Like many great ideas, it was incubated by the watercooler when Roev founders Robert Dietz, Noah Wasmer and Paul Slade worked in the cloud division of technology giant Atlassian.

Classic car conversions are an investment in passion - the Kombi conversion cost Wasmer $70,000 - but Dietz says Roev is pitched squarely at economic rationalists.

"The engine is the heart of a vehicle," says Dietz.

Dietz says the goal for the Roev team is to convert a modern vehicle in one day.

"We're hoping the kit is going to be reproducible enough that we can set up in other regions fairly quickly," says Dietz.

While a pocket of drivers is hesitant about giving up on ICE vehicles, Dietz has also found many of them simply love their brands.

For them, the electric vehicle experience involves a leap of faith, from levers and buttons to a touchscreen interface.