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Company offering Tesla electric crate motor to fit older V8 cars

An American company has put together an electric crate motor designed to bolt directly into V8 engine bays.


Looking to upgrade the V8 in your Holden? American company EV West has created an electric motor which will bolt directly into the engine mounts for a small block engine.

Using a Tesla drive unit, the 'crate motor' allows owners of rear-wheel-drive V8 cars to upgrade to a fully-electric powertrain.

The unit bolts directly to engine bays designed for small block V8 engines, meeting the driveshaft where the gearbox would normally connect, which then runs to the rear differential and distributes power to the rear axle.

All that's required is for the petrol tank to be replaced with batteries to power the electric motor.

The design also allows owners to change the car's diff ratios, helping to fine-tune the power delivery for either acceleration or top-speed.

In a Facebook post, the company showed off the new electric crate motor while on-location at the Bonneville Salt Flats, after chasing top-speed records using fully-electric powertrains.

The company also offers electric motor conversion kits for older rear-engined cars such as the Porsche 911 and 914, Volkswagen Beetle and Karmann Ghia, and the mid-engined Toyota MR2.


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Ben Zachariah

Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.

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