Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, a German firm says it can convert an ICE vehicle to an EV in just one day; while Tesla hints at new tap-to-park features.
A fully electric flip
A company in Germany known as ‘e-Revolt’ claims it can convert an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle into an EV in just one day.
The automotive conversion company begins the process by removing the gas-based engine and its associated components. These components are then given a second life either through usage in other applications or through some form of recycling.
New components are then added to the vehicle such as a motor, battery, sundry, computer monitors as well as a ‘plug-and-play’ frame developed by the firm’s engineers to allow for quick parts swapping while retaining the crashworthiness of the vehicle.
According to the company, the range on these converted vehicles is estimated to be in the 250 to 300 km range on a full charge.
E-Revolt’s conversion kit is optimized for installation in over three dozen models, with most being tailored to vehicles from Volkswagen.
Currently, the price for these vehicles is anywhere between 12,000 and 15,000 euros or $20,000.
While the range on these converted vehicles does not reach the upper limit of what some current EV models can achieve, e-Revolt notes that it is a respectable range for a converted car.
Put it in to park
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla has recently hinted at a new ‘tap to park’ feature for the automaker’s Full Self Driving beta.
This feature, which Musk claims the company is actively working on, will allow Tesla cars to park themselves without needing a driver behind the wheel.
To function, the proposed programming would be designed to recognize potential parking species and would then allow users to choose one by tapping on an on-screen representation. After selecting the desired spot, the driver would then be able to leave the vehicle to park itself.
Tesla owners who purchased their vehicles before the discontinuation of Ultrasonic Sensors (USS) would be able to use a similar option called Autopark. However, these drivers would not be able to choose among several parking locations and would have to remain in the vehicle to take control if necessary.
