‘Back to the Future’ Car Gets Electric Facelift
DeLorean DMCEV to be Released in 2013
There's no doubt that the Back to the Future movies were some of the most epic films of the 1980s. The franchise made a star out of Michael J. Fox, but the most iconic image from those films was undoubtedly that of the DeLoreon DMC-12, an exotic, gulf-winged, sporty monstrosity that seemed to capture late twentieth century conceptions of the future.
Despite its silver screen popularity, the DeLorean didn't exactly sell like hot cakes. In fact, its retail window was only about two years wide, with production starting in 1981 and winding up in late 1982.
However, the movie's popularity has made the DeLorean a cult classic. In fact, you can still buy a DMC-12 through the alive-and-kicking DeLorean Motor Co. of Humble, Texas, which continues to build gas versions of the car using 80 per cent classic and 20 per cent modern components. That model costs about $57,500.
Now, DeLorean Motor Co. says it plans to release an electric version of the DMC-12 called the DMCEV. Boasting roughly 260 horsepower and a top speed of 120 miles per hour, it will be a speedy (if not Ferrari-fast) ride. DeLorean Motor Co. says this new version of its iconic car will be available in 2013 for about $90,000.
DeLorean Motor Co. recently showed off a concept model of the DMCEV at the International DeLorean Owners Event in Houston. An automotive blogger for Jalopnik was lucky enough to test drive the DMCEV, and sounded impressed with the vehicle's acceleration -- the car goes from 0 to 60 in just 4.9 seconds. "If the DMCEV can maintain such performance while producing a reasonable range it'll be an accomplishment," said Jalopnik journalist, Kevin McCauley.
Clearly, no one's more excited about this new DeLorean than DeLorean Motor Co. CEO, Stephen Wynne. "I’ve always been very interested in electric cars, but once the Tesla was released, we jumped on," Wynne said. "We actually started the [project] about 4 years ago and finally got it together this year."
But consumers are also noticing. After the Houston event, requests for pre-orders from around the world began pouring in. "Yesterday the phone never stopped ringing all day," Wynne noted. "Two times over the past day our websites crashed with the activity, and we’re getting media requests from all over the globe."
Wynne and DeLorean Motor Co. still have two years to work out all the kinks. Right now they're working on reducing the vehicle's weight about 200 pounds, a project that involves replacing steel with fiberglass. Overall, quite the facelift for a three-decade-old vehicle.
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