MOTORING
BACK TO THE FUTURE Retrofitting electric powertrains to classic cars is becoming fashionable for the environmentally conscious and well-heeled By Maarten Hoffmann, Senior Motoring Editor
Classic car collecting has always had a certain cachet about it, and it seems those with deep pockets are now making the practice even more fashionable, by converting older cars into electric vehicles (EV).
converted by Aston Martin Works brought with it similar expected costs. Critics, meanwhile, hold that altering rare cars by installing EV powertrains is incompatible with preserving their heritage.
Following in the footsteps of Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, who used an electrified Jaguar E-Type – the E-Type Zero – as their wedding car, classic car enthusiasts are increasingly taking older cars that originally ran on petrol, and replacing their engines and fuel tanks with batteries and motors.
Despite these issues, classic car fans are surging ahead with commissions, chasing both the appeal of owning a
This green conversion doesn’t come cheap and isn’t without its critics, though; the F-Type Zero had a projected price tag of around £300,000 before development was paused, while a similar project that saw a DB6 Volante
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Harry and Megan’s Jag
classic car, and the knowledge that they can drive one around without being criticised for running what would likely be a car with relatively high emissions. “An entirely new breed of customer requires a clean-air powertrain”, David Lorenz, founder of conversion company Lunaz, says, adding: “The world is changing. Global legislation and shifting attitudes towards sustainability are driving demand for clean-air alternatives.” Lunaz considers that electric classic cars “represent the ultimate in up-cycling and sustainable mobility.” The green credentials and flowing lines of EV classics are backed up by serious performance, with Lunaz’s electric Jaguar XK120 producing 375bhp and 700Nm of torque thanks to its 80kWh battery pack and motor. The XK takes just five seconds to go from 0-60mph,
