Why Electric
Electric is FUN ! Full torque from 0 to 2800+ RPM. Very wide engine rev range: 0 to 8000 RPM. Cheaper to drive. Less to no shifting required. Less noise (virtually no motor noise)
Did you know electric cars already exist much longer than gas/diesel propelled vehicles. Somewhere between 1832 to 1839 is when the first electric carriages (cars) where built. ! 178 years later things have changed a little. Technology now allows much higher energy and power densities to be achieved. Lithium battery technology keeps improving, safer alternatives such as Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries are becoming more popular as traction batteries for electric vehicles every day. Converting a car with new electric drive-train parts makes financially not much sense. Its quite an expensive but fun journey.
CO2 output from electric drive
At the present state of electric energy delivered in the Netherlands using combined coal, gas, oil, nuclear and wind energy combined the car shall produce 40 to 60 grams CO2 per kilometer. That is a reduction of factor 3. (187gr CO2/km original 1.8 engine) Taking into account this car is for city and short commutes the differences will be far more significant. Using solely geo-, water, wind or solar power the CO2/km difference is infinite.
Future plan is to install enough solar panels to a residential home to charge the car to become (nearly) energy neutral.