in Arizona. Spanning over one million square feet, this gathering shined a spotlight on the latest in electric vehicles, offering an immersive weekend filled with innovation, community engagement, and the reality of EVs in today’s world. Phoenix: "The Electric Detroit" It was no surprise that the Electrify Expo came to the Phoenix metro area. The city is home to many industry-leading EV companies and suppliers, such as Lucid, Nikola, Waymo, and Atlis. Furthermore, new chip and battery manufacturing facilities by Intel, TSMC, KORE Power, and LG Energy Solutions are currently being built in the area, further cementing the reputation of the area and the role it will…

FALL is in the air— making it the perfect time to make improvements to your build. Here, we list our top picks for the fall. Which is your favorite? 1 ReVolt Systems' Tesla Large Drive Unit (LDU) Coolant Bypass Kit This coolant bypass kit prevents the notorious issue of the rotor seal failing and flooding the drive unit, leading to catastrophic failure. If this happens, your entire motor and inverter can be destroyed, leading to an extremely costly repair. ReVolt Systems has developed this kit to route the coolant away from the area where the factory seal is prone to fail. In the many years of experience ReVolt has had with Tesla motors, it has seen a tremendous uptick in failed seals and damaged drive units. So ReVolt Systems has now…

AMPERE EV’S ATOM DRIVE KIT THE electric vehicle aftermarket is set for a transformative leap with Ampere EV’s Atom Drive Kit, an innovative solution designed to drastically simplify EV conversions. We found this kit addresses three critical pain points in the conversion process: programming and tuning, comprehensive engineering, and component compatibility. No Programming or Tuning Required One of the standout features of the Atom Drive Kit is that it requires no programming or tuning. Traditionally, EV conversions have been a domain for highly skilled technicians who could manage the intricate software and hardware integrations. However, Ampere EV has pre-configured all essential elements of the kit. The Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) comes pre-loaded with necessary torque maps, safety parameters, cooling loops, and charging protocols. These tunes and settings have been extensively…

ON May 2nd, 2024 over 150 attendees got together to participate in this year’s Charged Up!, “Charged Up.” There was such strong support from the EV community represented by sponsors, speakers & OEMs like Tesla, Rivian, Chevrolet, Porsche, Toyota and Audi. Event organizers Omar Sevilla and Greg Quirin with San Diego Unified School District established the San Diego Automotive Educators Group over a decade ago and have been hosting annual automotive educators’ conferences envisioning a platform to unite automotive instructors and professionals. Their mission is clear—to navigate the intricate day-to-day operations of teaching automotive technology to high school and college students across Southern California. With a shared passion for preserving the technical trade of automotive technology, Omar and Greg aimed to cultivate the next generation of highly skilled automotive technicians.…

THE ELECTRIC CONVERSION CONUNDRUM AS the automotive world pivots towards a more sustainable future, interest in electric vehicles has grown significantly. However, for many car enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike, the prospect of purchasing a brand-new EV can be daunting due to high price tags. This has led to a burgeoning interest in converting existing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric powertrains. But the pressing question remains: Can this conversion be done affordably? The Basics of Electric Conversion Converting a vehicle to an electric powertrain involves replacing the traditional ICE components with an electric motor, battery pack, and associated electronics. This process typically includes the removal of the engine, transmission, fuel tank, and exhaust system. In their place, electric motors, battery modules, inverters, and controllers are installed. While this…

ABOUT four years ago, the team at ReVolt Systems noticed the rear seal failing in a few Tesla Model S Large Drive Units (LDU). Now it’s upwards to about 30+% and on the rise as these motors see higher mileage. A lot of these earlier models are now falling out of warranty and Tesla charges over $6K for a replacement, which also has the potential to leak. So ReVolt Systems developed a kit that addresses these notorious rotor seal issues present in all Tesla LDUs s, drastically extending the life of your motor. ReVolt has seen the problem develop anywhere between 25k miles on up, so there’s a very wide window of failure, and if you have a Tesla LDU it’s not a matter of “if” it fails, but “when.”…

