A UK-based company is launching an “off the shelf” EV battery pack aimed at conversions and niche vehicle manufacturers.
Swindon Powertrain has already made an electric crate motor kit, but many have pointed out how battery packs themselves are difficult to source and configure, so the company decided to expand into that area as well.
Specialist firms have mostly relied on used packs salvaged from other vehicles, but their true condition is often unknown, and they are often designed for a specific vehicle, making repurposing difficult, Swindon said in a press release.
Swindown Powertrain HED 30-kwh battery pack
The company’s High Energy Density (HED) packs include their own battery-management system and liquid cooling, and are available in 30-kwh (28 kwh usable) and 60-kwh (55 kwh usable) configurations.
Each pack measures 39.3 inches long, 16.5 inches wide, and 14.7 inches tall or 24.2 inches tall, depending on capacity. The 30-kwh version weighs 419 lb, while the 60-kwh version weighs 771 lb.
This is not for the scrappiest of DIY projects, for sure. UK pricing is 19,500 British pounds ($22,437 at current exchange rates) for the 30-kwh version and 32,000 British pounds ($36,716) for the 60-kwh version, a spokesperson told Green Car Reports. A 12-month warranty is included, and packs are assembled at Swindon’s own facility, which was once used to build Formula 1 race engines.
Swindown Powertrain HED 30-kwh battery pack
A plug-and-play (no pun intended) battery pack should complement the multiple electric crate motor offerings from companies like Swindon and California’s Electric GT. That company’s motor is designed to drop into the space of a V-8 engine.
Some companies are also offering complete EV conversions of specific vehicles. Electrogenic has a drop-in kit for the Land Rover Defender, while Mini has begun converting classic Minis to all-electric power. So there seems to be a ready market for a standalone battery pack that can easily be integrated with different vehicles.
