Great Scott! The DeLorean will be an EV

The DeLorean is coming back to the future as the vehicles is expected to make an entry into the luxury electric vehicle market.
17 February 2022

(Photo by Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The DeLorean was once the most sought-after car after it was made famous in the Back to the Future film series. In the film, the DeLorean was a time-traveling machine that was originally powered by radioactive plutonium and eventually made to run on practically any available matter.

In reality though, the vehicle was not all that great. Apart from its iconic design and Hollywood stardom, the DeLorean wasn’t the most environmentally friendly automobile. In fact, the vehicle was the only model ever built by the DeLorean Motor Company.

However, it may not be the end of the DeLorean. After the branding rights and supply parts were acquired, the DeLorean is now expected to make an entry into the electric vehicle (EV) market. Reports show the infamous gull-winged car is being resurrected in Texas by a group of executives. The group had recently spent time at China-backed EV startup Karma Automotive.

According to Bloomberg, the new company is called DeLorean Motors Reimagined LLC and its chief executive officer is Joost de Vries, Texas business records and LinkedIn postings show. The firm will set up a headquarters and an engineering outfit in San Antonio, with the potential to bring 450 jobs, the city’s development arm said in a statement.

Expected to be a luxury EV sports car, the DeLorean EV may just prove to be an interesting entry into the competitive EV market. Global EV sales continue to see an increase despite problems with chip and battery supplies. In 2021, about 6.5 million EVs sold. While China dominated the EV sales with 3.2 million models, Europe saw 2.3 models sold followed by the US with 535,000 models.

One problem that could be solved soon is the shortage of EV charging stations. The US and Europe are working to increase the number of EV charging stations to cater to the growing number of EVs on the road.

While the world awaits more details of the DeLorean EV, the luxury EV market is targeting niche car enthusiasts with some companies transforming classic car models to EV cars. For example, Lunaz, a luxury auto shop in the UK specializes in electric engine conversions of high-end classic cars.

Lunaz is one of a number of growing businesses providing such a service. Among the classic models converted to an EV include a 1950 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud and the Aston Martin DB5, which was made famous by James Bond.

EV conversions of these luxury vehicles don’t come cheap, ranging from US$ 250,000 up to more than US$ 1 million. Despite this, the niche market is proving to be a favorite among classic car enthusiasts who want to have an EV in a classic model.

As Dr Emmett Brown says in the film, “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”