Great Scott! DeLorean DMC-12 can hit 88mph quicker than ever thanks to new EV conversion kit
Classic car conversion specialist Electrogenic is now offering a ‘plug and play’ kit for the iconic time machine
Are you telling me they’ve made an electric car out of a DeLorean?! That’s exactly right: Oxford-based company Electrogenic has launched a new EV conversion kit for the stainless steel-clad sports car, which of course was made famous by its starring role in the Back to the Future trilogy.
The ‘plug and play’ kit Electrogenic developed for the DeLorean can’t provide the 1.21 gigawatts Doc Brown was after, but it does include a brand-new 43kWh OEM-grade battery that offers a range of over 150 miles and is designed to be installed where the car’s original petrol tank would have been.
Meanwhile the old 130bhp V6 is replaced by a single electric motor that produces 215bhp and 310Nm of torque. The extra power, combined with instant torque delivery from the e-motor, slashes the DeLorean’s 0-62mph time by more than half: reducing it from around 10 seconds to under 5 seconds. Of course that means it’ll hit 88mph much quicker than before, too.
Also included with the Electrogenic kit are Eco and Sport drive modes, regenerative braking that the driver can adjust the strength of, and launch control. Unfortunately you’ll have to supply your own functioning flux capacitor and time circuits.
That said, the first DMC-12 to be fitted with Electrogenic’s new kit has additional features like Apple CarPlay, upgraded air conditioning and a bespoke virtual dashboard that can display info like the drive mode and remaining charging.
Electrogenic CEO Steve Drummond said “when John DeLorean set out to make the DMC-12 over forty years ago, he was determined to create a sports car that was sustainable and would stand the test of time. An EV conversion therefore makes total sense and feels in keeping with the ethos of the original project.
“I can also attest that the car’s original, Lotus-engineered, suspension is more than up to the task of handling the new-found torque; the car is fabulous to drive.”
For any DeLorean owners worried about cutting up their pride and joy, Electrogenic assures us that the conversion package is entirely reversible and in fact there’s no cutting required. Electrogenic also has a network of partner-installers that can install the kit for you, and the conversion kit can also be used for manual and automatic versions of the DeLorean.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is the latest classic car Electrogenic is offering a ‘drop-in’ EV conversion kit for, with others including the Jaguar E-Type, Land Rover Defender, classic Porsche 911s and the original Mini. The British firm also does bespoke conversions, such as the 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II it did recently for Hollywood star Jason Momoa.
Should classic cars be electrified? Tell us what you think in the comments section below...