Markus converts classic cars to electric cars

After working for almost 30 years as a mechanical engineer in the aviation and automotive industries, as well as with medical equipment and precision measurement systems, Markus Sörlin has a unique set of skills. In 2019, he started his own company under the name Sir M, which has a special meaning and is strongly associated with the founder himself.

“I changed my name around a bit; from M Sörlin to Sörlin M, which was shortened to Sir M. It also works well internationally”, Markus explains.

He has always been keenly interested in cars and engines. He even competed successfully in the VW drag racing series and until last autumn, worked for Saab as a product developer in addition to his own company.

“I love old classic cars, but unfortunately, they are not exactly the smartest environmental choice for getting around. That is why I got the idea to convert our 1967 VW Karmann Ghia into an electric car while I was doing a complete restoration. It has served as a demo car for testing different installations of the electric drive components”.

It was a lot of work, but the results exceeded his expectations. The car was approved under Swedish regulations, by SFRO and the Swedish Transport Agency, and to say that it was an overwhelming success when Markus took it to the Custom Motor Show at Elmia in the spring of 2022 would be an understatement. There, Markus brought home prizes in both the Bug Run and Bug Run Classic.

“It got a lot of attention at Elmia and also won a trophy for the Crew Award, which of course was very gratifying and an acknowledgement of a job well done”.

After the custom motor show at Elmia, there has been a lot of interest from those who own classic cars from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s or even the 80s.

“It’s fun and a bit of a challenge to modify the cars in a way that does not affect the body, but at the same time, it is very satisfying to make them more sustainable. We need a few months to get everything done, and clearly it is not cheap, but the end product is pretty cool and also incredibly energy efficient”.

A job that was extra fun for Markus was a 1981 DeLorean. Just like the car that Michael J Fox drove in the classic Back to the Future films.

“His character Marty McFly travels into the future with that car, and you can rightfully say that we are doing the same, by putting in an electric motor”, laughs Markus.

He is CEO and owner, but his wife Åsa is also involved in the company.

“She works at Saab through Combitech during the day, but she does a lot here as well. Including the more theoretical engineering work, such as the programming of BMS and motor control”.

“When we need a strength analysis, we hand everything over to Åsa. Her long background in the space industry has really helped Sir M to take off”.

One current project is the conversion of a Saab Sonett from the 1960s to electric, where the owner wants a range of 50 miles on just one charge.

“It is absolutely possible to achieve that. But in the future, I think efficiency will come with significantly faster charging times and a greater focus on solar panels on car roofs”, says Markus.