Every EV conversion undertaken by ECC and Liberty Electric will use the Liberty EV drive system. Liberty Electric is an Oxford-based company with support from Barclays Bank, Newcastle University and Morgan Cole. This system is powered by four in-wheel motors that draw from an advanced lithium-ion battery pack. Past conversions by Liberty Electric have yielded EVs that can travel up to 110 miles per hour with a maximum range of 200 miles. The Liberty EV drive has the power to reach 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in less than six seconds. The lithium-ion storage system is recharged to full capacity within six hours using a standard outlet.
ECC is a Springfield, Missouri-based subsidiary of Imperial Coach Builders. This venture has produced EV conversions of models like the 2010 Cadillac Escalade, the 2010 Ford Expedition and the 2010 Hummer H3 Stretch limo. ECC has been able to attract taxi companies, limo fleets and corporations to the tune of $500,000 in profits in the first quarter of 2010. Both sides will use ECC’s headquarters as the production facility for future conversions and EV developments. In the next five years, ECC and Liberty Electric plan to open conversion centers throughout the United States operated by franchisees.
The ECC/Liberty Electric collaboration is not limited to EV conversions. ECC has expressed interest in developing the Bug “e” designed by Liberty Electric. The bread and butter of this partnership, however, will be turning gas guzzlers into green vehicles. As hybrids and EVs become commonplace, the issue of disposing traditional vehicles will plague governments worldwide. The EV conversion process proposed by ECC and Liberty Electric takes care of immediate disposal concerns while easing the transition to greener vehicles. Consumers won’t feel pressured to upgrade to high-priced, first-generation EVs when they can convert their cars for more reasonable prices. This partnership should be seen as a viable short-term solution to emissions and fossil fuels while automakers create affordable EVs.
