THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC CARS

An update from Peace Vans Electric.

Our team spent the last year converting all kinds of classic VWs: air-cooled buses, Dokas, Things, and more. We eagerly anticipate progressing these projects in 2024, making customers' dreams of converting classic cars into electric vehicles a reality.

This blog will outline what’s happening in the electric vehicle industry, the future of Peace Vans Electric, and upcoming projects we’re excited about. Continue reading to learn all about the future of electric cars and how you can be a part of it.

What’s happening in the electric industry?

Electric conversions are becoming more affordable.

Not too long ago, electric cars seemed like a futuristic dream. Now, we see these battery-powered vehicles everywhere, from driving down the freeway to parked beside us at campgrounds. Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular: there are over two million registered in the United States, and the number continues to rise. The electric car market is expected to grow 18.17% annually.

You may be wondering what new EV sales have to do with electric conversions of classic cars. The answer? Cheaper parts and more charging stations. Many electric conversion companies, including Peace Vans, buy secondary parts. Tesla prices have decreased more than 22% year over year, allowing us to source parts at a lower price and, in turn, charge less for electric conversions. Also, the lower price points of Teslas mean insurance companies are more likely to call an accident a “total loss” as the cost of repair approaches the value of the car. This means a larger supply of high-quality, lightly used parts for our EV conversions.

Charge points are increasing. 

With the sales of new electric cars rising, more charging stations are being built. An analysis from PwC predicts that the number of charge points in the United States will grow from 4 million to 35 million in 2024. 

Because of this, there will be more places to charge your electric vehicle, whether new or converted. The US Department of Energy has an extensive database of information on charging your EV, including charging at home, workplace charging, charger maintenance, and more.

What plans does Peace Vans Electric have in the coming years?

2023 has been a transformative year for Peace Vans Electric. We’ve completed a handful of customer and shop projects and have been ecstatic about how they turned out. Our mission is to breathe life back into your beloved classic car and turn it into a reliable daily driver. We recently had a customer pick up their fully converted Volkswagen bus, and it was heartwarming to see all our team’s hard work fulfill their dream of transforming their classic car to electric. 

Like 2023, 2024 is going to be a breakthrough year for us. Here’s what we plan to work on:

Air-Cooled Volkswagens

This year, we’ve completed multiple electric conversions on air-cooled Volkswagens, including classic buses, Dokas, Things, Ghias, and more. We will continue these projects into 2024. Our project timeline is approximately 3-6 months, so we highly recommend getting in our queue as soon as possible, as we only see these conversions increasing in popularity. Most of our focus in 2024 will be scaling up these operations. We have a few fun, high-profile projects we can’t share yet, but let’s just say it’s an exciting time!

Vanagons

We have begun to iterate on Vanagons and land on a market-ready solution, a project that has been highly anticipated by many members of our community. Our target range is 200-250 miles, depending on budget, technology chosen, available parts, and more. Unlike our air-cooled projects, the range is an important consideration. Technically speaking, a Vanagon is not that complicated, and one could fairly easily just bolt in some Tesla parts and call it done. However, we will spend some more cycles on something more refined, elegant, and professional. This takes time, so we appreciate your patience. If you want to be part of the Vanagon “early adopter” program, definitely reach out.

Non-VW Classic Cars

While our current focus is on Volkswagens, we plan to expand our horizons and begin converting other classic cars. If you are reading this and have a project in mind, reach out. We aren’t ready to share where we are investing our time regarding the next platforms, but once we hear from you and they line up, we can put you in the queue. 

Selling Converted Classic Cars

Not everyone who wants a classic electric VW already owns one. Given this, we plan to build a few projects “on spec.” Our first ready-to-buy EV conversion will be a VW Thing (aka Type 181) currently in our workshop. This will be an incredibly fun vehicle to drive and the perfect “get around” car.  We are projecting completion around April of 2024, which is perfect for a spring delivery to you.

Full Restoration Projects

In 2023, we focused on EV conversions without the additional adjacent project of a full restoration. However, in 2024, we will accept projects that want to include a complete restoration. These projects would encompass a full body/paint restoration, interior and exterior projects, and a full mechanical overhaul. A project like this will span 12 months, and the price tag will match.  

Will Peace Vans start converting electric vans and cars into campers in the near future?

As most of you have probably heard, Mercedes is pausing production of our beloved Metris vans to pivot the platform to electric.  We are excitedly waiting to hear the official specs on the e-Metris: timing, range, cost, and what conversion level will work. We hope to have some information on this in late 2024. As long as the range is decent and the interior space is adequate for a camper, we fully intend to produce a camper on this vehicle. We don’t expect Mercedes to have this in the US market until 2026.  

Apart from the e-Metris, the other top vehicle we get asked about is the ID. Buzz, a modern adaptation of the iconic VW bus. Over the summer, VW debuted the US version of the ID. Buzz.  While it’s a bit smaller than we’d like, we are optimistic there’s something we can do with it.  Currently, the vehicle won’t be delivered to US customers until Q1 of 2025, and it is unclear what level of modification (if any) VW will allow to the vehicle. Converting an OEM EV is complicated, and VW is reluctant to approve a pop top or other significant modifications.  But…we are trying, so stay tuned.  

We like to remind people interested in our small campers waiting for an electric platform to think carefully about this. While we are hopeful there will be a suitable chassis in the next few years, we think charge points in camping locations and the type of range most people want for a long road trip are more than a few years out. If you like the small camper van thing, buy one of our last remaining internal combustion Metris vans. With less than 50 of those vans, your last chance is early 2024.

ID. Buzz photo: Car and Driver

I want in on Peace Vans’ future electric endeavors. 

Due to the timeframe of these projects, we have a limited number of spots available for 2024–but there’s still time! We are currently not accepting Vanagons (unless you want to consider the early adopter/beta program) and are mainly focused on air-cooled Volkswagens (buses, beetles, etc.). If you have another classic car you’re interested in converting, we’re happy to discuss it. Reach out, and let’s have a conversation!