AS a teenager, Mark Brems grew up with a passion for Volkswagens, and had nearly every model—Beetles, Ghias, Fastbacks, and buses. “I had a 1973 VW Adventurewagen that I lived in for two years on the beach in Santa Monica while I worked at the Criterion Collection, and drove it cross-country twice,” Brems recalls. “One of my favorites was a 1967 Triumph GT6 Mk1 with an electric overdrive. That was a fun car that I also drove across the US twice.” Putting cars aside for a few decades, in 2010 he decided it would be fun to convert a gas car to electric. After doing a lot of blog surfing, he discovered that many people had already converted Porsche 914s to electric using lead acid car batteries and DC motors.…

IN the ever-evolving racing car world, the Scalar Performance SCR1 stands out as a groundbreaking innovation. This allelectric track car, built on the Toyota GR86 platform, is designed to push the boundaries of what electric vehicles can achieve on the racetrack. With Brian Bourne, Scalar’s CEO, we delve into the SCR1’s conception, design, and performance, revealing the meticulous engineering that makes it a formidable contender against traditional internal combustion engines on track. Founding the Dream Scalar Performance was co-founded by Brian Bourne and Joel Fallaise, two avid motorsport enthusiasts with a shared vision of creating a high-performance electric race car. Their mission was clear: to design an EV that a driving purist would enjoy, and could compete alongside traditional ICE vehicles on the track, initially in the NASA Super Touring…

THE world of automotive customization is no stranger to ambitious projects, but few can rival the sheer audacity and innovation of the recent creation by S Klub LA and TSK: a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL– with a twist. This classic beauty, known for its iconic “gullwing” doors and timeless design, has been reimagined with a Tesla Model 3 underpinning. Put crudely, you may just call it a bodyswap, but the incredible amount of work, superb craftsmanship and ingenuity lift this fantastic creation to an OEM level of finish, which is the pantheon of customization. The end-result is a vehicle that blends vintage charm with modern performance to perfection - absolutely setting a new standard in the custom car world. Conceptualizing the Tesla-Powered 300 SL The brainchild of John S, an…

BRAT TO THE FUTURE: ELECTRIFYING THE QUIRKY CLASSIC SUBARU WHEN considering a conversion to electric, the Subaru Brat hardly ever comes to mind— there is a reason for that. It is rare, but not in the most noble way, as it did not have a particularly iconic style, design, or following. However, a set of brothers in Austin, Texas, decided a 1980 Subaru Brat would be an ideal base, and we could not fault them for thinking out of the box! We met the Flash Drive Motors team in the city of Coupland in the Lone Star State. They are led by brothers James and Dan Fleischman, who are passionate restorers and electric vehicle enthusiasts. They’ve definitely brought a unique twist to the classic Subaru ‘pick-up that’s not a pickup’.…

Revel in the process, seek joy in the challenge, and cherish every victory, big or small. NESTLED among the snow-capped peaks of Salt Lake City, an audacious project sparked to life, one that would see the fusion of kit car culture and cutting-edge electric powertrain technology. Here, in the unassuming confines of a home garage, Jeremy Snow embarked on a three-year odyssey to transform the 2018 K1 Attack into a paragon of electric performance. Meet Wattson, his home-built electric supercar! Jeremy’s story is not of an affluent collector adding another exotic to a lined garage but a true enthusiast with a vision transcending the conventional path of automotive passion. Dissatisfied with the notion that supercar experiences were reserved for the few, he embarked on a journey that began with a…

RED HOT MASHUP "The reactions range from admiration to offers to purchase the car on the spot. WHEN the dream of owning a Tesla Roadster seems out of reach, some enthusiasts take matters into their own hands. This is precisely what Tim Bradley did by converting his 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT into an electric beast using components from a Tesla Model S 85. Tim’s choice of the Fiero GT was driven by nostalgia. With its improved suspension and robust 2.8-liter V-6 engine, this final-year GT model was identical to the car he owned back in high school—and had to part with once he started a family. Then, eight years ago, Tim found a superb example in Iowa, completely identical to his car and with only 14,000 miles on the odometer!…

I GUESS we are just getting to that stage of life. That stage where we start to ponder what things will look like once the next generation takes the torch from us (that’s mostly Rob, though; he’s the old guy). The automotive industry as a whole is already in a transitional phase, trying to adopt new tech while somehow also maintaining what makes the art of automotive stay the art of automotive. There are over a hundred years of legacy and tradition that our industry is built on. Right now, more than ever, is the time to ensure we engage the youth in the automotive aftermarket. We need them to remember where we came from while also looking ahead to where we are going. I can remember growing up, watching…