The legendary DeLorean DMC-12 back to Munich Fair and reappears in electric key. In addition, the engineers of eCap ensure that soon we will be able to see the car immortalized by the Zemeckis films also in hydrogen version. We are not yet at the efficiency of the junk power seen in the movies. But it sure is a vehicle that looks to the future.
The DeLorean DMC-12 returns in an electric and hydrogen key
The German company eCap has specialized in the electrification of cars of all kinds, giving new life to vehicles that would be too polluting for the sustainable future that we all want. But never before had they worked on a car capable of illuminating the faces not only of car enthusiasts but also of those in 1980s movies. For more than a generation of fans, the DeLorean DMC-12 represents the myth of progress and the flavor of adventure. After seeing Marty and Doc use it to navigate the space-time continuum, everyone who has seen Zemeckis’ films they stop and watch if they see her pass by on the street.
And with the electrical conversion of the vehicle made by eCap it could really happen. German engineers removed the original engine and fitted one specially designed to electrify historic cars. The car has one power of 60 kW, less than the original petrol (97kW) but the electric powertrain should be enough to have fun driving. The original manual gearbox remains, not so much because it serves the electric motor as to give additional driving pleasure to those who get on the DeLorean.
Lithium batteries should ensure a range of 200 kilometers, with a disbursement of 42 kWh. We are not quite at the records set by Tesla or Porsche but most buyers will be willing to give up something in exchange for the possibility of opening the doors upwards and saying “Big Jupiter!”. The cells are also distributed to increase the stability of the car. And the charging socket can be found by lowering the rear number plate.
According to eCap the car it should travel up to 200 kilometers per hour. But once you hit 88 mph, you won’t be able to go back to the days when your parents went to high school (thankfully).
A hydrogen model will also arrive soon
It wouldn’t be a DeLorean if it didn’t think a little bit about the future as well. So, although the eCap people did not also exhibit a hydrogen model of the DeLorean at the Munich fair stand, it seems that this possibility is feasible in the future. In fact, the German engineers presented the system hydrogen fuel cell ReFire PRISMA XII +. An engine that allows you to get to 120 kW of power, with an operating range between 450 and 750 volts. And that can work for as well 30.000 ore.
It is unlikely that the same power can enter the historical body of the DMC-12. But a bespoke version of this model could allow the fuel of the future (and increasingly of the present) to exceed 88 mph in a whisker.
So we will soon have two green versions of the DeLorean. Definitely better than when to feed them it was necessary to steal plutonium from Libyan terrorists.
Can we buy our electric or hydrogen DeLorean DMC-12?
The good news is that the DeLorean is back from the future with a green and powerful engine. The bad is that eCap does not produce cars but electrifies them. So it means that the DMC-12 is not back in production: you can’t go into some showroom, try it out and get a quote. You must first have a model of the car (even no longer functional) and contact the company, directly from their site. The page is in German but you will also find all the information in English.
By turning on the sites that sell used cars you can find some models still intact and at that point you can request a preventive to eCap. Don’t expect to pay a little. But if you want to park your DeLorean in front of the charging stations and then quietly whiz where you want (even if you still “need the roads” for now), it’s worth it.
Just a clarification: on the eCap website it is specified that the DeLorean electrified by them does not travel in time. At the moment.