I like electric conversions...why not more?
By Staff Writer
Jul 18, 2018
|
Jaguar
| Posted in
News and Notes
| From the July 2018 issue
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Enzo Ferrari bestowed high praise upon the Jaguar E-type, calling it “the most beautiful car in the world.” Following that logic, Jaguar’s E-type Zero must be the most beautiful electric car in the world.
The E-type Zero is a 1968 E-type engineered by Jaguar Land Rover Classic at the company’s new Classic Works in Warwickshire, U.K., to run on a 220 kW electric drivetrain. The lithium-ion battery pack has the same dimensions as the original six-cylinder engine, with a similar weight, while the electric motor replaces the stock gearbox. The final package weighs about a hundred pounds less than the stock driveline.
Performance can be called electrifying. Zero to 60 now takes 5.5 seconds, a full tick quicker than a stock Series 1 E-type. The E-type Zero has a “real-world” range of 170 miles.
The Jaguar release ends with a possible hint of things to come: “The XK six-cylinder engine was made from 1949 until 1992, and was fitted to nearly all iconic Jaguar models of that period, including the E-type, XK120, Mk2 and XJ6. The new electric powertrain could be used in any of these vehicles.”
“We could use this technology to transform any classic XK-engine Jaguar,” confirms Tim Hanning, director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic.
Just before this spring’s New York International Auto Show, photos of an electrified classic Mini started making the rounds. Mini even posted photos to their media site-but with few details.
Autocar, however, got to actually drive the car and reports that this 1998 Mini is now powered by a 38-horsepower electric motor paired with the original gearbox. Its 30 lithium-iron phosphate batteries provide a maximum range of 65 miles.
Perhaps our favorite quote from their report: “As soon as you hit the throttle pedal, the Mini’s electric motor powers it ahead as if there were no tomorrow, while the engine buzzes in a manner that reminds of Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter.”
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I like electric conversions...why not more?
Until recently, DAVEG, the batteries have been obscenely expensive. Now that Volts and LEAFs are showing up in junkyards, I expect we'll see more EV conversions.
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