Electric conversion

[Pete]

Watched a bit from a podcast with Moggy from Vintage Voltage yesterday. He was discussing what the DVLA guidelines on conversion are and stated that when he’s asked for clarification on permitted modifications to chassis or monocoque that DVLA informed him that even bolting a roll cage into your car should require an IVA and a Q plate!

He says the reason EV conversions get picked up by the DVLA is because when changing the V5 from petrol to electric (although DVLA tax classification stays as petrol) it triggers an inspection, whereupon any additional welding or drilled holes in the original monocoque gets picked up. He goes on to say the only reason every rally or road car with a weld in or bolted in roll cage is not on a Q plate is because no change request has ever been made to the V5 logbook which is what would trigger a DVLA inspection...

A DVLA inspector wouldn’t have the first clue how many holes a Mk1 shell originally had in it nor when any changed position or were introduced or discontinued , most Mk1 owners dont! Any inspector would have to rely on the owner telling them he or she had drilled any holes and that’s probably where it goes wrong! Farcical.

[Julian Harber]

I did quite a lot of research for a contact in USA who wanted to use the mini as a show/demo car for the electric units he was importing so visited the firm in Oxfordshire a couple of times, they are very keen to preserve the original cars they convert so any modifications are done that it can easily revert to ICE unit - there was a mini there with the higher output electric unit and 5 speed manual gearbox, several E Type jags and classic cars as well as landrovers. A small firm and the quality was good - my USA firm bought 5 units to start with I believe.
I am not an electric fan but driving one is interesting as the tprque is amazing !

[Exminiman]

...it as if the DVLA view an EV conversion in similar way to a kit car build, especially if it is built by an individual rather than a company.

So an individual would have to get a kit car registered and inspected under a Q plate, but if you were a small volume car manufacturer, with QA process, liability insurance eyc.... you will be treated differently.

[maxidave]

What's a police station ?