Amped-up icon: Electric DeLorean DMC-12 is a match made in heaven

Burgeoning business Electrogenic takes the DMC-12 back to the future with an electric powertrain befitting of its sci-fi styling. Is this the car the DeLorean should have always been?

What do the Hyundai Coupe, Porsche 924, and DeLorean DMC-12 all have in common? That’s simple: they all looked fast… but, in reality, were woefully sluggish. However, while the Hyundai and Porsche got passes for their affordable prices when new, the original DeLorean had no such excuse: accounting for inflation, the iconic stainless-steel sports car would have set you back around £70,000. 

Assembled (often shoddily) near war-torn 1980s Belfast from a hodgepodge of parts bin pieces, it’s hardly surprising the DeLorean wasn’t the strongest performer. The engine was the most egregious offender, though. At 2.8 litres, the original V6 was remarkable only for how little power — 130-bhp and 153 lb-ft — it could muster.

That wheezing output teamed with tall gear ratios meant seriously slow acceleration. From rest, 60 mph arrives (eventually) in 10.5 seconds, while 100 mph takes a comical 40 seconds to appear. Frankly, it’s a miracle Doc ever found a road long enough to reach that magic 88 mph and activate the flux capacitor.

But what if you could keep those head-turning 1980s film star looks, and still make it home before the wormhole shuts? Enter, our favourite restomod conversion ever: the Electrogenic DeLorean EV.  

As a classic car conversion specialist, UK-based Electrogenic has a track record electrifying history’s most revered machines from E-Types to Minis. Now it’s the DMC’s turn to get the EV treatment. 

Throwing that lethargic V6 where it belongs (in the bin), the firm’s ‘drop-in’ kit adds 43kWh OEM grade batteries where the fuel tank used to sit. The new electric motors then send 215 bhp and 229 lb ft of torque directly to the rear axle for instantaneous acceleration. With the 0-60 mph time now chopped in half, full throttle finally warrants a “great Scott!”

What’s more, the conversion from pump to plug hasn’t added much weight. Regardless of whether the donor DeLorean is a manual or an automatic, an extra 40kg is the only penalty. This relatively modest figure is also likely a contributing factor in the Electrogenic’s very usable 150-mile range – with regenerative braking further enhancing efficiency.  

What’s the catch? Well, the £65,000 asking price (plus donor car) means it won’t be replacing many Nissan Leafs or Dacia Springs as cheap urban transportation, though it is a relatively reasonable sum given the transformative results on offer. You don’t even need to worry about destroying the originality; if you wake up one morning and think “we have to go back!”, every Electrogenic conversion is fully reversible. 

If the DMC was actually capable of time travel, we reckon the company’s late founder, John DeLorean, would jump at the chance to swap the V6 for modern electric motors. But was Electrogenic right to meddle with the past? Tell us your thoughts about this retro restomod.

Hero image credit:  Alex Penfold