Guy this is a quote from the owner of the Mini you ar referring to.

As some of you know, I restored a 1960 Mini ditching the 850cc engine for an electric motor.
Unfortunately, DVLA said that because I drilled holes in the boot, it is now a modified kit-car.
They couldn't fault the conversion, but due to the holes my car needs an IVA test which it could never pass.
They refused to allow the holes to be welded up so this is terminal, the car is scrap.

This has now been reported in the press a little, by those who actually believe that it is real (it is a little like ''I married Elvis on the moon").
My MP has written 3 times and been fobbed off 3 times.

The British Classic car EV industry is in big trouble and trying to get a liaison going with the dept of Transport to establish a code of some sort to allow them to stay in business in light of this DVLA idiocy.

The holes I drilled were to safely mount the batteries. The conversion was designed by a Doctor of engineering and a degree qualified engineer, but over ruled as unsafe by a bureaucrat.

IMHO if DVLA get away with twisting their old rules to apply to the new issue of classic car EV conversions, then what is to stop them from popping up any car show, finding a car with a hole drilled, rusted or otherwise, and insisting it should have an IVA and then a Q-plate.

So if you or anyone you know is planning a conversion, be careful. My lovely Mini no longer has a registration and I'm not even allowed to convert it back to petrol, even if I thought that was ethical in light of the planet pollution problem!