First drive in the electric Jaguar E-Type from ECD Automotive Design: A welcomed upgrade
Just over a year after my last visit, I recently got the chance to visit my friends at ECD Automotive Design down in central Florida and take their latest EV conversion – the all-electric Jaguar E-Type for a spin. As always, there were tons of new and exciting happenings at ECD, as it continues to learn, grow, and delve further into electrification.
If you haven’t heard of ECD Automotive Design, you should look it up. It’s arguably one of the best one-of-one vehicle builders in the industry and continues to grow its customer base because of the quality, service, and level of customization it provides.
Last week, I got to visit the company’s HQ near Orlando for the third time, and let me tell you – every time I return, the group over there is improving, expanding, and experimenting with new things. That’s a huge key to ECD’s growth in the last decade, coming from one single industrial bay to a new 100,000-square-foot facility down the road it is already outgrowing.
The company’s founders have UK roots, so ECD was founded upon delivering top-tier, fully customized British classics like Range Rovers and Defenders. In recent years, we saw ECD begin offering its customers electric options, cleverly integrating Tesla motors and battery packs into the existing chassis and drivetrain.
In June of 2022, ECD announced plans for an electric Jaguar E-Type from the 1970s, available in a roadster convertible or a 2+2 coupe. When I last visited in October of 2022, I got a peek at the E-Type’s assembly line, as the ECD team was familiarizing itself with the classic before beginning to build complete and fully customized restorations.
Last week, I got to walk the assembly lines yet again to see the progress of the Jaguar E-Type builds – a majority of which are going electric. Furthermore, ECD had recently completed its first all-electric E-Type for a customer and I got to take it out for a spin and help with some quality control before it’s delivered. Here are my thoughts.
ECD’s Jaguar E-Type feels like it was made to be electric
Having visited ECD multiple times in the past, I knew the routine at this point. ECD co-founder Scott Wallace took me on a brief tour, focusing specifically on the E-Types because there are several currently being built, which is a completely unique process to what the custom auto builder is used to with its Land Rovers.
Wallace told me the ECD team initially thought it could transfer its build process from the Defender lines, anticipating a need for more knowledgeable staff as the key hurdle, but explained they got it wrong. It was the opposite. ECD’s talented workers handled the Jaguar just fine, but the building process is entirely different.
For instance, ECD had previously specialized in custom ground-up builds with the Land Rovers, using components shipped from the UK. The electric Jaguar E-Types on the other hand, are complete restorations – meaning ECD is acquiring entire vehicles around the US, disassembling them, sandblasting the usable parts, and building them back up as EVs. To this point, ECD says it reuses around 50% of the original car on each build, a process that currently takes significantly longer compared to the Land Rovers ECD has been building for several years.
Walking the assembly line, it was rather interesting how efficiently the electric motor and batteries fit inside the Jaguar E-Type, almost as if it were made to be electric – An argument I now standby having driven the roadster.
What’s even more interesting is that ECD’s electric configuration is a damn near match in weight distribution compared to the original V12 engine and transmission setup. So, the electric Jaguar E-Type drives nearly how its original makers intended, albeit with more torque and quicker acceleration. Wallace told me ECD would love to take credit for that design prowess, but it was merely a welcomed coincidence.
The drivetrain configuration consists of two batteries and a motor up front, plus a third battery pack in the trunk, combining for a total capacity of 42 kWh. Small by today’s EV standards, but remember – ECD is limited by the E-Type’s existing chassis.
Regardless, such a small vehicle can garner plenty of “oomph,” trust me. The drivetrain delivers 450 hp, while its batteries combine for up to 150 miles of all-electric range.
As you may recall, back in March, we reported that ECD was moving on from the refurbished Tesla motors and battery packs in favor of a new configuration from Ampere EV, enabling the custom builder to now offer its customers new features like 4WD, three different drive modes, creep mode, and finally… DC fast charging.
With this new drivetrain system, present in the electric Jaguar E-Type, ECD can deliver many of the EV technologies consumers come to expect today, even if their original vehicle was built 50+ years ago. So, how does an electrified E-Type drive? Well, let me tell you, my friends.
Test driving the E-Type
After my tour, it was time to take the E-Type out for a spin alongside ECD co-founder Elliot Humble. We did our usual route around the Orlando area I had driven several times before, offering areas of long open roads to see what the roadster could do. I was not disappointed.
While the new drivetrain system from Ampere is less powerful than the previous Tesla configuration, its other perks gained in return outweigh the loss. The regenerative braking is much smoother and more effective, moving closer to genuine one-pedal driving, but not quite yet. Perhaps next year (wink, wink).
Acceleration was a breeze. One that whipped my longer hair around into a voluminous helmet by the time we were done because of a very low windshield. Still, I immediately felt at ease behind the wheel of this EV, whipping around and overtaking several “slower” cars on the road – although, I did need to use my neck to check beside me and in my blind spots because the side mirrors on this car are relatively useless.
Before I drove, I sat down with ECD’s head of sales and design, John Price, who walked me through the design process of my own electric Jaguar E-Type. Surprisingly, when I returned from my drive, the ECD had assembled a mini replica to take home. I share this detail because it speaks volumes about the level of customization and customer service ECD puts into every one of its builds – from the first design meeting to delivery and beyond. Check out my work!
Overall, this was yet another insightful trip to ECD Auto Design, filled with inspiration and laughter. Every time I visit, I’m amazed at how much the company has grown – both in size and in know-how. As someone that tries to improve and optimize his own life daily, I’m always impressed at how ECD can do it at such a scale and do it damn well.
That work has paid off as well. ECD’s success has caught investors’ eyes, and the company intends to go public later this month following a bell-ringing ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange. It is a huge milestone, but this company must maintain its small and scrappy attitude toward its one-of-a-kind builds, and it knows that. Let’s hope corporate America doesn’t kill the magic. My money’s on ECD (not literally… at least not yet).
I’m already looking forward to my next visit, especially since the company has given me a sneak peek at what’s next in its pipeline. I can’t say anything publicly yet, but it’s an exciting next step. Expect another visit in the future, but until then, check out this detailed look at ECD’s new electric Jaguar E-Type:
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
Open to work
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
That’s evidenced by the resistance to pay for features by subscription and complaints by more informed customers that “software locked” range and convenience features just subsidize the cost of more expensive trim levels and pad profits for manufacturers and suppliers.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Xiaomi, via CarNewsChina.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
It follows a $2,000 direct discount that Tesla offered to early Model Y owners last week.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
It’s not as bad as Europe and China, where Tesla has already been offering 0% financing on the new Model Y for weeks.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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