First Drive: This All-Electric DeLorean Restomod Delivers Twice the Power of the Original

It took director Robert Zemeckis to transform the DeLorean DMC-12 into a fast car. Aided by a fictitious flux capacitor and a plutonium-powered nuclear reactor, the four-wheeled hero of the Back to the Future movies could, at least cinematically, scorch to 88 mph, then leap backwards or forwards through time.    

Electrogenic hasn’t cracked the space-time continuum yet, but the British firm has become a leader in custom EV conversions, including the electrified Porsche 911 we recently drove, and the 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II built for Aquaman star Jason Momoa. In the DeLorean’s case, the original, much-maligned 130 hp V-6 engine is swapped for a 215 hp electric motor, providing the performance that the model’s space-age styling always promised. 

The story of the DMC-12 and its charismatic creator, John Z. DeLorean, is as gripping and fantastical as any Hollywood script. DeLorean began his career at Packard in the 1950s, then quickly rose through the ranks at General Motors, where he launched the Pontiac GTO—arguably America’s first muscle car. By 1973, he looked like the leading candidate for the top job at GM, but left to start his own company. A new beginning for DeLorean, it was also the beginning of the end. 

Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who already had exotics such as the De Tomaso Mangusta and Maserati Bora to his name, the DeLorean DMC-12 was an angular coupe with unpainted stainless-steel bodywork and dramatic gullwing doors. The plan was to use a mid-mounted Wankel rotary engine, but the car ended up with a PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) V-6 located behind the back axle: one of many compromises that diluted John DeLorean’s radical vision. 

A grant from the British government led DeLorean to set up shop in Northern Ireland, but the factory was firebombed in the sectarian violence of the time. Quality was patchy, the U.S. retail price ended up being twice the $12,000 originally predicted (hence the “DMC-12” name), and a recession left the company with a mass of unsold stock. Then, in 1982, DeLorean himself was caught in an FBI sting operation and charged with trafficking cocaine. He was later acquitted, but his reputation and company were left in tatters.

Were it not for the Zemeckis film franchise, the DMC-12 would likely have remained a footnote in automotive history. Instead, it became a cult car, recognizable to everyone. Forget any classic Ferrari or brand-new Bugatti, nothing turns as many heads and generates such frenzied excitement as a DeLorean.

The DMC-12 also seems an ideal candidate for the EV treatment precisely because its engine was so insipid. I’ve not driven a stock example, but a colleague described it as “far too lethargic and slow to be a sports car.” With a zero-to-60 mph time of 5.0 seconds—half that of the original V-6 version—Electrogenic’s DMC-12 restomod certainly rights that particular wrong. The electric whoosh as it approaches sounds suitably futuristic, too. So how does it drive?

My inner geek feels giddy as I lift the enormous door, then drop into a broad leather seat. The driving position is languidly laid-back and there’s a surprising amount of interior space, but the build quality is only on par with a kit car and rearward visibility is nearly non-existent. “You might find it easier to reverse with the door open, like in a classic Countach,” says Electrogenic engineer Alex Bavage.

Instead of a gear lever, this DMC-12 has a rotary controller to put the car in drive, neutral, or reverse, plus a second dial to switch between Eco, Normal, and Sport modes. Electrogenic has also upgraded the air conditioning—essential with such small window apertures—and added a smartphone-compatible audio system. Oh, and there’s a (non-functional) flux capacitor between the two seats. (You can buy them on eBay, apparently.)

A modestly sized 42 kWh battery means this zero-emissions DeLorean weighs approximately 2,785 pounds, only 65 pounds more than when it departed Belfast in September of 1981. Acceleration is smooth and rapid, in typical EV style, with a real sense of urgency in Sport mode. The downside to the small battery is a range of just 150 miles, although it can be topped up from 10 percent to 80 percent in 45 minutes using a CCS rapid charger. 

Being purely a power-train specialist, Electrogenic hasn’t modified the DeLorean’s brakes and, frankly, they could do with beefing up to keep those extra 85 horses in check. There’s some regenerative braking provided by the electric motor—enough for one-pedal driving around town, in fact—but ultimate stopping power is still poor.  

The DMC-12’s suspension has also been left untouched, but here the picture is more mixed. It errs toward making the vehicle a comfortable cruiser rather than a focused sports car, but push through the scrubby understeer and what eventually shines through is the development work by chassis engineers at Lotus (rumors speak of similarities to the contemporary Esprit). As a driving machine, it’s no Porsche 911, but the DeLorean has a quirkiness and sheer star quality that help gloss over the shortcomings.

Electrogenic sells the DeLorean conversion as a kit that requires no drilling or modifications to the car’s structure. Its network of approved installers includes Lotus specialist InoKinetic in Southern California, with a fitted kit estimated at between $85,000 and $110,000, which does not include the donor car.

Click below for more photos of this all-electric DeLorean restomod from Electrogenic.