I drove 560 km to Voorschoten, NL, to see Peter of Peet‘s Classics. We had a quick Facetime chat and virtual workshop tour before, but I wanted to see everything in person. Peter had just finished a BEV-conversion of a Mk2 for a client using EV Europe‘s batteries and Zonic motor. The client wanted a modern car in a Mk2 costume: Modern wheels, LED lights, bumpers, seats, interior design, a big screen, new gauges, the rear suspension of an XJ40 – almost nothing was kept with the exception of the car’s overall shape.
Peter used NMC batteries of type CATL/SKI 16S with 11 kWh per module, 16 cells and 58.4 VDC Nominal voltage. 4 modules in front, 2 modules in the back: 6 x 58.4 V = 350.4 V for the HV circuit. The critical factors with these modules are the weight of 53.7 kg and the large dimensions of 638 x 372 x 116 mm. There’s no way to add more than 6 batteries to a Mk2, which gives a maximum capacity of 66k Wh total, approximately 62 kWh net capacity, which will be significantly less than 300 km range in real life.
The workshop was impressive! Peter’s knowledge and experience with the restoration of all types of classics, either into 100% original factory condition or restomods of all sorts, his passion for cars and technology – it was a joy to see.
The 4 modules hardly fit into the engine bay. They are stacked on top of each other and enclosed by a custom aluminium powder coated case. The steering had to be modified into servo-supported rack and pinion to fit the pack.
The 2 modules in the back reduce boot space considerably.
A heating will be mounted to the right side (in picture left, unfinished) to the pack, vacuum pump, master brake cylinder and fluid reservoir stay on the driver’s side.
All gauges were converted to modern step-motor versions in retrofit design from speedhut.
Some impressions from Peter’s workshop and the electric Mk2
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