None other than Enzo Ferrari himself described the Jaguar E-Type as being the most beautiful car in the world. It’s easy to see why as the iconic sports car remains achingly gorgeous even after half a century since its launch. There’s no place for a six-cylinder, let alone a V12 version of the legendary British machine in the electric era, but UK-based Electrogenic has now futureproofed the E-Type.
Making its public debut at the London Classic Car Show (June 25-27), the all-electric E-Type is offered in multiple specifications. The base version goes by the name of Tourer and is actually lighter than the original model despite the extra heft commanded by the added batteries. Electrogenic claims handling has been improved as a result of the lower weight, while performance is also better. It’s worth noting that despite being covered to electric power, the E-Type retains its original manual gearbox.
Stepping up to the Sprint model upgrades the electric powertrain to a generous 470 Newton-meters (347 pound-feet) of instant torque. Once again, the electric punch is delivered through the original manual transmission. It weighs roughly the same as the Jaguar’s version but is actually quicker than the gasoline-fueled model. Electrogenic says those opting for the E-Type Sprint should upgrade the suspension and brakes to cope with the extra muscle.
The range-topping Grand Tourer gets rid of the manual transmission and boosts the electric setup to a massive 402 horsepower (300 kilowatts) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft). As it would be fitting given its GT nature, this version can travel for up to 250 miles between charges whereas the other two have enough juice for 150 miles. Alternatively, the Tourer and Sprint can be fitted with a range-extending setup unlocking an additional 50 miles.
As far as pricing is concerned, you can imagine these conversions are not exactly cheap. The E-Type Tourer starts at £54,000 plus value-added tax (VAT) and the donor car, followed by the Sprint at £62,000 and the flagship Grand Tourer at £80,000. These prices work out to approximately $75,000, $86,200, and $112,000 at current exchange rates, respectively.
Electrogenic notes the electric conversion doesn’t require any changes to the E-Type’s superb bodywork as the newly added hardware is integrated using the original engine mounts. It means the EV conversion can be reversed if the owner decided to put the combustion engine back again. The interior also remains mainly faithful to the original as the only changes made are for the dials and switches repurposed for the car’s electric nature. As an example, the fuel gauge now shows the battery charge.
The showcar Electrogenic has on display in London is a 1967 Series 1¼ Jaguar E-Type Coupe, meaning it’s based on the Series 1 model. The original car was mostly for the United States, and the one featured at the show was modified with different headlights resembling those of the Series 1.5 model.
Source: Electrogenic
