EV conversion market still going strong

By Mike Switzer

Published July 17, 2024 at 6:30 AM EDT

A 1972 Super Beetle Convertible with a new electric drive train installed by Mike Northrup, owner of Northrup Electric Automotive Work in Columbia, S.C.

Ever since the dawn of the electric vehicle days, way back before the major car makers or even Tesla decided to get into the business, there has existed the do-it-yourself market, where people experimented with converting their old gas guzzler to an EV. Now, there are companies that actually specialize in these custom conversions, and our next guest is one. Mike Northrup is the owner of Northrup Electric Automotive Work in Columbia, S.C.

Tags

Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

See stories by Mike Switzer