Electric mobility is nothing new. Many companies are racing towards building vehicles that run solely on electric power, or on a hybrid system of gasoline and electric current. While many of these firms are car companies with well-funded Research and Development (R&D) divisions, quite a number are independent businesses that want to make a mark in the industry.
One of these startups is an Austrian family-owned business known as Kreisel Electric. Working out of a three-door garage, the Kreisel brothers—Johann, Philipp, and Markus—build innovative transmissions and powertrains that enable cars to run on electricity. They started out last year when they retrofitted a Porsche Panamera with an electric powertrain.
For its latest project, Kreisel Electric got its hands on one of the rarest race cars of our time, the Porsche 910 that gained cult status when it finished 6th place in the World Sports Car Championship 1967 in Le Mans. Moreover, only around 35 frames of this model were ever built, making it a true collector’s item.
Kreisel will fit the beauty with an electric motor, a two-speed transmission, and a lithium-ion battery that is touted to run up to 350km on a single charge. This will enable the EVEX 910e to scoot from 0-100kph in just 2.5 seconds and reach speeds well above 300kph. Though it may run on electricity, it is still a race car, after all. Moreover, it can be topped up with a conventional wall outlet and even be used as an electric storage device whose power can be sent back to the grid later on.
Jointly developed with German classic car builder EVEX Fahrzeugbau, the Kreisel EVEX 910e will be sold in limited quantities. The company likewise plans to sell standalone units of its transmissions that are poised to seamlessly transfer power from electric motors to the drive wheels. Earlier this year, it began testing a Mercedes G350 that runs on plug-in electric technology, with no less than former California Governor and Austrian-born actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Should the company and its products become successful, we might just see the future of mobility in all its electric glory.
