UK-based Electrogenic has produced a bolt-in conversion kit that transforms the DMC DeLorean into an all-electric vehicle. It also makes the model quite a bit faster than stock and is allegedly quite easy to install. The bolt-in kit is said to require absolutely no cutting, welding, or drilling of any kind — making it a option for someone hoping to create a movie replica or cyberpunk project car.
While I’m not exactly known for being the biggest EV advocate, I’m all for people modifying vehicles however they wish. The DMC DeLorean likewise played host to the V6 PRV engine in an era where just about everything was severely under powered. At 2.8 liters, the motor produced a modest 130 horsepower and pushed the gull-winged coupe to 60 mph in a little under 10 seconds.
This fact often came up when my childhood friends and I argued about whether or not the model shown in Back to the Future could actually achieve 88 mph within the convenience of an empty parking lot. But I always noted that Doc Brown explains to Marty that the vehicle is “electrical” and uses a nuclear reaction to generate the requisite amount of power it needs. The entire powertrain had presumably been converted as part of his building it into a time machine.
With this in mind, an electrified DeLorean would arguably make for a more accurate movie replica and assuredly put some pep in the step of what was a notoriously slow (albeit still iconic) sports car.
For the conversion, the company will remove the fuel tank and supplant it with a 42.0-kWh battery pack. This will also reduce the gasoline smell owners have been complaining about forever, as DMC opted to put the fuel cap next to the HVAC system’s air intake.
The electric motor, inverter, cooling system and CCS-type charging port go where the engine used to be. Since that was located in the back half of the original car, there’s even a chance that Electrogenic may have improved the vehicle’s subpar weight distribution a tad.
Owners will probably tailor the looks to their tastes but the parts provided by the company all look like they could have come straight from the DMC factory in the 1980s, assuming EVs had been a thing during that period.
The electric motor produces a claimed 215 horsepower and will make the vehicle noticeably quicker since it doesn’t add much weight. Electrogenic stated that 60 mph should be feasible in about five seconds and there are multiple drive modes for those who just want to maximize the battery life. However, it’s not terribly good for someone who plans on taking the vehicle on a long journey. The manufacturer estimates the electrified DeLorean’s maximum range is somewhere around 150 miles.
As EV conversions go, this is probably one of the coolest we’ve come across and it likewise sounds like one of the easier end of the spectrum for someone into DIY. But the company recommends hiring a “trained specialist” that they can ship the parts to. Regardless, we don’t expect to see many of these due to the fact that the relevant automobile is quite rare, not getting any cheaper to buy and most collectors will probably want to keep their DMC stock for resale purposes.
[Images: Electrogenic]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
