After the buzz over the recent British royal wedding car being an EV converted E-type jaguar, Jaguar have just announced that they will offer restored and electrified E-type jaguars to the public.
To be called the ‘E-type Zero’ and using componentry from the new all-electric Jaguar I-Pace, they will either restore and convert old E-types to sell, or take an owners pride and joy and bring it both back up to pristine condition AND make it future ready (plus probably rather more reliable) with the installation of an electric drive train.
Lest owners and aficionados of the iconic model worry that the E-types are being in some way ‘butchered’, Jaguar assures in their press release that the work will be done in a way that ensures“the EV conversion will be fully reversible”.
No pricing has been announced – but the restoration and conversion will be done at the same workshop where Jaguar already offer the ground-up restorations termed ‘E-type Reborn’ in Coventry, England, so it certainly will not be a cheap affair.
Specifications are at this stage general, but Jaguar suggest the E-type Zero will have a range of around 270km with a 40kWh battery that recharges in 6 – 7 hours. Instrumentation is designed to slip into the old positioning without modification to the structure, and will include an optional touchscreen infotainment system.
External changes are limited to swapping in LED headlamps and a charging port in place of the old fuel filler. Interestingly, Jaguar say that the completed vehicle with electric powertrain has a similar weight and dimensions to the previous petrol engine and transmission, so vehicle handling will be close to that of the original car.
So if you are interested in turning your Jaguar into a silent daily driver without the ubiquitous oil leaks and infamous unreliability of British cars from that era: Jaguar is now taking expressions of interest from potential E-type Zero clients. Deliveries of the first electric E-type Zeros are expected to start from mid-2020.
