By now, you’ve probably noticed a rise in pure electric vehicles that you’re seeing on UK roads. Not only are the Government and local authorities pushing the adoption of electric cars as a hope to curb climate change, but a lot of people just think they’re pretty cool! This includes film makers!
So far, we’ve seen electric cars popping up in some of the biggest movies across the globe. Back in 2019, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark can be seen driving one of Audi’s finest e-tron models in Avengers Endgame. While this went on to be one of the biggest movies of all time, the e-tron did have some minor adaptations.
The main one being its sound. As you may know, electric cars are known for being incredibly silent vehicles and that didn’t quite fit Marvel’s vision for Iron Man’s vehicle of choice. Instead of being a quiet, on-the-low vehicle, Marvel producers actually decided to add the sound of a diesel engined Audi over the top over the e-tron. This gave the e-tron the punchy performance associated with Stark’s ego.
Likewise, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 can be spotted in the latest Spiderman movie titled ‘No Way Home’. This is potentially a nod to eco-friendly driving, but we personally believe that the Ioniq 5 was chosen due to its minimalistic and futuristic design.
While we love seeing electric cars taking the spotlight in mainstream movies, we can’t help but wonder if any classic movie cars will be redesigned into EVs. Let’s take a look at how manufacturers are reinventing some of the most famous movie cars!
We’re going Back… to the Future!
Arguably cinema’s most-famous car ever, Doc Brown’s time-travelling DMC DeLorean has got to be one of the coolest cars shown on screens. Although it was only produced for two years between 1981 and 1982, it was the most futuristic car design on the market. Despite this, only 9,000 units were actually sold and it wasn’t long before DMC filed for bankruptcy.
Four decades later, it appears we actually are going Back to the Future as the DeLorean makes a comeback. The new DeLorean Alpha5 has already been teased by the brand and will be a pure electric coupe that will play a new twist on the original classic.
Due on sale in 2024, it’s thought that the Alpha5 will rival the Porsche Taycan in style, speed and performance. With gullwing doors, shiny silver paintwork and a sleek shape, the Alpha5 is fit for Marty McFly’s adventures.
There are only a few technical details available at the moment as the big unveiling will happen later this year in August. We know that DMC has worked with a variety of suppliers in the industry and the battery capacity is said to be around 100kWh. This could provide a range of around 300 miles.
Plus, in terms of performance we can expect the Alpha5 to be punchy. DMC claims that the EV will be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in just 3.3 seconds. That isn’t quite as quick as the Porsche Taycan Long Range model, but it’s certainly impressive. There is no word yet on how quickly the DeLorean Alpha5 can reach 88mph or what happens when it does.
We cannot wait to see the final production model of the Alpha5 later this year. We’re also really excited to see any further pure electric vehicles DMC decide to produce!
A 60s, 70s and 80s classic!
Okay, so this technically isn’t an electric car, but we couldn’t not mention it! It would be fair to say that German manufacturer Volkswagen would not have their legendary status they do today without the production of their retro campervan. Despite being launched in the late 1940s, this VW van has become one of the most recognisable vehicles across the globe.
We’ve seen the Volkswagen campervan feature in so many Hollywood films and TV shows throughout time, including Little Miss Sunshine, Cars, Breaking Bad and Lost. It’s a complete icon and an obvious choice for movies starring a family road trip.
Now, Volkswagen have made the (brilliant) decision to add a new lease of life to the van. The Volkswagen ID.Buzz was originally announced as a concept vehicle back in 2017, but now it’s becoming a reality. Apart from an upgraded design and electric battery, the overall concept of the van is unchanged from the 1950s models.
At launch, it’s thought that the ID.Buzz will be available as a passenger carrying model or a commercial van. Drivers will have the choice when it comes to the battery size too as it’s thought there will be varying models. These vans could carry batteries ranging from 11kWh to 48kWh, with the larger units having a range of around 340 miles.
This is an EV we’re extremely excited about, and hope to add to our fleet soon! You can register your interest in the upcoming ID.Buzz with Volkswagen, here.
Licence to kill
Last, but certainly not least, is the first all-electric car from 007’s favourite manufacturer. That’s right! Aston Martin has announced their first ever electric vehicle will debut in 2025. Just in time for a new Bond movie…?
At this point, Aston Martin hasn’t given any clues to how this electric car will look. For all we know, it could be a sports car, GT or an SUV. We really have no idea! But, they have committed to cleaning up their act.
Aston Martin has agreed to make all of their factories carbon neutral by 2030. They also want to expand this carbon neutrality to all of their affiliate suppliers by 2039. The brand has been working hard to commit to an eco-conscious future for a while now. Its St Athen site in Wales is already installing 14,000 solar panels which should deliver roughly 20% of the electricity needed to run the site.
Back to the electric car itself, we do know that Aston Martin’s first EV will be named the Valhalla. It will be a plug-in hybrid vehicle so will run on both conventional fuel and electricity. The brand has also released some exciting performance stats, including a spirit to 60mph in just 2.5 seconds. Now, that does give the Porsche a run for its money!
There are no official figures surrounding the EVs driving range or its charging speed as of yet, but there are rumours that it will be compatible with rapid charging. That is about all we know at this point, but we cannot wait to see the final product!
What do you think? Could the next James Bond be racing around in an electric car?
* All information correct as of 21/06/2022.
