FEATURE - 1965 Volkswagen Beetle EV
It may not have been apparent at the time, but 1965 saw a lot of change with the Volkswagen Beetle. And while it may not be apparent at first glance, this particular 1965 Beetle has had a lot of change, too, most importantly a full EV drivetrain conversion.
If you hear ‘EV’ and think ‘Not for me’, park your prejudice for a bit and read on. You may end up changing your mind.
The car featured started out as a stock 1965 Volkswagen 1200, then went through significant changes at some point thereafter. That part of this Beetle’s history is a mystery, but more recently, it came into the possession of Edwin Higginson of Australian Electric Vehicle Specialists (Australian EVS), who transformed it into what’s presented here.
There’s a bit to unpack in this car’s transformation, but first, let’s go over why 1965 was so important to the Beetle, particularly in the Australian market.
From Tiny to Titan
The early history of the VW Beetle in Australia is nothing short of remarkable. A curiosity when it first arrived here in 1953, the Beetle was also undeniably carrying Nazi baggage for a populace with fresh memories of World War II. Despite this, the odd-looking German car managed to win over Australians in a surprisingly short time.
While a handful of Volkswagens had come into Australia prior to 1953, the first commercially available Beetles were shipped from Germany that year, going on public display at the Melbourne Motor Show in March, 1954. Heavy import tariffs on complete cars made these initial Beetles too expensive against competitors like the Ford Anglia, Morris Minor and Austin A30, so the move to CKD (Complete Knocked Down) assembly started in 1954, using locally-supplied generic components, like batteries and tyres.
Volkswagen (Australia) Pty. Ltd. was formed in 1955 and local content increased, with everything from glass to bolts and seat upholstery secured from Australian suppliers. By 1956, the first VW-specific parts were being produced locally, increasing the Beetle’s Australian-made content to approximately 50 per cent.
The transition from assembly to full manufacture of Volkswagens in Australia began in 1957. Body panels were pressed locally from 1959, with every Beetle panel made on site at VWs Clayton factory by 1960. This would be the high-water mark for the original Beetle in Australia. With 24,388 produced, the Beetle was the country’s second most popular car that year, behind the FB Holden. As the 1960s progressed, the Falcon and Valiant would eat into the Beetle’s market, along with more direct rivals, like the Mini, Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva. Japanese cars were gaining a foothold, too.
In 1965, the German-made Beetle body shell was revised (the main difference being a larger glass area), but the high cost of retooling meant it wasn’t adopted in Australia. As such, cars for the local market were still running essentially the same bodies they had since 1960. How many customers regarded the Beetle as “old” post-1965 is hard to gauge, but Beetle sales were falling, leading VW to end Australian manufacture in 1968 and revert to CKD assembly. But even that wasn’t enough to sustain a local workforce, and by mid-1977, all Volkswagens sold in Australia would be fully imported.
Bringing the Past into the Future
For Ed Higginson, the choice of a Beetle as the first Australian EVS demonstrator wasn’t an immediate one, with a Kombi, Land Rover, LandCruiser, MG and even a Mustang all considered for EV conversion.
Three months spent searching car classified adverts ultimately led to this Beetle, which was in a sad state when Ed found it and had obviously been the subject of some modifications in the past. Those mods included an extended fabric sunroof, internal roll bar, widened guards, aftermarket wheels, a disc front brake conversion, mix-n-match badging and custom seats.
“The car had been stored outside and the ragtop was torn, so rain was going straight in,” Ed recalls. “All the seats were ripped and torn, too, but we were really fortunate there was no rust in it.”
The car was barely running, but that didn’t matter as the engine wasn’t needed.
After a full strip down, the body was sent for a repaint, new interior fitout and new roof. That work was outsourced and took several weeks, allowing Ed and his team to concentrate on the drivetrain conversion, which took around 80 hours.
The power unit Australian EVS selected is their ‘e-Kit 4’. Designed for four-cylinder cars weighing 1600kg or less, the electric motor in this bolt-in package is a Netgain Hyper 9, producing 120ehp (around 89kW) and 173Nm. This is powered by a set of 26kWh Tesla lithium batteries that are positioned where the fuel tank was, as well as behind the rear seat. The e-Kit 4 adds 60kg to the Beetle’s weight, but that weight is now more evenly distributed than when this car was petrol-powered, with Ed claiming it’s almost a perfect 50:50 split.
The significant improvement in power – around triple what a 1965 Beetle originally offered – cancels out the extra weight, with other benefits including more immediate acceleration, practically no noise or vibration, reduced maintenance and lower running costs.
The standard suspension was retained for this conversion, along with the brakes that were already on the car. This applies to most conversions using the e-Kit 4, as the in-built regenerative braking improves stopping power, even with drums, despite the increased weight.
Australian EVS have more powerful conversion kits available to suit a full range of classics, with all the kits assembled here in Australia. For more range in vehicles like a Kombi, you can upgrade to the e-Kit 4 Long Range. If you need more power, there is the e-Kit 6 and e-Kit 8, as well as the e-Kit 8 Performance that has 560eHp and 580Nm of torque
Red Tape and Range
While the EV conversion was mostly hassle-free, some additions were required in order to receive engineering compliance. These included a collapsible steering column, two-speed wipers and a demister, due to the existing regulations being focussed on the car’s power increase, rather than it being electric. Ed says bureaucracy is the real hurdle when it comes to registration. As EV conversions like his are still rare, most state road authorities simply aren’t set up to efficiently process them.
