Electrogenic converts Jason Momoa’s 1929 Rolls-Royce to electric power
UK EV conversion firm Electrogenic has revealed that Hollywood superstar Jason Momoa is the celebrity customer behind its latest project – a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II.
The Oxford-based experts announced last year that they were working on the car but have now confirmed that they were commissioned by the Game of Thrones and Aquaman star to bring the classic car into the 21st century.
Momoa is well known as a car enthusiast who is also passionate about the environment and the team’s work is set to feature in his new TV show On The Roam, in which he travels the world meeting trailblazing craftspeople and creatives.
Momoa said: “In order to pull off this dream project, I had to find the right partner. I needed a team that would appreciate the stored history of this car while updating its technology. Electrogenic is all about honouring vintage cars. Making them electric without losing any of the vehicle’s character. They were the perfect fit.”
Electrogenics’s Steve Drummond said the project had been the hardest his team had taken on. He commented: “It has been a labour of love for everyone at Electrogenic, and a lot of fun working with Jason over the course of 18 months to bring his vision to life.
“Our team of engineers, programmers and fabricators have poured their hearts and souls into Jason’s beautiful Phantom II. This is undoubtedly the most complex classic car EV conversion ever undertaken, so the stunning results really are a testament to the world-leading talents of our team. We’re immensely proud of the finished car, and humbled that Jason entrusted us with this landmark project.”
The car’s spectacular Mulliner coachwork has been left unchanged but beneath the skin its 7.7-litre 49bhp six-cylinder engine and four-speed gearbox have made way for 93kWh of batteries. In keeping with the car’s looks, these are hidden under the bonnet beneath a hand-formed, and hand-riveted aluminium cowling. The batteries power Eletrogenic’s in-house drive unit which is mounted between the chassis rails and sends 201bhp and 229lb ft to the rear wheels.
With a range of around 150 miles and three bespoke driving modes, the Phantom II is significantly more efficient than before as well as being more refined and environmentally friendly. But achieving that was not easy.
Among the challenges the Electrogenic team faced were dealing with the car’s original ‘through-flow’ chassis lubrication system and cable-operated braking system. As with all their conversions, they found a way to marry the old and new technology without making any irreversible changes. In the interior, they also managed to retain and convert the original instruments. This included converting the sight glass fuel gauge into an LED state-of-charge gauge and turning the amp meter into a power gauge, showing the rate-of-power draw or harvesting under acceleration and braking.
Drummond added: “It’s been an engineering challenge – from initially exploring the feasibility of the project and technical specifications, to then developing different rendered options for how we would integrate the EV componentry.
“While it sounds like we’ve carried out a great deal of modifications – and we have – I’m particularly proud of the fact that, as with all Electrogenic conversions, nothing has been drilled or cut on the car. We have simply unbolted some of the original parts, and bolted new parts in. All of the original components can be reassembled and the car can be returned to its original state at any point, if required.
“This really has been a fascinating project to work on, and one that we’ve poured our hearts and souls into. We’re delighted with the results; it combines the most stunning 1920s coachbuilding with an updated driving experience that’s entirely befitting of a Rolls-Royce. Every single member of the Electrogenic team has contributed to this project and we are all proud to have added our mark to this remarkable motor car, readying it for a further hundred years of dignified, stately – and now clean – motoring.”
