LegacyEV garners Hollywood attention, moves to larger HQ in Gilbert
A Tempe-based company that makes electric vehicle conversion kits is experiencing “massive growth,” capturing the attention of Hollywood and leading to a move into a larger office space in Gilbert this month.
Legacy EV is relocating to a 24,000-square-foot facility at 565 E. Germann Road, which will house the company’s research and development, validation and warehousing operations.
The company is a parts distributor and integrator, compiling components made by other manufacturers into kits and selling them to its customers, which consist of auto shops and authorized installers, including Scottsdale-based Vintage Iron and Restoration. Legacy works with auto installers that restore and modify gas powered cars to electric vehicles and those that conduct full vehicle fleet conversions. It also operates a certified technician program that teaches people how to properly install their conversion kits.
Legacy’s new facility is triple the size of previous facility in Tempe.
“We are planning to experience even more growth,” Mavrick Knoles, Legacy EV co-founder and president, told AZ Inno. “We’ve now trained technicians across 18 different countries and we’ve shipped parts to more than 23 countries. Our authorized installer network is growing rapidly. It’s really increasing our footprint for this technology and for our training as well.”
Legacy EV has 16 employees and plans to double that number by the end of the year, Knoles added. In 2023, it trained more than 600 technicians through its certification program, Knoles said.
The EV Center of Excellence
In March, LegacyEV inked a memorandum of understanding with the Apl.de.Ap Foundation International — led by Filipino-American Apl.de.Ap from the music group Black Eyed Peas — and Asian Development Bank to establish the first Electric Mobility Education and Development Center in the Philippines.
The center will provide comprehensive training in electric vehicle technology, repair, maintenance, and the installation and operation of charging infrastructure. It’s part of a $1 billion U.S. investment in the Philippines to advance economic ties and labor rights, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“We’re actually preparing technicians to retrofit Jeepneys from gas to electric,” Knoles said. “It’s a pretty cool, exciting project to be a part of and it’s going to really help create a lot of jobs and train technicians within the Philippines.”
The foundation partnership came about through a meeting with Apl.de.Ap from the Black Eyed Peas in which LegacyEV helped with an electric vehicle conversion project that was featured at the Specialty Equipment Market Association conference.
Company’s EV conversions featured on Yellowstone prequel
Legacy EV’s electric vehicle conversion kits have also garnered the attention of Hollywood.
The company partnered with Idaho-based Conductive Classics to convert 1920s era cars into electric vehicles featured on the set of Yellowstone prequel, “1923,” starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.
“[The studio] was having technical troubles with the vehicles and the actors were struggling a little bit to drive them on set. They wanted to make them electric because we could leave the engine in the vehicle and hide all the powertrain technology underneath it,” Knoles said. “All of the vehicles you see in that TV show are actually electric and powered by our team, which is pretty cool.”
Legacy EV is involved in electric vehicle conversion projects for two undisclosed movies, one of which will be released on either Disney or Hulu in the coming year, Knoles said.
“It’s a big trend, I think, for Hollywood studios to be electrifying these onset vehicles, making them a little bit more sustainable,” Knoles said. “They’re quiet, which is nice for shooting on set. They’re easy to drive and they’re modern.”
Knoles and Rob Ward founded the company in 2019. The cofounders grew up in Washington state. Knoles moved to Phoenix while working with Teach for America and Ward followed suit with his family.
Although Legacy EV got its start retrofitting classic cars into electric vehicles, the company has moved beyond that to other projects, including electrifying ground service equipment for airports. It’s also collaborating with Gateway Community College for an electric vehicle training program, which is expected to launch in late 2024 or early 2025.
“We’ve really got a pretty holistic approach to building a workforce that can handle EV technology,” Knoles said. “And I think that’s going to grow even more over the next couple years, so we’re excited about that.”