homehome Home chatchat Notifications


ZeroLabs' electric platform converts vintage cars into EVs

Thanks to this platform, any old car can be reborn as an electric vehicle.

Tibi Puiu
December 10, 2020 @ 10:00 pm

share Share

Credit: Zero Labs.

What if you could turn your beloved vintage Bronco or Land Rover into an electric vehicle? A daring Californian startup is now offering the tools to turn any classic automobile into a full-fledged automobile to make sure no one gets left behind in the impending EV revolution — not even vintage car nostalgics.

The future of four-wheeled transportation is electric. I think no one doubts that anymore — at least not many governments who have announced a ban on the sale of new diesel- or gasoline-powered automobiles starting from 2025 to 2035, depending on the country you ask. Although conventional automobiles will likely still be allowed on the streets after this phase-out, don’t expect that to last long. In any event, it will likely be so expensive to own a fossil-fuel-powered car due to taxes and the lack of spare parts, that few will want to drive one anymore.

This means that vintage cars are either destined to gather dust in a private collection or straight for the scrapyard — but not if ZeroLabs, an L.A. startup founded in 2015 by a former advertising executive, can help it.

The company has developed an electric platform that provides virtually any vintage, discontinued model with a base to turn it into an EV. First, the vehicle is stripped of almost everything under the hood. Next, the steering controls and dashboard are hooked into the new electric drivetrain — a 600HP dual-motor drive with regenerative braking, modular battery system, independent front and rear suspension. Since the wheelbase and ride height, the platform can be customized to fit any model.

Some may be of the opinion that a classic car without its original engine or drive line can’t be called a classic car anymore. What’s certain is that this isn’t a concept for just anyone’s taste nor anyone’s pocket. One vintage Ford Bronco that was fitted with a 70kWh battery pack and a 434bhp, 277lb ft BorgWarner permanent magnet motor cost $160,000 to customize, according to Top Gear.

Credit: Zero Labs.
Credit: Zero Labs.
Credit: Zero Labs.
Credit: Zero Labs.
Credit: Zero Labs.
Credit: Zero Labs.

share Share

The Universe’s First “Little Red Dots” May Be a New Kind of Star With a Black Hole Inside

Mysterious red dots may be a peculiar cosmic hybrid between a star and a black hole.

Peacock Feathers Can Turn Into Biological Lasers and Scientists Are Amazed

Peacock tail feathers infused with dye emit laser light under pulsed illumination.

Helsinki went a full year without a traffic death. How did they do it?

Nordic capitals keep showing how we can eliminate traffic fatalities.

Scientists Find Hidden Clues in The Alexander Mosaic. Its 2 Million Tiny Stones Came From All Over the Ancient World

One of the most famous artworks of the ancient world reads almost like a map of the Roman Empire's power.

Ancient bling: Romans May Have Worn a 450-Million-Year-Old Sea Fossil as a Pendant

Before fossils were science, they were symbols of magic, mystery, and power.

This AI Therapy App Told a Suicidal User How to Die While Trying to Mimic Empathy

You really shouldn't use a chatbot for therapy.

This New Coating Repels Oil Like Teflon Without the Nasty PFAs

An ultra-thin coating mimics Teflon’s performance—minus most of its toxicity.

Why You Should Stop Using Scented Candles—For Good

They're seriously not good for you.

People in Thailand were chewing psychoactive nuts 4,000 years ago. It's in their teeth

The teeth Chico, they never lie.

To Fight Invasive Pythons in the Everglades Scientists Turned to Robot Rabbits

Scientists are unleashing robo-rabbits to trick and trap giant invasive snakes