VW 1303 electric conversion:
600 hp from the scrapyard
ESDI developed the complete drive system of this 2.9-second Beetle. Rüdiger Knepper built the vehicle — ESDI delivers the drive and the intelligence behind it.
PHOTOS: KNEPPER BUGS & MORE / MOTOR1.COM
From the scrapyard to the supercar
It was a Californian scrapyard when Rüdiger Knepper saw it: a VW 1303 from 1975, rusted, useless. He and his son René saw something else — a canvas. The result is the KNEPPER 1303 RS-E, a Beetle that drives on a par with modern supercars.
A Tesla Model S Performance motor was voltage-modified and delivers 600 hp and 702 newton metres. 17 Porsche Taycan modules with a total of 48 kWh store the energy. The suspension is a masterpiece of components: Porsche 944 structure, Kerscher, KW, Bilstein. The driveshaft comes straight from the Porsche 930 — no manual gearbox, a pure direct-drive concept.
The special thing: the Knepper RS-E has proven its long-distance capability. 8,000 kilometers across Europe — without a single technical defect. This is not a show car. This is a car that drives.
The complete drive system
Rüdiger built the car himself and installed all the mechanical components. ESDI, represented by Alexander Lührmann and the ESDI team, developed the complete drive system: design, power electronics, battery management and control — the decisive part that turns hardware into control.
The control system manages motor management, battery monitoring, thermal management and safety systems. It enables two drive modes: 450 hp for TÜV-compliant road use and the full 600 hp for the race track. This dual-power concept was one of the biggest technical challenges — and ESDI's core competence.
Milestones
Marathon Blue with TÜV seal
The result is visually unmistakable: Marathon Blue paint, carbon fenders, a carbon roof diffuser, Recaro seats from a BMW 2002, a digital cockpit, electric heating. Passed individual approval under § 21 StVZO and road-legal — but with 600 hp of potential for the track. Motor1.com reported internationally, motormobil.de in the German-speaking world, with Autoblog, CarScoops and InsideEVs carrying the story further. The 8,000 km road trip across Europe was the ultimate proof: this is no show car — it's a car that drives.
Coverage
Project participants
Specifications
| Base vehicle | VW 1303 (built 1975) |
| Motor | Tesla Model S Performance (voltage-modified) |
| Power | 600 PS / 702 Nm |
| Battery | 48 kWh (17× Porsche Taycan Module) |
| 0–100 km/h | approx. 2.9 s |
| Range | 100–250 km |
| Drive | Direct drive via Porsche 930 drive shafts |
| Charging | CCS + AC |
| Chassis | Porsche 944 base + Kerscher + KW + Bilstein |
| Road registration | Individual approval under § 21 StVZO passed (450 hp road limit / 600 hp track) |
| Colour | Marathon Blue |
| Bauherr | Rüdiger & René Knepper (Knepper Bugs & More) |
Tier 1 coverage
8,000 km across Europe
May 2025: Rüdiger Knepper drove the RS-E around 8,000 km across Europe in four weeks – Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, even by ferry to Morocco. Without a trailer, without an escort vehicle. The hardest proof that an electrified classic with ESDI control electronics is suitable for everyday use.
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