DeLorean Motor Co., Inc. has unveiled the DeLorean EV, an electric car that marries the legendary Back to the Future DeLorean automobile of the 1980s with a lithium-ion-based, DC-powered, electric drivetrain of today.
"It turns out the DeLorean is a perfect platform for electrification," noted Chris Anthony, CEO of Flux Power, Inc. and Epic Electric Vehicles, both of which worked with DeLorean Motors to develop the powertrain for the new vehicle. "It's well designed, it's lightweight, it never rusts, and it has a design aesthetic that's meant to blow you away."
DeLorean's "new" EV maintains the look of the legendary vehicle from the movie, Back to the Future. (Photo courtesy of the DeLorean Motor Co.)
Surprisingly, the new DeLorean EV is not a publicity stunt. DeLorean Motors, which has serviced, restored and sold DeLoreans since 1995, plans to begin selling the converted EVs in 2013. Interested parties are already said to be lining up to reserve vehicles, which are expected to cost between $90,000 to $100,000.
"We've been surprised by the reaction," said James Espey, vice president of DeLorean Motor Co., in an interview with Design News. "It's killed our web site twice and the phones have been ringing non-stop."
DeLorean has been working on the idea for about four years. Because the company has a 40,000-square-foot warehouse stocked with more than a million parts, its executives fixed on the idea of using the parts in a new, electrically-powered version of the car. Plans are to build between 350 and 400 electric DeLoreans, based on the company's current inventory of parts.
"Our primary business has been parts, service, and restoration," Espey told us. "We've literally got millions of nuts, bolts, and washers. We've got seats, wheels, brakes, and transmissions. It's all here in the building. And the best way to make money off those parts is to assemble them into cars again."
I suppose you are right. It appears the De Lorean, as well as the Tesla vehicles, are for the better part assembled by hand. Even so, you have to set the price of that labor. Depends on where it is and the desire to make money. I hope prices on both drop in the future.
Like an 88 miles/hr secure of super from the last, DeLorean Powerplant Company has guaranteed the Electrical DeLorean for 2013. And it'll be wearing a blend shape produced by Impressive Electrical Automobiles. delorean rolls is known from the good product. just thinking about the tsb for this.
I should have stated that if the chassis /unibody already has a VIN attached. The VIN does, after all, define the mfg/model year, does it not?
I have seen such in regards to one particular make of car (limited edition, yes, but I believe it still applies) where someone ended up with a complete chassis and some body parts for a Shelby Cobra. The car was never assembled by Shelby. The chassis had a VIN (which was used for verification that it was indeed a Shelby Cobra). The car was assembled using a modern power train, but it was considered a 1960's automobile, as least as far as the state of Nevada was concerned.
What does FMVSS standards say about that? Does it still apply? Does it apply to my FIL's '57 Chevy BelAir that was built up from a salvaged chassis? What standards apply? I have to admit to some confusion in regards to this. If the DeLorean parts are assembled into completed automobiles, what model year are they? Are they 2012 models even if the parts all date back to the 1980's? If it uses the modern EV power train while all the rest of the vehicle is original 1980's parts, which standards apply?
If the chassis/unibody being used to build these cars was manufactured in the past, then the safety regulations for the year of manufacture of the chassis/unibody applies. That means if DeLorean uses a chassis and/or unibody manufactured in 1985 to build a 'new' EV, the safety regulations from 1985 apply, not the year the autombile was finally assembled.
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