Bream's car and the classic hot rods his shop modifies don't sound like normal vehicles when you race them on the highway. That's because they run completely electric—no gas required. I paid a visit to Bream's shop, EV West , in Southern California this October.

"No, that's not it," Bream said. Something clicked inside Eli and he made another, softer noise. "Woosh." Bream nodded.

"What sound does daddy's car make?" Michael Bream asked his son, Eli. The two-year-old paused for a moment. "Vroom," he said.

EV West is a boutique car garage specializing in removing combustion engines and replacing them with electric batteries. Bream and his team of around a dozen technicians have transformed everything from a 1950s Volkswagen bus to a Ferrari 308 GTS from gas guzzlers to fully-electric rides.

Older vehicles are often less efficient and release more carbon emissions than their newer counterparts, but many people choose to drive them anyway because, well, they look cool. Thanks to EV West, car fanatics don't need to compromise between the environment and having a classic ride.

Bream's small car garage is located behind a string of commercial warehouses in San Marcos, California, a sleepy suburb not far from San Diego. The whole place feels more like a computer lab than a car shop. There's no gasoline smell, and the garage is devoid of the kind of grease I associate with my local mechanic. On the walls are old car posters that have been photoshopped to boast the benefits of electric power.

In one corner is a Tesla Powerwall, a large battery that stores energy harvested from 18 or so solar panels on EV West's roof. Bream's team uses the Powerwall to charge many of its electric cars.