Aphid EV
Contents
Aphid EV is a DIY electric vehicle conversion of a classic VW Beetle using a Nissan Leaf drivetrain. The project is documented at bladlus.se. The name comes from the Swedish word “bladlus” (aphid/leaf louse) — a nod to both the Leaf donor and the small-but-persistent nature of the build.
Team
The project is run by two brothers. The build journal, schematics, and firmware notes are published on the project site which was the main reason I developed Aphid in the first place.
Car
A 1969 VW Beetle that was initially restored by our father in the mid 90’s and used as a daily driver for several years. It eventually broke down and became a garden ornament for more than a decade before being sold. My brother managed to buy it back with the intention for us to convert it, and then gave me an EM57 motor as a birthday gift on my 40th birthday.
Drivetrain
The power electronics are sourced from a Nissan Leaf:
- Motor — Nissan Leaf EM57
- Inverter — Nissan Leaf traction inverter
- PDM — Nissan Leaf Power Delivery Module
The battery will be built from donor EV modules, with the specific type determined by availability.
Control system
Rather than using the original Leaf VCM, the project develops a custom Vehicle Control Module to tie everything together.