The beloved Back To The Future DeLorean is back, and this time with a proper electric drivetrain. DeLorean is properly embracing the future, with batteries.
Not the work of the nutty professor, Dr. Emmett Brown, nor his enthusiastic acolyte, Marty McFly but the work of an ex-DeLorean Motor Co. mechanic, Danny Botkin. Danny drove his personal “Back to the Future” DeLorean for a promo gig and received more attention than he thought.
The Huntington Beach, California relocated DeLorean Motor Co. was simply restoring the DMC-12 cars until something dawned on the team, why not make it truly futuristic by using batteries and an electric motor? In 2011, the company used a glider and put a battery pack on it. We were fortunate to see the prototype at a Seal Beach Concours d’Elegance. We now have more news that the DeLorean Motor Co. is getting closer to its electric DMC-12 with a targeted 100 mile range that can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds.
The New DeLorean.
It should be noted that the new DeLorean Motor Co. has nothing to do with the original DeLorean founded by General Motors’ executive John DeLorean in 1975. The tumultuous and troubled short life of the DeLorean carmaker with its only car, the DMC-12 came into the spotlight in the movie “Back To The Future”. The heavily modified futuristic DeLorean was more of a Hollywood make up job. You can read more on our Cars And Coffee story where we spotted another Back To The Future DeLorean. In the movie, the professor used it a fission nuclear reactor to go back in time and engage in Star Trekish time continuum dilemmas.
Nonetheless, the original company went bankrupt in 1982 and only built 9,000 cars. Cash problems and using a woefully underpowered PSA V6 engine, the car fell short of expectations. It wasn’t until Stephen Wynne established Britishauto. Stephen worked as a mechanic servicing the original DeLoreans in San Fernando Valley, California. He started the new DeLorean Motor Co. in 1995 after buying the original remaining parts from the company.
According to Detroit News: “According to Wynne’s son, current DeLorean Motor Co. general manager Cameron Wynne, there are still enough original DeLorean parts to fill 40,000 square feet of warehouse space in Houston. Original gullwing doors alone number 1,000 in inventory, he said.” This bodes well for the new incarnation of what once was a promising car.
Performance Wise.
The electric DeLorean should sport a 400 volt AC induction liquid-cooled electric motor developing 360 lb-ft at 0-7,200 RPM, and 260hp (215 kW) at 5,000-6,000rpm, with a maximum RPM of 14,000rpm. This should give it a theoretical maximum speed of 125 MPH. The latest configuration states using Flux Power LIfePO4 battery with advanced control systems that will recharge in 3.5 hour using the DMCev Smart Charging Solution at 240 Volts and 70 Amps. Unfortunately, we have no kWh rating, but we can assume somewhere in the vicinity of 20 to 25 kWh. This should give the electric DeLorean a 100+ miles range in city driving, and the company proudly announces a seven-years or 100,000 miles warranty.
Is the new DeLorean electric a classic, an instant classic, or an old classic converted? While we won’t know for some time, what great use of never assembled DMC-12 part all nicely wrapped in an electric DeLorean. Check back with us for more news from the electric DeLorean.
