New model Delorean

[GeoffS]

NO, they're not making an update, it's a model - made of wood!. The maker of this model has been sharing the progress of the build on a woodworking forum  but here's a video of the current state of the build in case anyone here has an interest in Deloreans 




In case anyone wants to see the work in progress, it's here. http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=177977. Note: you have to be a member to see images.

[dr.diesel]

They actually still make new Deloreans, including an EV model.


http://delorean.com/2011/10/electric-delorean/

[Fraser]

Charging it looks fun.....240V 70A for 3 hours

http://delorean.com/content/news/electric/dmcevspec.pdf

A whopping 100miles before you grind to a halt (about 20 miles short of visiting my parents !

Note the small print regarding battery capacity.... a bit more annoying than your laptop battery not lasting as long....... " I used to be able to get to X place 50 miles away but now I have to limit myself to Y place 30 miles away as my batteries are 2 years old"  Some improvement needed me thinks. How embarrassing is it going to be grinding to a halt, like an electric invalid carriage, due to unpredictable battery ageing. I wonder what the roadside rescue services will look like in the future... a van that contains some basic tools, a massive battery bank and inverter to charge  unfortunate motorists ageing batteries. ?

Wait for the optional add-on option....... a little trailer filled with Li-Po batteries to extend your range  Or the modern Jerry can for electric cars..... A 30kg emergency Li-Po battery pack ! "Emergency iphone LiPo chargers...meh! I have a xxxxAh emergency car charger" 

The Delorean EV......... A very quick short range 'milk float' 

AND....where are the Flux Capacitor and time circuits ??  I would be a little kinder to it if it had working versions of those 

I know that I am being unfair here but it is just so easy to poke fun at these early electric cars with their challenges. When a decent and safe energy source is available I will take them more seriously.

[nihilism]

You just reminded me i haven't been on the woodwork forums in a while, too busy watching Dave's videos. I was following his thread on there.

[dr.diesel]

They are likely hamstrung by this:

"The cars would be made with 80% old parts and the rest new.  This project was featured in an episode of Modern Marvels. The term "return to production" is something of a misnomer; the cars are built on DeLorean underbodies built by the original company in the 1980s and retaining their VINs. The cars' titles will show the year of the underbody's manufacture. They are, therefore, not new DeLoreans, but complete rebuilds of the car from the underbody with enhancements."

Meaning they can't build the car around the battery and maintain new old stock, keeping the mid 80s vintage titles.

[Fraser]

Ah, very interesting.

I own a Classic Mini Moke and saw the same sort of idea carried out on one of those using parts from an electric milk float. That was many years ago so it was limited to lead acid batteries !

I just did a search and the Chinese are trying to resurrect the idea with newer technology. They are copying the original Moke as well.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/718764000/2013_brand_new_classic_car_electric.html

[fenclu]

What somebody needs to make is John Delorean's dream - a supercar. Take a DMC12 body, but a powerful V8, proper chassis and suspension and make a real, beefy '80s supercar. Screw those EV versions. EVs can be made as new cars, like Tesla. Make a dream. Make a DeLorean like the one in Back to the Future, without the time travel thing maybe.

[Towger]

The original moulds for the body panels were sold as scrap. Some of them are used a weights for fishing boat moorings off the coast of N Ireland.