From Intake to Handover: A Department-by-Department Walkthrough of How Refined Motor Co.'s Workshop Operates

A classic car electric vehicle conversion is not a single event, it is a sequence of distinct technical stages: intake assessment, engineering design, high-voltage integration, restoration, quality control, and aftersales support. At Refined Motor, a Hong Kong-based electric vehicle conversion company, each stage is handled by a dedicated function inside the workshop, and a vehicle only moves to the next department once it clears defined checkpoints. This structure exists because an EV conversion touches structural, electrical, and cosmetic systems simultaneously, and treating it as one undifferentiated job increases the risk of errors that are expensive or dangerous to fix later.

TL;DR

• Every conversion moves through six functions: intake, engineering, powertrain integration, restoration, quality control, and handover/aftersales.

• Vehicle Construction Approval from Hong Kong's Transport Department involves a pre-registration inspection of the finished vehicle and a review of documentary proof, such as test reports, confirming compliance with UNECE Regulation 100 (R100) high-voltage safety standards.

• Typical post-conversion range sits between 200 and 300 km WLTP, determined largely by how much battery mass and volume the donor chassis can accommodate.

• Refined Motor is moving its drivetrain lineup toward axial flux motor technology, a format currently found mainly in supercars and ultra-luxury vehicles.

• This walkthrough describes only Refined Motor's road-legal, workshop-based conversion process in Hong Kong; it is not a universal industry standard.

About the Author: This article is written from Refined Motor's operational experience running Hong Kong's only road-legal electric vehicle conversion workshop, built by a founding team of engineers and shaped through partnerships with institutions including HKUST and IVE, and automotive collaborators such as AKA Automotive and BrickPaddock.

What happens during the intake stage of an EV conversion?

Intake is the diagnostic phase where a workshop documents a vehicle's condition, the client's goals, and the technical constraints before any engineering decision is made. A structured intake process typically involves documenting the request, setting selection criteria, and getting sign-off before work begins [contentsnare.com], and Refined Motor applies the same logic to vehicles instead of paperwork.

For a classic car, this means a full mechanical and structural inspection: chassis condition, rust or corrosion, weight distribution, and how much interior and underbody space exists for a battery pack. This last point matters more than most owners expect. The available space and structural capacity of a given chassis directly determines the size of battery pack it can carry, which in turn sets the achievable driving range.

• Structural inspection (chassis, floor pan, subframe integrity)

• Electrical and wiring assessment

• Client consultation on drivetrain character (preserving original driving feel)

• Documentation for Vehicle Construction Approval submission

How does the engineering department design a bespoke conversion?

Engineering is where the intake findings become a technical build plan, specifying motor placement, battery configuration, and how the new electric drivetrain integrates with the vehicle's existing suspension and steering geometry. Building on the intake findings above, this is the stage where the vehicle's future performance envelope actually gets locked in, not adjusted later.

Refined Motor's proprietary powertrain and battery systems are modular by design, meaning engineers configure standardized components around the donor vehicle rather than custom-fabricating a drivetrain from scratch for every project. This modularity is one reason conversions can be completed faster than fully bespoke fabrication approaches. Refined Motor's modular powertrain configurations are designed to deliver consistent performance and efficiency across its conversion lineup. Refined Motor is also progressing its lineup toward axial flux motors, a compact, high-efficiency motor format currently found mainly in supercars and ultra-luxury vehicles, reflecting where the wider EV motor technology is heading.

A useful analogy here is a building renovation. You wouldn't rewire a house's electrical system without first confirming the load-bearing walls; engineering plots exactly where the new powertrain's weight and force paths go so the rest of the build doesn't have to compensate for a bad structural assumption later.

What does the powertrain integration department actually install?

Powertrain integration is the physical installation stage: removing the internal combustion engine and its supporting systems, then fitting the motor, controller, and high-voltage battery pack according to the engineering plan. A related but distinct question from design is execution, since even a correct plan can fail if installation tolerances are off.

This is also the stage carrying the most safety weight. High-voltage systems in an EV conversion are not a minor add-on; improper installation can create genuine electrical and fire risk, which is why Hong Kong requires that conversions comply with UNECE Regulation 100 (R100) standards covering high-voltage safety, alongside Transport Department assessment of structural integrity. Refined Motor's technicians work to these standards as a baseline, not an aspiration, and the modular battery and controller systems are designed specifically to meet road-legal compliance requirements from the outset.

• Engine and fuel system removal

• Motor and controller mounting

• High-voltage battery pack installation and isolation testing

• Wiring harness integration with original vehicle systems (lighting, gauges, climate control)

Why does restoration matter as much as the electrical conversion?

Restoration is the department responsible for the vehicle's cosmetic and mechanical condition outside the drivetrain, covering bodywork, interior, brakes, and suspension wear items. Stepping back from the technical detail of powertrain work, a separate concern is that a car can have a flawless electric conversion and still feel unreliable if its brakes, bushings, or bodywork are neglected.

