Car buff who turns vintage motors into ultra-fast clean-driving electric vehicles has stars Dev Patel and Ellie Goulding among his customers for conversions that can cost up to £100,000

  • Welsh car enthusiast Richard Morgan, 47, modifies the classic cars inside his garage in Powys, Wales
  • Richard takes the vintage vehicles and transforms them into clean, turbo-charged supercars with 600BPH
  • Buzz for his workshop has reached celebrities including Ellie Goulding and Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel

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A car enthusiast who transforms vintage vehicles into high-performance electric cars is now counting celebrity stars among his clientele. 

Car-buff, Richard Morgan, 47, ditched his job as an engineer four years ago to set up Electric Classic Cars in Powys, Wales.

The father-of-two takes vintage vehicles and transforms them into clean, turbo-charged electric cars with better handling - and packing a punch-load more power.

After setting up his workshop, Electric Classic Cars became the first classic car converters to take vintage engines and turn them electric in the whole of the UK. 

Car-buff, Richard Morgan, 47, (pictured) ditched his job as an engineer four years ago to set up Electric Classic Cars in Powys, Wales

Car-buff, Richard Morgan, 47, (pictured) ditched his job as an engineer four years ago to set up Electric Classic Cars in Powys, Wales

Once boasting a powerful v8 engine crafted by esteemed designer Leonardo Fioravanti, this stunning Ferrari 308 is now a clean-driving electric vehicle

Once boasting a powerful v8 engine crafted by esteemed designer Leonardo Fioravanti, this stunning Ferrari 308 is now a clean-driving electric vehicle

Past project: A classic 1979 Porsche 911 has been converted to an electric vehicle and fitted with 130 horsepower, a 54kwH battery pack and a driving range of 200 miles depending on conditions

Past project: A classic 1979 Porsche 911 has been converted to an electric vehicle and fitted with 130 horsepower, a 54kwH battery pack and a driving range of 200 miles depending on conditions

But the buzz in Richard's workshop has even reached the star-studded celebrity sphere after Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel and singer Ellie Goulding have commissioned him to spruce up their rides.

He said: 'Four years ago I was messing around with cars in my garage in my house and now I'm messing around with them in a workshop for Hollywood actors. 

'I looked at a classic VW Beetle and decided I wanted to make it go faster, but it was during my research that I came across electric motors as a way to supercharge cars.

'During the process I was putting my project online and people started contacting me asking me if I could convert their cars to electric.

'Since then we have done Ellie Goulding's wedding car and we are currently working on a vehicle for Dev Patel. 

The buzz in Richard's workshop has even reached the star-studded celebrity sphere after Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel and singer Ellie Goulding have commissioned him to spruce up their rides. Above: Richard poses with a converted Lancia

The buzz in Richard's workshop has even reached the star-studded celebrity sphere after Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel and singer Ellie Goulding have commissioned him to spruce up their rides. Above: Richard poses with a converted Lancia

A converted classic Range Rover, equipped with a twin-motor setup for 130 horsepower, an 80 kWh battery pack and a range of 175-200miles

A converted classic Range Rover, equipped with a twin-motor setup for 130 horsepower, an 80 kWh battery pack and a range of 175-200miles

The classic Fiat 500, transformed by Richard to boast 47hp, an 11kWh battery pack and a host of optional extras including a heater, disc brakes and rear drive shafts

The classic Fiat 500, transformed by Richard to boast 47hp, an 11kWh battery pack and a host of optional extras including a heater, disc brakes and rear drive shafts

Since setting up his business, Richard has given countless old motors a new lease of electric life by replacing the petrol fuelled engines that rely on a clutch and gearbox to fire the pistons at the desired speeds.

But while most fuel cars only have a RPM (Revs Per Minute) range between 2000-7000, an electric motor can go between 0-10,000 RPM - allowing the vehicle to hit 0-60mph in less than three seconds when combined with a powerful electric drive unit.

Richard said:  'I had done loads of car transformations in my life but I wanted to do something that I had never done before. 

'I think more people are considering a conversion rather than buying a new electric car if they want something with character, which is both powerful and efficient.'

While most fuel cars only have a RPM (Revs Per Minute) range between 2000-7000, an electric motor can go between 0-10,000 RPM - allowing the vehicle to hit 0-60mph in less than three seconds when combined with a powerful electric drive unit. Pictured: Richard's converted 1970 VW T2 Pickup charges in an EV bay

While most fuel cars only have a RPM (Revs Per Minute) range between 2000-7000, an electric motor can go between 0-10,000 RPM - allowing the vehicle to hit 0-60mph in less than three seconds when combined with a powerful electric drive unit. Pictured: Richard's converted 1970 VW T2 Pickup charges in an EV bay

Every car is different and a high voltage conversion with Richard will set you back anywhere between £20,000 and £100,000 depending on your specifications - but the former engineer insists no-one should be trying this at home. Above: A striking converted MG 'E-Midget'

Every car is different and a high voltage conversion with Richard will set you back anywhere between £20,000 and £100,000 depending on your specifications - but the former engineer insists no-one should be trying this at home. Above: A striking converted MG 'E-Midget'

Every car is different and a high voltage conversion with Richard will set you back anywhere between £20,000 and £100,000 depending on your specifications - but the former engineer insists no-one should be trying this at home.

Richard said: 'It seems strange to say that when that's how I started, but high voltage is extremely dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

'We have people asking us to sell them the conversion kits but as a business we just can't do that.

'We are the largest converters of classic cars in the world and we have seen some very expensive, fast and unique cars come through our doors.'

Richard has given countless old motors a new lease of electric life by replacing the petrol fuelled engines that rely on a clutch and gearbox to fire the pistons at the desired speeds. This once gas-guzzling BMW (above) has since been turned electric

Richard has given countless old motors a new lease of electric life by replacing the petrol fuelled engines that rely on a clutch and gearbox to fire the pistons at the desired speeds. This once gas-guzzling BMW (above) has since been turned electric

Pictured: A fuel cap is converted to accept an electric charger, but retains the charm of its former life as a petrol-powered vehicle

Pictured: A fuel cap is converted to accept an electric charger, but retains the charm of its former life as a petrol-powered vehicle

The VW Beetle sets boast power of 71hp, a 21 kWh battery pack with a maximum range of 100 miles depending on driving style and conditions

The VW Beetle sets boast power of 71hp, a 21 kWh battery pack with a maximum range of 100 miles depending on driving style and conditions

Among some of the most unique have been a 1967 Maserati Ghibli, a Gordan Keeble and a DeLorean, but the one car Richard would most like to add to his catalogue of conversions is a Lamborghini Countach.

Richard is the proud owner of three electric cars himself including; a 1966 Land Rover Defender, and a 1969 VW crew cab - but his 'weapon of choice' is a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle with a Tesla drive unit, 600 brake horsepower and does 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds.

Richard said: 'That's almost hypercar territory. I have a lot of fun riding around the roads of Wales in that.

'Electric cars are just better all round in terms of their handling, power and range, they're a much better drive.

'My wife would have never dreamed of driving my Land Rover before I converted it to electric but now she's behind the wheel all the time.

'As a family we haven't filled up with fuel in over three years.

'Both my children are too young to drive but they know how to because we have private land and do off-roading.

'When they become old enough to have their own cars I have no doubt they'll be electric.'

Vintage vehicles turned into electric turbo-charged supercars at Welsh car enthusiasts' garage

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