"As my Beetle didn't have a cubic centimetre capacity, being electric, the registration office didn't have a box to tick for this," Ed explained. "So they took a few days to make the changes to their computer system before I could pick up my number plates with the blue EV triangle."
Range is still the big question when it comes to EVs, so the e-Kit 4 fitted to this Beetle allows between 150 and 200km between charges. Recharge time depends on the type of charger, but can be as little as an hour with a roadside fast charger. For home charging, it’s longer, and Australian EVS can advise on options for this.
Adding a modern sound system, air con, powered/heated seats and the like has little impact on range, as these run off separate electrics to the vehicle’s drive system. “Auxiliary things do drain it,” Ed says, “but it’s minimal - maybe a couple of kilometres’ difference.”
Don’t Be Afraid of EV
Allaying fears of the “damage” an EV conversion can do to a classic, Ed points out that the EV transformation on this car, along with all conversions done by Australian EVS, are fully reversible. That means only minimal cutting, drilling or modification to the body and chassis. In this Beetle, existing wiring tunnels and mounting points were re-used, no mods were made to the engine bay and some firewall openings were even plugged, as they were no longer needed.
“We call all our kits ‘non-destructive’,” Ed explains. “So, you could turn it back to petrol power if you wanted to, but once you’ve driven it, you never would.
“As soon as someone goes for a test drive in an EV, that changes their mind straight away – I’ve seen that time and time again.”
Since the restoration and EV conversion was completed in 2023, this Beetle has been the demonstrator for Australian EVS, appearing at events, reduced maintenance and ease of use for their classic, without altering its look or character.
“People who own an EV are the ones that want to convert a classic to EV. If you’ve never driven an EV, you just won’t get it.”
Show Star
Since the restoration and EV conversion was completed in 2023, this Beetle has been the demonstrator for Australian EVS, appearing at events across the country, including this year’s big Everything Electric show in Sydney.
With new EV sales in Australia more than doubling in 2023 compared to the previous year, Ed is already seeing this wider acceptance of electric cars trickle down to EV conversions of classics.
“It’s exciting times. People have been looking at modifying cars and upgrading performance for the last century. Doing EV conversions is just a progression of that.
“As new technologies become available, it’s making it easier to do. And we’re excited to be at the forefront of it here in Australia.”
A late-model 79 Series LandCruiser is in the works as the next Australian EVS demonstrator, so the Beetle is now on the market (see breakout).
If you already own an electric vehicle, you’ll need little persuading of the benefits of an EV-converted classic. If you haven’t, maybe this car is the one that can change your mind and take you into a whole new world of driving…
FOR SALE
This classic, custom Beetle was converted to electric by Australian EVS and restored under their direction.
The EV conversion, consisting of a Netgain Hyper 9 motor and 26kWh batteries with liquid cooling, produces 120hp (89kW) – triple the power of the original petrol engine. The factory transmission is retained, so “gears” can be shifted in a familiar way, but for 90 per cent of driving applications, you can leave it in second gear.
Custom touches that were done sometime prior to this car’s conversion include widened wheelarches, a set of Simmons Hotwire alloys, an internal roll bar and fabric sunroof that’s been extended to include the rear window.
With the restoration and conversion to electric power less than two years old, there’s nothing the next owner needs to do with this car, other than drive. The battery pack provides up to 200km of range and charging can be completed in as little as an hour.
Engineer-approved and NSW registered to February, 2025, more than $100,000 was spent in the restoration and electrification of this car. Asking price is $69,900 ono.
For more details, click HERE
About Australian EVS
Founded by Edwin Higginson in 2023, Australian EVS (Australian Electric Vehicle Specialists) is a multi-faceted business, covering EV fleet transition, electric vehicle conversions and mobile charging solutions for small- and large-scale applications.
Edwin brings years of experience in commercial fleet management with ICE vehicles, but the focus on EVs with Australian EVS is in response to growing demand from businesses to “green” their fleets and reduce operating costs.
“We started to get a lot more interest about EV transitions, so that’s why we formed Australian EVS,” Ed says, “To help businesses transition their fleets over to electric, from cars to trucks and everything in between.”
Converting classic cars to electric has complemented the fleet side of things. As more people feel comfortable about converting their classic to electric operation in a non-invasive way, Ed says enquiries have almost doubled in the past year and converting classics now accounts for around 50 per cent of the business.
“We’ve had well over 600 enquiries in the last 12 months. A lot of people are trying to understand EVs, how they work and how conversions work – they want to know more.”
While it’s still early days, Australian EVS has already converted a range of classics to electric, with an MG, Citroen 2CV and ’33 Ford hot rod in the works at time of writing. Conversions currently start at around $45,000, including all the parts required for a bolt-in kit.
Future projects are welcome and Ed is also happy to answer any questions about converting your classic car, 4x4 or commercial vehicles to electric.
To find out more, call Australian EVS on 1300 923 996 or go to: australianevs.com.au
