While they can be made to work, it's a lot of extra unnecessary hassle. The motor controller has to be configured to have a idle RPM to keep the boxes pump etc working properly. And the other big thing with an EV that has a battery the equivalent of a gallon of juice is that slushboxes suck power. There's just no real reason to have an auto at all when a manual does the job with much less complication and power use.

I was going to build a super 617 powered 300D but now I think I'm going to cut straight to a W123 EV conversion. I would rather not use a gearbox at all if I can get away with it, maybe use a Tesla motor unit swapped into the rear end or something. Leaves the engine bay free for batteries.

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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

Don't know much about it, but am sure others will pioneer electric motor conversions in the future. Mostly for fun, since hardly economical, even pricing your design labor at free. I thought electric motors typically spin much faster than gasoline, and give torque over a wider rpm range. Thus most transmissions will be geared too high. I understand the e-motors in hybrids (Prius) are in series w/ the gas engine and turn at the same rpm, but perhaps a special low-speed design. In many apps, e-motors use speed reduction gear boxes.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I'd be more entertained by someone swapping an om617 into a Nissan Leaf.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

An OM617 has been swapped into almost everything else, right?

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RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.