Fun driving experiences – manual transmission

12 Jun Fun driving experiences – manual transmission

I have just returned home from a fun drive to Preston. Shifting through the gears and gliding around the corners on the way home had me thinking about something a friend said: ‘If you really love your car, you could probably convert it to electric at some point’. Is that a thing? Is that possible. . .

Here is what I have found:

Manual transmission retention:

While technically possible, retaining the manual transmission may add complexity and require careful consideration of the motor’s torque and RPM limitations.

Mounting the drive train

There are several ways of mounting an electric motor in a vehicle – the most common is to build an adaptor plate which mates the electric motor to the gearbox.  The clutch may be kept, or if a couping can be made accurately it can be omitted.  Generally cars which retain the clutch are a bit nicer to drive, but the clutch won’t get used much.  Alternatively, the entire gearbox can be removed and the motor may be mounted directly to the driveshaft.  This is more common with rear-wheel drive cars, however the differential ratio might need to be changed to suit the torque and speed limitations of the electric motor.

Cost:

Electric conversions can be expensive, but the long-term benefits of lower maintenance costs can be significant according to Everrati.

So, I am guessing on reflection, I am probably not going to get the same driving experience if I was to convert my manual car to electric. . . And it would be expensive. . . I am wondering how expensive!! (As much as a second hand hybrid vehicle for example).

It is probably not the best plan. . . I should get my car serviced soon though. . . I want her to last as long as she can. Such a beautiful way to experience driving on the roads of Melbourne!