[manholio]

It's an excellent idea if the conversion market can be bootstrapped. In France there are already firms offering the service.

Millions of cars exist in the roads and they have 90% of what an electric car needs. There is absolutely no point of sending them to the garbage pile and remanufacture then add electrics, all for the good of the environment.

[lastofthemojito]

There are companies in the US specializing in EV conversion as well, but AFAIK they're all aiming at the high-end of the market, where a $2000 incentive won't matter much. I'm thinking about folks like Zelectric converting old Porsche 911s: https://www.zelectricmotors.com

This bill appears to be backed by Specialty Equipment Market Association, an industry group that represents the automotive aftermarket, so I guess they're attempting to do what you suggest - support more companies that aim to do such conversions.

https://sd25.senate.ca.gov/news/2023-02-02/senator-portantin...

[dheera]

The other problem is there is no way a car could be converted for $2000 in parts and labor.

Even saran wrapping your car in PPF costs $2000 nowadays, you expect an engine conversion?

[mulmen]

The subsidy doesn't have to cover the full cost, it only has to make the conversion economically feasible. A 2014 Chevy Equinox with an EV conversion might make sense at 16k but not at 18k for example.

[dahfizz]

Nobody said the incentive will cover 100% of the conversion cost. TFA quotes a conversion at around $14,000.

[AtlasBarfed]

The $14,000 quote seems a bit low, but regardless I predict that will plummet once EV motor production kicks into high gear, and sodium ion batteries in a few years hit $40/kwhr at 200 wh/kg (all are on the production roadmap for CATL).

Yeah, one of the biggest issues in switchover to EVs isn't taking over the new car sales, it's that there will be two decades of ICEs going through the various used car price tiers.

If you jack the gas price with a carbon tax, it becomes very regressive on the people that can only afford a $1000 crappy gas guzzler from circa 2010 or earlier from the halcyon days of the US's obsession with SUVs (now they at least are obsessed with crossovers, an improvement).

I'm hoping a drop-in cheapo conversion for $5000 becomes feasible in a few years and the Chinese start producing very cheap EVs that most people will prefer over a gas guzzling used car. I don't think the incumbent automakers in the US are interested in making a new car that can compete with the used car inventory.

Maybe scooters, ebikes, and other offbeat kinds of transportation can fill the market.

[zardo]

There's a point to not allowing companies to sell highly modified cars as though the original safety ratings are still accurate though.