Company converting gas-powered cars to electric
By Elliott Polakoff
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TEMPE, Arizona (KPHO/KTVK) — As gas prices have continued to rise in recent months, many are looking for alternatives. And one Arizona company is making it possible to keep your current gas-powered car and convert it to electric. But its CEO and founder wasn’t initially super excited about the idea.
“I’m a car guy,” Legacy EV’s Rob Ward said. “I didn’t like the electric thing.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement from Ward. But after driving his friend’s Tesla, it didn’t take long for Ward to do a 180. “Number one, environmentally friendly,” Ward said. “Number two, it performs. If it didn’t perform, I would struggle with it.”
Ward started Legacy EV back in 2019 and quickly realized there was an untapped market for converting gas vehicles to electric. “Everybody feels like they’re late, and they need to get going,” Ward said. “And I would agree. If you’re not doing it now, you’re falling behind.”
Legacy EV is the one-stop-shop for EV conversions and builds. Legacy provides EV conversion kits from a wide range of electric vehicle component manufacturers, making it simple to search, compare, and ultimately find the perfect kits and components for your vehicle. Honor the past, protect the future.
On top of the environmental impact and better mileage, converting to an electric vehicle also means much less maintenance. Ward says instead of thousands of parts, you’re dealing with 50 or 60. Still, even for those 50 or 60 parts, finding those with the knowledge of how to install or fix them can be a challenge. “It’s a fairly simple conversion,” Ward said. “That being said, for most people, it’s uncharted territory. So the learning curve comes into play.”
To help with the constantly evolving nature of electric technology, Ward’s started a virtual certified technician program that anyone can join. Fifty already have, and Ward expects that number to jump into the thousands by the end of the year.
So how much does a conversion cost? Well, as you can imagine, it’s not cheap. Ward says someone is looking at spending a minimum of $16,000 for one vehicle. But he says it’s an investment that will ultimately pay off.
“It’s an exciting time,” Ward said. “There’s new products in development. You keep watching, and it’s going to get better, more efficient. Prices are going to keep coming down.”
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