Back to the Future: Electric DeLorean

Enterprising individuals have been converting all kinds of conventional cars to electric power since long before battery-powered models like the GM EV1, Tesla roadster, or even plug-in hybrid conversions like our Toyota Prius started becoming fashionable.

There’s something strangely appropriate about converting a DeLorean to electric power. Made famous by a starring role in the Back to the Future film series, the distinctively styled, stainless-steel bodied coupe from the 1980s is probably remembered more for its on-screen adventures than it’s off-screen performance. Which, by the way, wasn’t so good.

Medical doctor, engineer, and inventor David Delman owns another DeLorean, and knowing about the car’s performance thought a conversion might not be a bad idea. He says, in fact, it was the movie that inspired him to pop open the engine compartment of his project car, whip out the original V6, and fill the space with eight conventional lead-acid batteries. Five more went under the hood, former home of the fuel tank, and a NetGain WaRP 9 electric motor completed the package. Total cost for batteries was $2000, and the conversion took about six months.

At the Consumer Reports Future of the Car day, Dr. Delman told us the range of his DeLorean is between 30 and 40 miles. He claims the converted car accelerates faster than his conventional model despite the added weight. And, it’ll head back to the future at speeds of over 85 mph, as long as he doesn’t want to go too far away from an electrical source. The neatly executed car even has a Flux Capacitor to add the essential Back to the Future flair. Our favorite touch is the smile-making George Jetson spaceship sound it can make as it otherwise silently motors by.

As major automakers, such as GM and Chrysler are making high-profile announcements about future electric powertrains, it is fun to see what home-grown ingenuity can accomplish.

—Jim Travers

Comments

[Russell]

Hey, does that thing have 1.21 gigawatts?

[Dave Delman]

An important fact about the world's fastest and longest range eLectric DeLorean is that engineer, Tom Neiland who also attended the CR meeting, was the other designer / builder of the vehicle. Dave Delman

[used car buying tips]

Brilliant! I wish I could have a Electric DeLorean as that's definitely the car of the future.

[james wilkins]

The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was a short-lived automobile manufacturer formed by automobile industry executive John DeLorean in 1975. It is remembered for the one model it produced – the distinctive stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 sports car featuring gull-wing doors – and for its brief and turbulent history, ending in receivership and bankruptcy in 1982. Near the end, in a desperate attempt to raise the funds his company needed to survive, John DeLorean was filmed appearing to accept money to take part in drug trafficking, but was subsequently acquitted of charges brought against him on the basis of entrapment.
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james wilkins

[Roger Brown]

BS - The DeLorean is a heavy coupe designed for a V6 ICE. Not even high risk Li-ion batteries will give it 40 mile range. GM and Volt have bet the house on Li-ion batteries 40 miles EV plus ICE limp home in a car similar in weight and CD to the Prius. The difference being series rather than parallel drive train. Toyota has it better by far in terms of risk and cost.

[wk]

They could use Capacitor as a plug in but withh added cost of $2000-$3000, still cheaper than replacing lithium battery, and the cermic capacitor get charged in 5 minutes. But their drop in the bucket policy, first thet want to sell lithium batteries, and if you are not smart, like the adjustable people mortgage, you will get scrwed. Hybrid are going to die and the idea of driving two ehgines is really stupid. Why don't they run EV on super ultra capacitor is the same reason why intel will cell 10 GHz processors. When ever they get nanoanttenas to store 80% of their absorbed sun energy in their tiny capicators and then use a rectifier to convert into elecricity, we are done with fossil fuels. roled on any surface cost 10 cent a yard (done), now trying to role capacitors, they roll print on any surface like your car roof top