Photo: Zelectric Motors on Facebook
Here’s a good question for the non-purist Porsche enthusiast: if you had a 1973 Porsche 911, how would you modify it? Whatever the answer, it’s probably not as radical as what Zelectric Motors had in mind. The San Diego, California-based shop would swap the air-cooled flat-6 mill for a rear-mounted electric motor.
Introducing the Z911, a 1973 Porsche 911 with none of its original powertrain left intact. Even the fuel filler cap on the driver’s side fender doesn’t lead to the fuel tank. Instead, that’s where you plug the Z911 in and let it recharge.
Zelectric Motors borrowed the 54 kWh lithium-ion pack from a Tesla Model S 60 kWh that suffered an untimely death. But instead of mounting it in the car per se, the company distributed the battery cells to the front and rear of the vehicle with weight distribution in mind. The rear end of this Franken-Porsche 911, meanwhile, also integrates a dual-motor AC-34 electric drive unit.
The company is adamant this purely electric powertrain is good for 150 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of virtually instant torque. Thanks to the low curb weight of a 1973 Porsche 911 without any of its suck-squeeze-bang-blow innards, the Z911 prides itself on 250 miles of total driving range.
This being a Targa, some might find it eerie to cruise with the removable roof off, with nothing but wind noise and tire roar to hear. “But aren’t all 911s all about the flat-6 howl?” They are, but don’t forget that even Porsche is now working hard on developing an electric sports car based on the Mission E.
Last, but not least, look on the bright side. What you lose in sound you gain in torque. The most powerful of the 2.4-liter H6-engined 911, the S, had 216 Nm (159 lb-ft) to offer at 5,200 rpm. The Z911, on the other hand, has a lot more and, more importantly, all of the available oomph of the electric drive unit goes the wheels the moment the driver steps on the (not-so-)loud pedal.
“How much for the fish, then?” Ah, let’s not go there. Whereas there’s no official pricing on the Z911 conversion at the time of writing, do bear in mind that Zelectric Motors asks for $49,000 to turn a client’s Beetle into an EV.
Zelectric Motors borrowed the 54 kWh lithium-ion pack from a Tesla Model S 60 kWh that suffered an untimely death. But instead of mounting it in the car per se, the company distributed the battery cells to the front and rear of the vehicle with weight distribution in mind. The rear end of this Franken-Porsche 911, meanwhile, also integrates a dual-motor AC-34 electric drive unit.
The company is adamant this purely electric powertrain is good for 150 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of virtually instant torque. Thanks to the low curb weight of a 1973 Porsche 911 without any of its suck-squeeze-bang-blow innards, the Z911 prides itself on 250 miles of total driving range.
This being a Targa, some might find it eerie to cruise with the removable roof off, with nothing but wind noise and tire roar to hear. “But aren’t all 911s all about the flat-6 howl?” They are, but don’t forget that even Porsche is now working hard on developing an electric sports car based on the Mission E.
Last, but not least, look on the bright side. What you lose in sound you gain in torque. The most powerful of the 2.4-liter H6-engined 911, the S, had 216 Nm (159 lb-ft) to offer at 5,200 rpm. The Z911, on the other hand, has a lot more and, more importantly, all of the available oomph of the electric drive unit goes the wheels the moment the driver steps on the (not-so-)loud pedal.
“How much for the fish, then?” Ah, let’s not go there. Whereas there’s no official pricing on the Z911 conversion at the time of writing, do bear in mind that Zelectric Motors asks for $49,000 to turn a client’s Beetle into an EV.
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