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Electric DeLorean Goes Back to the Future
Enthusiasts convert 1981 DeLorean to an electric vehicle
Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, November 10, 2008
Dr. David Delman's license plates say "E Fluxed." In his car's back seat, there's a model of a so-called "flux capacitor." Scattered flyers on the vehicle's floor read, "Save the clock tower."
Unlike Doc Brown's DeLorean in the movie, Back to the Future, however, Delman's car doesn't use a nuclear reaction to produce 1.21 gigawatts (pronounced "jiggawatts" in the movie) of power. Instead, it employs a much more conventional method for producing a small fraction of that power: Thirteen 12V lead-acid batteries drive a series-wound nine-inch DC electric motor that's mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The motor and manual transmission combine to give the car excellent acceleration, Delman says.
"It's a little quicker than a real DeLorean," Delman says, comparing it to the 1980s vehicle that was immortalized in the famous 1985 movie. "I've had this car over 88 miles per hour."
Delman showed off the vehicle at Consumer Reports' recent "Future of the Car" event, at which he appeared as a member of the Electric Auto Association. Delman, a physician educated as an electrical engineer, worked with another member of the association, Tom Nieland, to convert the DeLorean to an electric car.
With Nieland as chief engineer, the two found a 1981 DeLorean that was appropriate for their project, and replaced its blown engine with the electric drivetrain. The two say they are able to charge the lead-acid batteries in about eight hours off a 110V line, or three hours at 220V.
Delman says his choice of a 1981 DeLorean – a vehicle originally built by the now-defunct DeLorean Motor Co. in Northern Ireland for the American market – has been a head-turner and a good public relations move for the electric car industry.
"When you own a DeLorean, everyone notices," Delman says. "They all ask, where's the flux capacitor? So I finally put a flux capacitor in the back seat to show them."
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I didn't hear any information regarding the vehicle performance other than he has had it up to 88...
Steve Matthews - 2008-11-20 08:12:50 -
For a "real" flux-capacitor, see kalecoauto.com
Bill Monagle - 2008-11-11 09:43:09
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