- Electrogenic makes an EV conversion kit for the DMC-12 that can be put together with only a few small changes and doesn’t need to be cut or welded.
- After conversion, the DMC-12 only adds 88 pounds in weight, but it now has two battery packs, one in the front and one in the back. Together, they hold 43 kWh of power.
- The company that made the futuristic car says it can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and has a range of more than 150 miles.
The first DMC-12 looked like something from the future, but its PRV V6 engine meant it couldn’t be the speed car that was planned. In fact, the DMC-12’s performance was massaged lower during development. The result was a 130-hp car that was driveable but not the most interesting coupe of its time.
It helped that so many of its rivals were just as bad, so no one noticed that it was the Malaise Era outside.
Now that we’re in the future that the DMC-12 predicted, is it time to do it again with an electric powertrain?
Electrogenic, an expert in EV conversions, made a drop-in kit for the DMC-12 that requires no major changes to the original car. Plug-and-play software is really the best way to do it. People have wanted this kind of tool for a while now as well.
Since we started Electrogenic in 2018, the idea of turning a DeLorean into an electric car has gotten a lot of attention around the world. With its sci-fi design—still jaw-dropping after 40 years—and unimpressive engine, it’s the perfect candidate for electric driving, said Electrogenic CEO Steve Drummond.
The electric conversion kit comes with 43 kWh of batteries that can be put in the front, under the trunk, above the motor in the back, or below the luggage area. The electric motor sends 215 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque to the back wheels through a transaxle and gearbox with a set ratio. The kit works with both the automatic and manual DMC-12 models. The change only adds 88 pounds to the weight, and it comes with regenerative braking.
The company says that Electrogenic’s experts have also fine-tuned the different drive modes to fit different driving situations. These range from the most aggressive “Sport” setting for optimal performance to the more fuel-efficient “Eco” setting.
As a bonus, you can now run from 0 to 60 mph in less than five seconds, down from ten seconds before. For some owners, the coupe’s speed from 0 to 88 mph may be more important. There is also a mode for launch control.
The 43-kWh battery packs should be able to travel slightly more than 150 miles, but there are some limits.
As a bonus, the car’s electric motor can be charged from another vehicle, which means it can power other tools or charge other cars. Charging with a CCS hookup will only take an hour.
The kit is meant to be installed by a network of shops that the company has approved. Many skilled shops should find the installation process very easy.
Drummond continues: When John DeLorean started working on the DMC-12 more than forty years ago, he was determined to make a racing car that would last. So, switching to an electric car makes a lot of sense and is in line with the goals of the original idea.
We think that EV conversions like this one will soon have even more range because the price of EV batteries is going to keep going down while their energy efficiency goes up. Because of this, one company is now only giving 150 miles. It’s still early days for these kits.
How popular the change kit is will depend on how DeLorean owners drive their cars, but the starting price of $82,000 will also keep people from buying it. Not long ago, even very rare specimens were often worth only half of this amount.
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