I have to admit, any information on AC Propulsion’s eBox has somehow slipped under my radar the past couple of years (other than their brief mentioning of plans to use the Scion xA & xB in future conversions, circa 2004).

However, while reading Tom Gage’s presentation at California’s ZEV Technology Symposium (PDF), I happened across a link to Stefano Paris’s First Peek Inside the eBox from August 18th. He had, like I, been looking for some word on their Scion xB conversions and had not heard anything yet either. Fortunately, he was able to get a “casual demonstration” of the conversion (dubbed the “eBox”) out of Tom Gage, President and CEO of AC Propulsion.

Stefano’s review of the eBox includes plenty of photos and some video footage as well.

While I have been impressed with AC Propulsion’s earlier conversions (especially the Honda Civic and the tZero), they’re definitely much more of an R&D house than anything else. In fact, not much of the technical work in this particular conversion is very impressive in itself as they’re just using the same methods and technology they used in the tZero.

What really needs work is their polish. The outside of the vehicle looks great and it sounds like some of the occupant comfort needs have been addressed, but their digital display is very old-school and I’m still not quite sure that a regen lever is the right way to go.

However, it is very good to see 150-180 mile range in something with the cargo and passenger capacity of the Scion xB. Keep up the R&D guys!