A MECHANIC has con-verted his 1953 Morris Minor to electric.

Matthew Quitter ditched the 1098cc engine for a 13 kilowatt power pack.

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Clean air campaigner Matthew, 41, said he could not ­afford a new £30,000 electric car — so instead forked out £6,000 for the Morris and spent £12,000 converting it.

It costs £1 to charge the power cells to cover 45 miles — far less than the 55mpg petrol engine.

The gleaming black motor - only distinguishable from the original by the lack of an exhaust pipe - first

6 Matthew Quitter replaced the iconic car's engine with a 13 kilowatt power pack Credit: Simon Jones - The Sun

6 The engineer put 16 Prismatic Thunder Sky power cells where the feul tank used to be Credit: Simon Jones - The Sun

Matthew said: “My Morris is nippier.”

Matthew, a self-taught computer coder, said: "I'm trying to find out a way of getting people to drive our cars in a more affordable way.

6 Matthew also installed nine Prismatic Thunder Sky Power cells in the front of the motor

"There are nine Prismatic Thunder Sky cells in the front and 16 in the back where the fuel tank used to be"

Matthew added: "I first became interested in electric cars 18 months ago, I was sick of sitting in traffic jams watching petrol cars chugging away."

He now plans to convert other classic cars at his garage in Vauxhall, South London.

6 The Morris Minor cost Matthew £6,000 to buy and £12,000 to covert Credit: Simon Jones - The Sun