Electric ZAZ 965

The ZAZ 965 was a small city car built from 1960 to 1963. This one is, as far as we know, the world’s first electric ZAZ 965 — and the conversion is officially approved by the Road Traffic Safety Directorate.

It was built as a showcase vehicle for a Latvian company introducing electric mobility and hydrogen systems in Latvia.

The conversion

The petrol engine made way for a 20 kW brushless DC motor and a 19.2 kWh lithium battery pack, managed by a Strukton BMS. Batteries fill almost every available space, with most of the pack where the rear seat used to be — so the car is now officially a two-seater.

We handled the entire project: the initial calculations, choosing the motor and batteries, designing the complete electrical system, and most of the hands-on build.