People either love or hate EV conversions. But regardless of which side of the fence you live on, I made this post out of sheer love for the fact that we were able to rescue another Bugeye. This one was bound for the crusher before Bruce in Iowa rescued it. Given its challenges, he decided an electric conversion would be just what it needed for its next chapter. So we picked up the car in Iowa, brought it to our shop in Connecticut, and welded its spine back together. Then we put in a new transmission tunnel and loaded up all the high-tech electronic bits to make it into a torquey little electric rocket. Check out the details in the below video:
It’s really fun to drive. And fast!
This is our fifth electric Sprite. We are getting better and better at building these and sorting out their unique challenges. This one worked beautifully right out out of the box on its maiden voyage, and we will ship it home to Iowa soon. We only need to cycle the batteries a few times and complete some charging cycles and this one will be ready for its new life to begin. Range for these, BTW, is about 125 miles, which seems plenty for normal Bugeye use (remember, a gas-powered Bugeye with its seven gallon fuel tank has a roughly 175 mile range).
I am beaming today for one additional reason… we are tasked each week with making classic cars as reliable and enjoyable as possible. Seven of us Bugeye people come to work each day to put these cars in people’s driveways and to give our customers a way to unwind. Each Bugeye that leaves our building brings joy to their owner, and in turn to the hundreds of people who see these smiling cars on the road. We are proud to play a part in that chain of happiness; this is a happy car that invites people to smile.
We are proud to get another smile generator out into the world. Electric or gas, barnfind or concours, our job is to build useable machines that transport their owners reliably while eliciting joy. Thank you to all our customers for the opportunity! And congratulations, Bruce! This car will go great with your (gas-powered) Big Healey!
