The EV Powered team choose their favourite converted classics, from much-loved city runarounds to ‘sacrilegious’ supercars
The topic of electrifying classic cars is a controversial one. For every voice claiming that it’s defiling history, there’s another arguing that it’s helping keep more old cars alive.
Here at EV Powered, we tend to agree with recent interview guest, Richard Morgan. He reckons the powertrain is often the weak link in a classic car and by adding electric power you can make it more fun, more reliable and, ultimately, more usable.
So with his words ringing in our ears, we set out to run down our 10 favourite classic EV conversions.
Everrati Mercedes-Benz SL
Mercedes’ W113 SL – better known as the Pagoda – is one of those cars that a lot of classic car people get very excited about. So it might seem a risky move ripping out the engine and dropping in an electric alternative. But Everatti disagrees. As far as the UK-based converter is concerned, it’s the perfect candidate, blending timeless design with cutting-edge drive technology, and modern luxuries such as heated seats and Bluetooth connectivity. Every one of the £400,000 cars is a bespoke build developed with input from the customer, but under the skin every car gets a rear-mounted 300bhp motor and a 68kWh battery good for up to 200 miles of open-air showboating.
Electric Classic Cars Fiat 500
The car making world seems obsessed with creating a new generation of truly compact city-friendly EVs. Well Electric Classic Cars already has the answer. The Welsh wizards have taken the world’s first true city car – Fiat’s iconic Cinquecento – and given it a 21st-century twist. A tiny car means a tiny battery and motor – think 15kWh and 40bhp – but the range is still a city-friendly 70 miles and the motor still produces more than twice what the old two-stroke petrol managed. Ideal for keeping up with the modern cut and thrust. The conversion has even made the 500 more practical. Without a fuel tank for the rear-mounted engine, there’s more space for luggage than when it left Lingotto back in the 1950s.
Lunaz Range Rover Safari
Silverstone-based Lunaz offers a variety of conversions for Jaguar Land Rover products, but this particular one is guaranteed to draw plenty of attention. The baby blue roofless Rangey is inspired by a lesser-known James Bond car and was built to order for a customer. While the three-door body looks original, a lot of structural strengthening and chassis engineering went into ensuring the car could cope with the 375bhp electric motor that replaced the old 3.5-litre V8. Along with a modern powertrain, the Safari gets a thoroughly modern interior with hard-wearing leather upholstery, heated seats, air conditioning and an Apple and Android-compatible infotainment screen. And despite the changes, the Range Rover retains all of its famous off-road prowess.
Electric Classic Cars T25 Syncro
Speaking of off-road… Volkswagen’s famous Transporter isn’t best known for its mud-plugging abilities but the Syncro system that debuted on the T25 gave the iconic microbus some serious off-road ability. Electric Classic Cars has taken that a step further. It has replaced the asthmatic flat-four engine with a 161bhp electric unit while retaining the all-wheel-drive transmission and fitting some chunky off-road tyres to keep its off-road prowess. The firm has also dropped a whopping 90kWh battery in to ensure plenty of scope for wild adventuring. And it has kitted the “Wedge” out with a complete camping kit, including cooker, sink, lights and even solar panels, plus power steering and air conditioning for a more comfortable drive.
Electrogenic Delorean DMC-12
If ever there was a car crying out for an EV conversion, it’s the Delorean DMC-12. Even 44 years after it went out of production it still looks like it’s from the future. And that image is only enhanced by its place in sci-fi history. But for all its sporty futuristic appearance, the DMC-12 was ultimately powered by a slightly pathetic Renault V6 with just 125bhp. Electrogenic has fixed that, though, replacing it with a rear-mounted 215bhp electric motor that will get it from 0-60mph in just five seconds. It’s also added a 43kWh battery for 150 miles of range and revitalised the interior with all the mod cons Doc Brown could ask for.
Frontline MG BEE
The Frontline MG BEE is an intriguing blend of the old and the new that addresses the oft-repeated claim about EVs being unengaging. Externally, you’d never tell this wasn’t a regular 1972 MG B. Every element from the wire wheels to the chromed filler cap looks period correct. Inside it all looks pretty familiar too, there’s even still a gear lever. And that’s for good reason. The clever team at Frontline have married a Xbhp motor with a five-speed Mazda gearbox. The innovative setup delivers the smooth, silent and dependable power beloved by EV drivers with the classically involving three-pedal driving experience so associated with the iconic British sports car.
Electric Classic Cars Ferrari Teslarossa
Like the Delorean, the Ferrari Testarossa is one of those 1980s cars that became iconic thanks to its on-screen appearances in TV and video games. Its appeal is easy to see – sharp Pininfarina lines that scream performance, the famous prancing horse badge, and a growling flat-12 mounted behind the cabin. But with Italian style and performance comes Italian unpredictability and nobody wants to be stuck at the side of a motorway with a gently smoking Ferrari. Not only does ECC’s conversion replace that unreliable lump with a dependable e-motor, it also sorts the poor weight distribution for better handling, upgrades the suspension and brakes, and boosts power from a meager 380bhp to 600bhp. What’s not to like?
Lunaz Rolls-Royce Phantom
It’s long been said that electric power is the perfect fit for Rolls-Royce. For a brand that prides itself on the smooth, near-silent running of its cars, the benefits of a combustion-free powertrain are obvious. Rolls-Royce has embraced this with the Spectre, but Lunaz reckons that older cars are just as deserving of the electric treatment. So well-heeled buyers with a spare million can commission their own 1961 Phantom V with the firm’s proprietary battery and motor setup, which delivers 375bhp and a range of 250 miles from an 80kWh battery. Each one of the coachbuilt cars undergoes a full restoration and modernisation, getting a retrimmed interior and modern infotainment systems all fitted in-house. And just 30 are planned, ensuring true Rolls-Royce levels of exclusivity.
Inverted Land Rover
Proving again that electric power can enhance rather than harm an old vehicle is the Inverted Toyota Land Rover Series. Never celebrated for their powertrains, Inverted has taken the legendary Series I, II and III models and given the Great British off-roader a major upgrade. Under the skin is a single 62kWh battery and a single electric motor. That motor sends its 160bhp and 664lb ft of torque straight to the original transfer box to provide the off-road capability for which the Land Rover has always been famous. It means the electrified Series Land Rovers maintain their high/low ratio transmissions and a locking differential for particularly tough terrain, while being able to cover up to 120 miles on a charge.
Electrogenic Citroen DS
The Citroen DS was so ahead of its time in many ways. The glorious Bertoni-penned bodywork, the radical hydropneumatic suspension and the luxurious avant garde interior. But its 2.0-litre engine never quite matched the innovation elsewhere, meaning this French icon is ripe for electric conversion. Delivered to meet a bespoke customer commission, the Electrogenic DS uses a 120bhp Hyper9 motor which drives the car through its original manual gearbox, and a 48.5kWh battery good for 140 miles of driving. As well as creating a powertrain to suit the car’s graceful image, Electrogenic went a step further and replaced the noisy old suspension pump with a bespoke silent electric unit for an even more serene drive.
