Battery Vehicle Society

Hi everyone,

I am converting a light car (900kg before conversion) to electric power (around 1050kg after conversion).

Am I doing the legal side correctly if I:

1- Get the car insured
2- Have it MOT tested
3- Declare change of energy to DVLA
4- Pay the road tax

I just don't want to end up in an illegal situation.

Many thanks for your advice.

Raph.

Hello Raph, and welcome

You didn't have 'do conversion' on your list, so I am presuming you will have done that before step 1. So long as you tell your insurance company about the conversion (this might result in them asking lots of questions, or refusing to insure you. Finding a friendly insurer is sometimes a struggle) and send the DVLA the change of fuel type/taxation class declaration (they might ask for more info too, or send out an inspector), then an MOT will keep you legal. Electric vehicles enjoy free road tax, so you will need to go through the process for step 4 but it won't cost you anything.

Strictly speaking, I don't think you even need a new MOT if your old one was valid before the conversion, but it might give you more peace of mind to have some sort of inspection done after such major work.

The above is my understanding of the current regulations. I would advise talking to an insurance company early on in the job, in case they ask for inspections or photographs along the way. See below for DVLA change-of tax-class.

https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class