Neil Young starts Linc Volt electric car conversion company

Sure, you've got a couple Neil Young CDs and maybe a battered Farm-Aid T-shirt, but if you're really into ol' Shakey, you'll pick up one of his hotrod electric Lincoln conversions. Yep, Neil's started a company called Linc Volt to develop electric car technologies, and he's already converted his own personal '59 Lincoln in an attempt to win the Automotive X-Prize -- a process that's the subject of an upcoming documentary. Young says he's mostly focused on developing the tech -- Linc Volt will provide instructions as well as performing the actual conversions. Sure, we're into it -- just make sure it's got one of those rumbling speaker systems and we'll take two.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

[Tarnation @ Nov 4th 2008 1:54PM]

Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

[phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 2:10PM]

stop playing skynard, man!

[--------- @ Nov 4th 2008 2:16PM]

Rust Never Sleeps

[lowdef @ Nov 4th 2008 3:31PM]

its skynyrd you jackass

[phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 3:36PM]

who gives a flying fuck?

[phanbouy fan @ Nov 4th 2008 3:44PM]

@phanbouy

people who want to spell things properly you fucking reject

oh wait i mean YAY PHANBOUY UR THE BEST

[phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 3:46PM]

someone get these oversensitive rednecks a diaper change. fly that confederate flag high!

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 4th 2008 3:57PM]

Dude, that's so clever that you momentarily broke character. Very meta.

[OneLove @ Nov 5th 2008 12:09PM]

Phanbouy has multiple personality disorder. lol. whats a skynyrd?

[Magallanes @ Nov 4th 2008 1:54PM]

Lowrider?

[evplasmaman @ Nov 4th 2008 2:47PM]

Low rider don't use no gas now
Low rider don't drive to fast

(actually electric cars can be quite speedy :D)

[EmoChicksAreHot.....Seriously @ Nov 5th 2008 1:02AM]

A lowrider electric car.


That is the pure definition of Weird Al's White and Nerdy.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 4th 2008 1:56PM]

Well, if he's planning on converting more classics it's a lame ass idea.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 4th 2008 6:04PM]

Well I saw that low rank coming. You people will blindly follow ANYTHING that says they're converting cars to electric. Guess what, it's going to fail bigtime and too bad you don't want to read it but it's true.Classic cars need to stay classic. Electric vehicles need to be designed as a WHOLE PACKAGE and even then it's a tough sell because it's expensive and too many people won't buy them yet. Chevrolet Volt for the win. Best combination of a viable electric car for the masses because it's ready today with gasoline backup and it'll be ready tomorrow for alcohol and the day after that for hydrogen. I just hope the price starts coming down and we see the technology in more cars.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 4th 2008 6:05PM]

Go ahead and low rank me again. I don't give a fuck.

[dj-kenpo @ Nov 4th 2008 1:57PM]

so many little electric startups.
it almost feels like early computing.
I want my wooden electric car by woz!

[Valicore @ Nov 4th 2008 2:05PM]

Wooden cars rule.

[Charles @ Nov 4th 2008 2:58PM]

If by wooden cars we're talking about Morgans then I agree. I'd kill for a Morgan AeroMax.

[john @ Nov 4th 2008 2:01PM]

I saw Neil young at the hotel in witchita kansas having breakfast. I was at a business breakfast meeting with Aerospace Tycoon Lee Booth and Neil and Pals were sitting right beside us talking about the electric car. They were driving it around town. I think Mr Booth and he were friends as Mr Booth went up and told them a few political jokes which had Neil rolling with laughter. Good to see this electric car thing.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 4th 2008 3:07PM]

... ok.

[JMMGoalster @ Nov 4th 2008 3:10PM]

....












::facepalm::

[Valicore @ Nov 4th 2008 2:03PM]

Hm, great. Just what I've always wanted, an electric car converted by Mr. Neil Young... because we all know that success in the music industry qualifies you to make highly complex electrical devices.

[dj-kenpo @ Nov 4th 2008 2:53PM]

I'm pretty sure he's not the one under the hood of the car tinkering. he's just the one funding the people that are.
but hey, you never know.

