As many advantages as there are to modern electric vehicles — more horsepower and torque, a lower carbon footprint, and reduced operating costs, to name a few — it’s hard to beat the cool factor of classic cars. I know that when I set my sights on a third-generation Corvette Stingray, a Porsche 911, or a Jeep Wrangler YJ, it gets my heart racing and pulls the nostalgia strings in a way modern EVs can’t.
But what if I told you that you don’t have to choose between old-school style and new-school powertrains? EV restomods, also known as electromods, are now part of the conversation. They promise to deliver the cool factor of a classic muscle car, sports car, or even daily driver while offering the performance benefits and emissions compliance of an EV. With such a grand promise, I had to find out what’s what. Join me in taking the car cover off the EV restomod world and discovering whether it can give your classic car a new lease on life.
What is an EV Restomod?
First, I should define restomodding in general, in case you’re new to the scene. A portmanteau of “restoration” and “modification,” a restomod is when you restore the body of an old vehicle to look like new while also modifying its underpinnings for improved performance. For example, you might add a larger engine, convert a carbureted engine to fuel injection, or install bigger brakes and a modern suspension system for handling comparable to today’s sports cars.
In the case of EV restomodding, designers take a vintage car, truck, or SUV and replace its gas powertrain with an electric one. In some cases, this also means converting the suspension, chassis, and steering to designs that are a better fit for the EV system. Like a regular restomod, the body of an electromod is restored to look like it did when it rolled off the showroom floor. The result is a vehicle that looks like a classic car, but has the function and reliability of an EV, giving owners the best of both worlds. As a bonus, your ride is futureproofed against potential changes in state or federal emissions requirements.
EV Restomod vs New Classic EV
Not surprisingly, multiple takes on the vintage-car-turned-EV concept have sprung up. Along with EV restomods, some companies are offering something called “new classic EVs.” At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be a difference, but there is.
A true EV restomod is when a company or builder starts with a classic car, be it a Fox-body Mustang or an Aston Martin DB6, and turns it into an electric car. In the case of new classic EVs, someone is building a new car from the ground up in the style of an older ride. Think of it as vintage versus retro. A vintage car is genuinely old, while a retro car is new but made to look old.
I should also note that restomodding is different from hot rodding. While restomods maintain the aesthetics and basic driving feel of the original vehicle, hot rods make far more aggressive styling and performance changes. They’re a rolling canvas for the owner’s creativity, though it can come at the expense of comfort and practical performance.
How to Create an EV Restomod
Theoretically, you can do your own EV restomod if you have the right parts and equipment. There are already companies, such as Fuel2Electric and EV West, selling EV restomod conversion kits. Per Fuel2Electric, the main components of a conversion are:
- Electric motor
- Controller/inverter
- Battery pack
- Battery management system
- Charger
- DC-DC converter
- Wiring harness
- Mounting bracket
- Throttle pedal
- Autonomy/range and battery/motor temperature gauges
Other features you might want or need for an EV restomod include a regenerative braking system to extend battery life, a transmission adapter to deliver power to the wheels, and heating and cooling systems for extreme driving conditions. Many EVs also require special power steering systems, too, as traditional hydraulic systems only work with gas-powered engines.
That said, there is a finite number of people who have the time, knowledge, and patience to do their own EV restomod. The skill set required to assemble an electric drivetrain is worlds apart from that for a classic mechanical drivetrain, so even experienced restomodders face a steep learning curve. While the DIY automotive market is growing, installing an EV system is a lot more challenging than rotating the tires.
Luckily, there are a growing number of companies willing to do the conversion — for a price, of course. Some EV restomod companies, like UK-based Everrati and the aptly named Electromods, focus on in-house builds. Others, like Foremost EV, allow customers to bring their existing cars for an EV restomod or to have a custom build based on specifications you provide.
A few major automotive names are also jumping on the wagon. Mopar is the most notable, having displayed several electromod concepts at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. In late 2022, Mopar hinted that it was exploring designing its own “e-Crate” DIY kits for people to convert or build EVs at home. However, these have yet to materialize.
Examples of Cool EV Restomods
I’ve talked plenty about how EV restomods work, but what are the results? Luckily, there are already a lot of awesome restomods out there, and simply gazing at them will get the adrenaline flowing. Here are five of my favorite electromods that I came across while putting this article together.
Of the concepts that Mopar has brought to SEMA, the one that stood out the most to me is the 1967 Plymouth GTX Electromod from the 2024 show. Along with EV power, this early muscle car was given a lowered stance, a carbon fiber hood, high-performance tires and brakes, and a flip-top charge port in place of the fuel cap.
Remember the Porsche 911 I mentioned? Everatti offers multiple versions of this iconic sports car in electrified form, including the 993 Founders Edition, the early 1990s 964 RSR endurance racer, and the early 1970s 911 ST.
Going back to American grit, E-Muscle Cars of Texas turned a 1965 Shelby Mustang 350GT into an EV, with a powertrain that roughly matched the output of the original V8. It has since created a conversion kit for all first-generation Ford Mustangs.
EV restomodding isn’t just for ultra-fast cars. Actor Jason Momoa wanted an all-electric version of the legendary 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, and another UK company, Electrogenic, delivered. The build was featured in Momoa’s On the Roam streaming series.
There has been talk of the Chevy Camaro returning as a new EV, but the MC3 Motor City Car Club of Detroit is one step ahead. The company opened in 2021, and one of its early in-house projects was an EV restomod on a 1986 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z.
A New Approach to Restomods
By converting a gas-powered car to an EV, the past meets the future. You get the pleasing artistry and unique personality of the automotive golden age, along with the advantages of modern EVs. There are also many levels of conversions depending on how you plan to use the vehicle.
Of course, an EV restomod isn’t cheap. For example, as I write this, Foremost EV charges $50,000 for its Base 120-hp package and $190,000 for its Supersport 400-hp upgrade. To do it yourself, you could be looking at anywhere from $6,000 to over $80,000, depending on the vehicle. However, if you’re serious about both EVs and nostalgia, electromodding is a viable path to enjoy both.
