EV West Has An Expensive But Slick Tesla Electric Power Conversion Kit

When it comes to electric vehicle performance and range today, Tesla sits at the top. A company called EV West has a new EV conversion kit designed to make the process of turning cars never meant to be electrically powered into electric vehicles easier. The conversion kit uses a Tesla motor and will fit into any car that's capable of accepting a Chevy small block engine.

You may be surprised at how many vehicles can fit a Chevy small block under the hood that were never meant to be powered by that engine. The EV West Tesla crate motor kit comes with brackets allowed to be bolted into anything with mounts for either a Chevy LS or Chevy small-block V-8 engine. Not only does that cover decades worth of Chevy products, but any car that can be converted to work with that engine will also support the Tesla motor swap.

The electric conversion kit includes the motor and bracket along with the power inverter. Tesla doesn't sell new individual motors to anyone, so the motor used has been refurbished by EV West. The conversion kit doesn't require a transmission and connects directly to a driveshaft. It has a 2:1 reduction gear before going to the driveshaft and differential.

EV West suggests using a 4:1 rear end, giving an overall drive ratio of 8:1. That, combined with smaller wheels and tires, would give gearing similar to a standard Tesla. The conversion, as you might suspect, isn't inexpensive.

EV West says that the crate motor will be available in a month or two and will cost around $30,000. Additional components, including batteries, can bring a complete powertrain conversion to $50,000. We have to wonder how poorly Tesla will take this news. It hates its components being used in anything other than a Tesla vehicle.