1965 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

SL Convertible

electric motor. Original Gas 6 cylinder available.

Manual

Clear

Electric

ONE OF A KIND ALL ELECTRIC VINTAGE MERCEDES -All Electric Vehicle -Charges overnight in any standard outlet -converted by original EV prototyper for GM -range is +/- 30 miles. Easily upgraded to 50 or 60 miles. -top speed approx 55mph. Easily increased by upgrade. -Aesthetically unchanged from original -original matching number gas engine available This car was converted by a master mercedes mechanic, who happened to be one of the original electric car prototypers for GM. He was the only person I would trust this car with, and it took me a year to find him. It took him over 600 hours to complete and virtually none of the original internal components remain. It’s “Back to the Future” under the hood, 1965 outside. I’m still looking for the flux capacitor. I designed the car to have a range of about 30 miles because that’s all I needed to cruise around town get groceries, dinner, movies and even go to work. Studies have show that 30 miles/day is the average use of a car in the US. I lived in NYC where the car was kept in a heated garage and driven only in perfect weather. I never came even close to hitting the limit of range. It can be changed very easily and cheaply to have a 50 to 60 mile range- contact me for explanation. It was very important to me that the car look exactly the same as it did before the conversion (dead sexy) and it does. I even went through extra pains to retain the original manual transmission. It just wouldn't feel right without a shifter :) The car is gorgeous in a perfect vintage double RL kind of way. If you are looking for a car which has been completely redone and looks strangely new and plasticky- this is not it. The interior is incredible. Deep blue with correct wool loop stitched carpets; wood and white enamel accents. I would not redo the paint if you paid me because you would loose the patina which can’t be faked. That’s just me. The car has gone less than 1000 miles since the conversion and so everything is quite fresh. I love this car to death but it has filled it’s purpose in the corporation for which it was created; I have changed jobs and moved, have 3 cars and 1 garage; thats the math. The car gets a LOT of attention and is great publicity for a business. Everywhere you go, or park it or talk about it, it will get written up in the paper. Seriously. It’s a great way to educate the public about alternative energy. It’s never long before people read the license plate (ZEROC02) or notice that the gas fill is now 110V socket. Fun conversation ensues and eyes pop when the hood pops. Great to take to schools, or plug into buildings running solar, great for charity events, fund raising and so on. I keep her running on wind generated electricity at all times which really wakes people up about what is possible if we want the change. Even running on wind it’s so cheap it seems free compared to gas- and electric vehicles are famously reliable. There are very few moving parts, no filters or fluids- even the batteries are sealed and require no maintenance. That’s about it! I hope someone will take over loving and stewarding this incredible project, and receive the same enjoyment that I have. There is nothing on earth like riding in this car on a warm afternoon with the top down. A silent woosh, birds chirping as she speeds along. No better way to clear the mind, and heart. Technical stuff: Motor: ADC 9.1 in. FB1-4001 Batteries: 19,6.00V PbV Flooded Sealed System Voltage: 114 AC Charger: Zivan NG3 DC/DC charger: Zivan NG1 Top speed: +/-55mph (governed) Range: +/-30 Miles Charge time: overnight I will work with buyer to arrange shipping. The cost of which is buyer's responsibility. On Oct-31-12 at 15:59:04 PDT, seller added the following information: *Many have asked how to easily extend the range as mentioned above. Basically, you add five additional 6 Volt batteries behind the front seats. You would raise the upholstery/platform there to cover them. This would raise the system to 144Volts (from it's current 114V). 144V is what the entire system was intended to be, however I dropped it to 114 to preserve that space behind the seats. At the time I needed the interior to be identical to the original.You install the batteries and reprogram some of the electronics and i think that's it. I'd guess the whole operation would cost less than $1000 and give you 50 or 60 mile range and a higher top speed. Also, I only drive the car in perfect weather. If you wish to drive the car in inclement weather you will need to install a shield over the air intake for the motor which is under the car. I have another car for crappy weather ;) I have added some cool photos from the conversion process. One of which is the very beautiful electric motor being lowered into the engine compartment. I also made a time lapse film of the entire conversion process. -In case it is not listed elsewhere: this is an as is where is sale. There is absolutely no warranty or guarantee being made by the seller. Obviously, you must do your own due diligence. I am available for test drives etc. Just contact me. -There seems to be some confusion on the internet- I am the original converter of this car. I am the one who hired the engineer/mechanic etc. This is not a resale. I had asked a dealer friend to help sell it and it just didn't work out because, well... do you know a car dealer who could answer questions about this car? On Nov-04-12 at 22:50:19 PST, seller added the following information: Hi Folks,We're coming into the home stretch and to those who have asked, I have no intention of ending the bidding early.There are quite a few serious bidders involved and I would encourage everyone to bid as much as they can. I think it's going to go quite close to the buy it now price if someone doesn't in fact, buy it now. Just a thought to help you get the dust out of your wallets ;) This is very likely the only 230SL in the world which has been converted to run on electricity. Due to the skyrocketing prices of 230SL's it will also likely be the last- and hopefully end up in a museum some day.The fact that the car includes the gas engine makes this an exceptional investment.Enjoy the car as electric knowing that as the price of 230sl's soar you can always restore the car to gas and cash in. In the meantime consider this: To create what I am offering on your own you'll need: 1) a 65 mercedes 230SL in very nice shape. 2) A master electrical engineer who has built or converted many electric cars who is also a master vintage mercedes mechanic (you would not trust your 65 benz to just anyone). That person is going to spend 600 hours and six months of your and his time to complete this job.3) All of the conversion components: electric motor, chargers, controller, battery system, chargers, custom harnesses etc etc. Do the math. The buy it now price of this car is a fraction of the replacement value. Happy Bidding and Good Luck!