![Bugatti Bird-gate Followup: Driver identity revealed <b>[*UPDATE:</b> Now with actual crash video!]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/bugatti-veyron-swim-1258147199_143x85.jpg)
Tesla too rich for your budget? How about an electric Saturn Sky?
Building a car is an enormously complex and expensive process. With all the safety regulations that have to be met in order to sell a new car, startup companies that want to build electric vehicles have mostly taken one of two paths to the road. The first is one taken by companies like Zap and Aptera. Those companies are building three-wheeled vehicles which are classed as motorcycles and thus exempt from safety rules. The other path is the one chosen by Phoenix Motorcars, where an existing vehicle platform is converted to electric drive. Advanced Mechanical Products of Cincinnati OH is following the latter path.
AMP is offering up an electrically-driven version of the Saturn Sky to those who want an emissions-free (direct emissions anyway, power plants are another story) sports car for less money than a Tesla Roadster. AMP takes a Sky and removes the EcoTec four-cylinder drivetrain. A battery pack goes in its place underhood and a pair of electric motors and electronics get installed in the back end. The AMP website lists the price for the conversion at $25,000 plus the cost of a new Sky, which puts the total at about half the price of a Tesla. They say it will go 150 miles on a charge and 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. The only problem with that claim is that a battery pack that can provide that kind of range would likely weigh around 800 lbs or more and be considerably larger than the one shown in the illustration. That kind of mass over the front wheels would not help the Sky's handling. There is also no indication that a working prototype of this thing even exists or when deliveries would begin. We'll look into this further over the long weekend, but as always, caveat emptor.
[Source: Advanced Mechanical Products, via AutoblogGreen]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KA 4:58PM (5/25/2008)
Companies (such as AC Propulsion) have been making electric conversions for years now. The crux of the issue is that they have to manipulate a platform that was designed for an entirely different application -- it just makes so much more sense to design a car *from the ground up* with electric power in mind.
Reply
refugee7 6:12PM (5/25/2008)
but then they have to pass all the safety inspections, which is what they are trying to avoid.
Azrael4h 9:01PM (5/25/2008)
How is that different than Tesla, who used a slightly reskinned Lotus Elise for the roadster?
If that car can get 100 miles on a charge, than it's great. I prefer a real top to a soft one, however, so how about a conversion of a Cobalt? Cheaper car, can get one for $10k, excellent basic chassis, could do with a conversion to right wheel drive.
Cary 8:05PM (5/25/2008)
I believe that if you leave a vehicles crash structures in place, the DOT doesn't require any recertifications to be completed. Providing the vehicle got check marks in all the right boxes the first go around, drive-train modification doesn't constitute a structural redesign. In addition, the DOT does not require certification on what would be a "manufacturer built, very limited run" vehicle. I will be back laterand leave sources where the information can be found.
sfast 7:58PM (5/25/2008)
I'm sure it handles like crap
Reply
Aprime 10:08PM (5/25/2008)
Maybe, maybe not.
I know the Solstice pounds the Miata's ass when it comes to track racing (not in a straight line), dunno about the Sky... Nor do I know if the powertrain swap would make that big of a change.
pmiddle5 11:18PM (5/25/2008)
It better be faster then the Miata, they designed it to. The Miata isnt meant to have uber grip
Curt 1:23AM (5/26/2008)
If you have the time and some mechanical aptitude, you can easily convert a Porshe 914 into an electric vehicle that can hit 100 mph with a range of 150 miles - under optimum conditions.
It'll cost about $2,000-$3,000 for the donor car and about $15,300 for the electric conversion kit from this site:
http://www.electroauto.com/index.html
Reply
Jimmy 3:50PM (6/26/2008)
I think most people think the Tesla is a toy for rich folks. Listen to these guys, they are real car lovers.
http://www.z-car.com/tesla-roadster/
Reply
altfuelfool 9:41PM (7/12/2008)
What happens when that conversion kit adds more battery weight that will intrude into the passenger compartment during a frontal crash?
Reply
Jerry 9:38PM (8/12/2008)
For the previous poster: you can actually maximize the available Saturn Sky trunk space by buying custom fitted luggage bags at HTTP://WWW.ROADTRIPLUGGAGE.COM
Reply