Worried about your classic car becoming legislated out of driving existence with future internal combustion engine restrictions? Or just want to take some classic styling and ditch the carburetors for capacitors? Aston Martin has created a concept for a powertrain that will let you update your classic DB into an EV.
Aston calls it a cassette powertrain, though using an obsolete form of media to describe modernizing your vintage cars might not be the best choice. The name, though, makes sense for anyone who remembers cassette tapes. The EV powertrain is a module that's designed to be as easily reversed as it is installed. Allowing the owner to convert back to gasoline only should the situation or their mind change down the road. Aston Martin calls it the world's first reversible EV powertrain.
The automaker has used technology learned from the Rapide E electric vehicle program. The company has installed the powertrain into a 1970 DB6 Volante. It sits on the original engine and transmission mounting points as an enclosed unit. Cords from the power unit connect to the car's original electrical systems. A screen has been fitted to the interior to display and handle power management.
Aston Martin Works President Paul Spires said that "we have been looking for some time to find a way of protecting our customers’ long-term enjoyment of their cars. Driving a classic Aston Martin on pure EV power is a unique experience and one that will no doubt be extremely attractive to many owners, especially those who live in city centres. We also foresee collectors adding another dimension to their collection by commissioning EV-converted heritage cars."
No mention was made of power and range. While the Rapide E is said to offer 610 hp from two motors and have a 65 kWh battery, the differences between a purpose-built EV and a completely reversible drop-in system make it unlikely that the heritage models will be able to match that, or even get close.
Aston Martin Works expects to start doing the conversions for customers next year. It might not offer the fizz of a vintage inline six, but it's probably going to be a lot more enjoyable than synchronizing the trio of carburetors on that original engine. And surely, a certain Mr Bond would find it quite handy to silently sneak up on a spectre in the night.
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