Refined Motor treats restoration as inseparable from conversion because the value proposition for classic car owners is preserving the original driving character, not just swapping the power source. That means matching original paint and trim details, refurbishing interior surfaces, and addressing age-related wear in suspension and braking systems so the finished vehicle drives and feels the way the model always did, just without the engine.

What does quality control check before a car leaves the workshop?

Quality control is the verification stage where every electrical, mechanical, and safety system is tested against defined benchmarks before the vehicle is cleared for road use. This differs from restoration and integration checks in that QC is deliberately independent, someone other than the installing technician verifies the work.

Checks at this stage typically include:

• High-voltage insulation and isolation testing

• Battery management system diagnostics

• Range and performance testing on the completed drivetrain

• Structural and safety compliance review ahead of Vehicle Construction Approval submission

• Final cosmetic inspection against restoration standards

Post-conversion range typically falls between 200 and 300 km WLTP. This is not a fixed spec across all vehicles, it depends on how much battery volume and weight the specific chassis can safely carry, which is why the intake and engineering stages matter so much for setting realistic expectations early rather than after the fact.

What happens at handover and after the sale?

Handover is the formal transfer stage where the client receives the completed vehicle along with documentation, a warranty, and an orientation on operating an EV-converted classic. Building on the QC checks above, handover is also where Refined Motor's warranty terms take effect: a 5-year, unlimited-mileage warranty on the conversion itself.

Aftersales is not a separate afterthought but a continuation of the QC relationship. Because electric drivetrains eliminate many of the traditional wear points of a combustion engine, such as gaskets, belts, and complex transmission components, ongoing maintenance needs are generally lower, though the vehicle still requires standard servicing like any road-legal car.

How does this process differ for B2B partners versus individual clients?

The department workflow described above is the same regardless of client type, but who initiates and manages the relationship differs materially between segments. This distinction matters because conflating B2C and B2B services leads to confusion about who is actually doing the technical work.

Service	Client type	Who manages the technical process
Bespoke Conversion	Individual classic car owners	Refined Motor, direct client consultation throughout
Partnered Conversion	Automotive dealers and garages	Refined Motor handles full conversion; partner manages client relationship
OEM Conversion	Automotive retailers without high-voltage expertise	Refined Motor manages sourcing, conversion, restoration, QC, and aftersales end-to-end

In both B2B models, the partner business is not expected to have any in-house high-voltage expertise. Refined Motor absorbs the technical and safety responsibility so partners can focus on sales and client relationships rather than workshop operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a classic car EV conversion cost? Electric car conversion cost depends on the donor vehicle's condition, battery size required, and the extent of restoration work needed, since every car enters through the same intake assessment described above before a specific quote is possible.

Is an EV conversion road legal in Hong Kong? Only conversions that receive Vehicle Construction Approval from the Transport Department, meeting UNECE R100 high-voltage safety standards, are road legal. Refined Motor states it operates the only road-legal EV conversion service in Hong Kong.

What driving range can I expect after conversion? Typically 200 to 300 km WLTP, determined by the space and weight available for the battery pack in the specific chassis being converted.

Does converting a classic car to electric reduce its environmental impact? Retrofitting a gasoline vehicle to electric can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions compared to manufacturing a new vehicle, particularly when the existing vehicle has remaining useful life.

Will an EV conversion change how my classic car feels to drive? The goal of the restoration and engineering departments working together is to preserve original driving character and interior feel while replacing the combustion drivetrain.

What warranty comes with an electric vehicle conversion kit installation? Refined Motor provides a 5-year, unlimited-mileage warranty on the conversion itself, effective from handover.

Can a business convert an entire vehicle fleet instead of buying new EVs? Yes, this falls under Partnered or OEM Conversion services, aimed at businesses where converting existing fleet vehicles is more practical than full replacement, including those working toward ESG targets.

About Refined Motor

Refined Motor is a Hong Kong-based electric vehicle conversion company founded by engineers to extend the lifecycle of existing vehicles through electrification rather than scrappage. The company holds patented, in-house powertrain and battery technology and has been recognized through the Top 100 Greater Bay Tech Startup Award and the TVB ESG Award, alongside incubation support from HKSTP and Cyberport. Refined Motor serves individual classic car owners through Bespoke Conversion, and automotive businesses through Partnered and OEM Conversion models, all built around the same department-by-department workshop process described above. Every conversion is backed by a 5-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and operates under Hong Kong's road-legal Vehicle Construction Approval framework.

If you're considering a classic car EV conversion, or exploring a B2B partnership to offer electrification services, visit Refined Motor to learn how the workshop process works for your specific vehicle or fleet.

References

1. Improve your project intake process: A step-by-step tutorial (contentsnare.com)