[Cranius Lupus @ Nov 7th 2008 12:48PM]

Probably this guy, Jonathan Goodwin:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html

Considering he built Neils original LincVolt.

[Dale @ Nov 4th 2008 2:04PM]

Neil Young has seen the (fuel tank) needle and the damage done (to our wallets).

[lowdef @ Nov 4th 2008 3:30PM]

nice +1

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 4th 2008 2:06PM]

How far can an old american car made of heavy steel would be able to go on a single charge? Then again, maybe the regenerative braking would be more efficient because of its heft?

[bangladeshiluv @ Nov 4th 2008 2:07PM]

the leaded gas engine is part of the charm in a classic

you can suck on your electric engine

[Geof Oberhaus @ Nov 4th 2008 2:17PM]

Predicting trademark infringement suit from General Motors for "Volt"

[Cellien @ Nov 4th 2008 2:21PM]

Yeah, when I read the headline, I thought it was talking about the GM Volt.

[Sporkinum @ Nov 4th 2008 2:24PM]

I'd guess the whole impetus behind this is that he won't have to replace the throwout bearing on his clutch from coasting downhill in order to save gas.

[blevay @ Nov 4th 2008 2:52PM]

They do make hybrids with manual transmissions btw...the first Honda Insight, for one.

[Jason @ Nov 4th 2008 2:40PM]

So this is how I get that Highwayman from the Fallout series. Now if we can just figure out the micro-fusion cells.

[Bad Beaver @ Nov 4th 2008 2:44PM]

Yeah, tons of steel go far on leccy... at least they have big trunks to completely fill with batteries. Sometimes you have to admit that a guzzling, growling V6 engine is part of the fun.

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 4th 2008 3:05PM]

I think you mean sipping, mewing...

Call me crazy for not instantly thinking V6 when someone talks about a "guzzling, growling" engine.

[iEye @ Nov 4th 2008 3:15PM]

V6? ya, if you are a wuss!

V8 was assumed standard for the real cars!

[Bad Beaver @ Nov 4th 2008 3:24PM]

WHATEVER needlessly big engine. V12, that's big. And fun. I guess you got the point.

[Tyler Durden @ Nov 4th 2008 3:33PM]

Personally I wouldn't mind driving past the gas station in my 66 Mustang. It's a classic but it's a six cylinder. So it would be a good trade off to me. Great, classic styling and good economy (currently it gets 19 MPG). I probably wouldn't do it if it was a V8 but it's not. The mix of old and new is kind of appealing.

[james @ Nov 4th 2008 3:36PM]

Say what you will, but if I can buy a cheap old car and have it converted to run on electricity, that would be cool. Doesn't matter who works it out, just as long as it gets done. Plus, old Neil is a good musician and has his thoughts in the right place.

[phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 4:12PM]

Anyone ever see Jim Jarmuch's "Dead Man", 1995, with Johnny Depp? The whole soundtrack was be Neil Young and pretty frickin awesome.

[phanbouy fan @ Nov 4th 2008 4:14PM]

definitely

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 4th 2008 4:17PM]

haha! yeah that's dorky that you know stuff!! hehehe. i love me.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 4th 2008 4:34PM]

^ This whole thread is really disturbing ^

[MeatPop @ Nov 4th 2008 4:37PM]

where the hell is that picture from phanbouy (the real one, not the weird and perverse imitators). I know I've seen it somewhere and it was some weird shit too. oh and to be on topic... Neil Young just wishes he was Bob Dylan crossed with Willie Nelson.

[Atropos @ Nov 4th 2008 4:53PM]

@Andir3.0

lol, it really is

@MeatPop (disturbing name in its own right)

Picture is of Murray from Flight of the Conchords. A really good show with stupid/unfunny songs mixed in.

[phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 5:06PM]

@MeatPop

Yep, he's right. Except for the stupid/unfunny part; he's confusing that with his posts.

[elloh7 @ Nov 4th 2008 4:15PM]

I never could stand his music.. a little to "whining hippy" for my taste.

Don't destroy the classics! Convert the old obscure clunkers nobody ever cared about.