Nissan Leaf-powered 1966 VW Bug

This build has a lot going on. It started off as a typical low power conversion with an AC50 motor, but we wanted more performance. The next mission was to bring it up to speed with a 400-volt system utilizing a Nissan Leaf EM61 motor. The Bug got a roll cage built in-house at J5 and a custom rear suspension setup. The rear stock VW frame horns were chopped off, and the EM61 motor was fitted with solid mounting to the main torsion tube. The rear of the motor is tied to a custom plate that that serves as a mounting point for the custom rear radius rod suspension. It’s very similar to how the proven design of a side-by-side off-road car works. Custom hub carriers were made to hold the Nissan hubs with adapters to allow installation of any aftermarket VW disc brake kit. The battery pack is built super lightweight at only 189 pounds. At only 8kwh it doesn’t go far now, but an upgraded pack is in the plans for the future to maintain low weight while maximizing range. The charger is a Tesla 10kwh Model S Gen 2 charger and a Tesla Gen 2 DCDC.