American car enthusiast electrifies Chevrolet Corvette for a zero-emission ride

The latest fad among car freaks is to convert their vehicles from gas driven to electric vehicles (EV), and, thus, bring the electric bug effect to the fore. Wayne Bickley from San Bernadino, California, United States, has converted a black Chevrolet Corvette coupe, 1996 into an all-electric one that ensures a zero-emission ride while it's on the move.

Electric Chevy Corvette

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Electric Chevy Corvette

Wayne Bickley dumps supercharged 396 engine and converts Corvette to run on electricity.

Bickley owned a black Chevrolet Corvette coupe, 1996 model that was quite a machine till he suddenly decided to give it a makeover. The first step towards converting the Chevy into an electric vehicle began with the removal of the corvette’s supercharged 396 engine. The car was then fitted with high-powered batteries. The other features that were added on to the vehicle include a DC electric motor and a ZF6 constant-mesh, six-speed manual transmission

Bickley’s main intention was to drive an environmentally friendly vehicle and avoid queuing up for California’s strict vehicle emission tests. Bickley’s efforts at converting his Chevrolet Corvette resulted in a smart sleek black machine that can do more than 85 miles per hour. The modernized version of this 1996 model Chevy is something for the future with a stock curb weight of 3260. Bickley has also added a power steering and a clutch free 3.07 rear gears and a vacuum pump instead of brakes. The car is fitted with an El Con PFC 1500, 288 vdc 8 Amp charger. With a seating capacity for two adults, the car has demonstrated a capacity for 425 watt hours per mile.

Wayne Bickley invested all his evenings for a period of three months to convert his Chevrolet Corvette into a full fledged electric vehicle. The end product is more than satisfactory.

Via: AutoblogGreen