In what could be the most fitting electric vehicle conversion of all time, the DeLorean Motor Company of Texas is preparing an all-electric version of the iconic DMC-12.
DMC first spoke of the car last October, but at the time it did not mention how much it would cost, or release any technical details about it.
The car made a surprise appearance at the New York Motor Show, where the manufacturer announced that it will carry a base price of $95,000 when it goes on sale in 2013. That is a hefty price increase over a gasoline-powered DMC-12, but it is not stopping DMC from shooting for an initial production run of 300 examples.
DMC co-developed the DMC-12 EV with a Louisiana-based startup company called Epic EV. Epic EV is best-known for its electric recreational vehicles, but does have one X-Bow-like EV to its credit.
The DMC-EV’s lithium iron phosphate batteries take anywhere from three to four hours to fully charge using a 110-volt outlet. They store enough juice to give the car a range of up to 96 miles. Top speed is rated at 125 miles per hour, and the car should take under six seconds to hit 60 miles per hour from a stop, but this figure hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Given DMC of Texas’ “new†DMC-12 models are essentially identical to the ones that rolled out of the DMC factory in the early 1980s, it’s possible the company could offer an EV retrofit kit for current DeLorean owners. Not only would the EV conversion likely trump the performance of the car’s malaise-era PRV V6, but it would also allow owners to proclaim, “this sucker’s electrical,†which is a huge selling point in our book.
