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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In a bold bid to combat the crippling air pollution crisis in its capital, Delhi, Indian lawmakers have begun high-level discussions about a plan to phase out gas and diesel combustion vehicles by 2035 – a move that could cause a seismic shift in the global EV space and provide a cleaner, greener future for India’s capital.
Long considered one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, Indian capital Delhi is taking drastic steps to cut back pollution with a gas and diesel engine ban coming soon – but they want results faster than that. As such, Delhi is starting with a city-wide ban on refueling vehicles more than 15 years old, and it went into effect earlier this week. (!)
“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa … but they’re not stopping there. “Additionally, we will intensify scrutiny of heavy vehicles entering Delhi to ensure they meet prescribed environmental standards before being allowed entry.”
Making it prohibitively difficult for Dehli’s residents to own and operate older, presumably more polluting vehicles is one way to reduce harmful emissions and air pollution, but Sirsa’s team isn’t just targeting newer vehicles. They’re also planning to deploy more than 900 electric transit buses, part of a larger plan to replace 5,000 of the city’s 7,500 total bus with lower- or zero-emission options this year alone.
The Economic Times is reporting that discussions are underway to pass laws requiring that all future bus purchases will be required to be electric or “clean fuel” (read: CNG or hydrogen) by the end of this year, with a gas/diesel ban on “three-wheelers and light goods vehicles,” (commercial tuk-tuks and delivery mopeds) potentially coming 2026 to 2027 and a similar ban privately owned and operated cars and bikes coming “between 2030 and 2035.”
Electrek’s Take
After a Chinese government study linked air pollution caused by automotive exhausts and coal-fired power plants to more than 1.1 million deaths per year in 2013, the nation’s government took serious action, shuttering older coal plants and imposing strict emissions standards. The country also incentivized EV adoption through license-plate lotteries favoring electric cars and a nationwide EV mandate set to kick in by 2030.
The results were astounding, and the technological innovations that have come from an entire nation of talented engineers all “pulling in the same direction” have put the West to shame, with Western auto executives repeatedly sounding the alarm and lobbying for tariffs and other protectionist policies on both sides of the Atlantic.
To see India make move towards a gas and diesel ban like this, and on such an aggressive timeline, can only mean that they’ve been paying attention … and America is about to fall even further behind.
SOURCE: India Times; featured image by Sumita Roy Dutta.
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Last week, Parker Hannifin launched what they’re calling the industry’s first certified Mobile Electrification Technology Center to train mobile equipment technicians make the transition from conventional diesel engines to modern electric motors.
The electrification of mobile equipment is opening new doors for construction and engineering companies working in indoor, environmentally sensitive, or noise-regulated urban environments – but it also poses a new set of challenges that, while they mirror some of the challenges internal combustion faced a century ago, aren’t yet fully solved. These go beyond just getting energy to the equipment assets’ batteries, and include the integration of hydraulic implements, electronic controls, and the myriad of upfit accessories that have been developed over the last five decades to operate on 12V power.
At the same time, manufacturers and dealers have to ensure the safety of their technicians, which includes providing comprehensive training on the intricacies of high-voltage electric vehicle repair and maintenance – and that’s where Parker’s new mobile equipment training program comes in, helping to accelerate the shift to EVs.
“We are excited to partner with these outstanding distributors at a higher level. Their commitment to designing innovative mobile electrification systems aligns perfectly with our vision to empower machine manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency,” explains Mark Schoessler, VP of sales for Parker’s Motion Systems Group. “Their expertise in designing mobile electrification systems and their capability to deliver integrated solutions will help to maximize the impact of Parker’s expanding METC network.”
The manufacturing equipment experts at Nott Company were among the first to go through the Parker Hannifin training program, certifying their technicians on Parker’s electric motors, drives, coolers, controllers and control systems.
“We are proud to be recognized for our unwavering dedication to advancing mobile electrification technologies and delivering cutting-edge solutions,” says Nott CEO, Markus Rauchhaus. “This milestone would not have been possible without our incredible partners, customers and the team at Nott Company.”
In addition to Nott, two other North American distributors (Depatie Fluid Power in Portage, Michigan, and Hydradyne in Fort Worth, Texas) have completed the Parker certification.
Electrek’s Take
With the rise of electric equipment assets like Bobcat’s T7X compact track loader and E10e electric excavator that eliminate traditional hydraulics and rely on high-voltage battery systems, specialized electrical systems training is becoming increasingly important. Seasoned, steady hands with decades of diesel and hydraulic systems experience are obsolete, and they’ll need to learn new skills to stay relevant.
Certification programs like Parker’s are working to bridge that skills gap, equipping technicians with the skills to maximize performance while mitigating risks associated with high-voltage systems. Here’s hoping more of these start popping up sooner than later.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Parker Hannifin.
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Based on a Peterbilt 579 commercial semi truck, the ReVolt EREV hybrid electric semi truck promises 40% better fuel economy and more than twice the torque of a conventional, diesel-powered semi. The concept has promise – and now, it has customers.
Austin, Texas-based ReVolt Motors scored its first win with specialist carrier Page Trucking, who’s rolling the dice on five of the Peterbilt 579-based hybrid big rigs — with another order for 15 more of the modified Petes waiting in the wings if the initial five work out.
The deal will see ReVolt’s “dual-power system” put to the test in real-world conditions, pairing its e-axles’ battery-electric torque with up to 1,200 miles of diesel-extended range.
ReVolt Motors team
The ReVolt team starts off with a Peterbilt, then removes the transmission and drive axle, replacing them with a large genhead and batteries. As the big Pete’s diesel engine runs (that’s right, kids – the engine stays in place), it creates electrical energy that’s stored in the trucks’ batteries. Those electrons then flow to the truck’s 670 hp e-axles, putting down a massive, 3500 lb-ft of Earth-moving torque to the ground at 0 rpm.
The result is an electrically-driven semi truck that works like a big BMW i3 or other EREV, and packs enough battery capacity to operate as a ZEV (sorry, ZET) in ports and urban clean zones. And, more importantly, allows over-the-road drivers to hotel for up to 34 hours without idling the engine or requiring a grid connection.
That ability to “hotel” in the cab is incredibly important, especially as the national shortage of semi truck parking continues to worsen and the number of goods shipped across America’s roads continues to increase.
And, because the ReVolt trucks can hotel without the noise and emissions of diesel or the loss of range of pure electric, they can immediately “plug in” to existing long-haul routes without the need to wait for a commercial truck charging infrastructure to materialize.
“Drivers should not have to choose between losing their longtime routes because of changing regulatory environments or losing the truck in which they have already made significant investments,” explains Gus Gardner, ReVolt founder and CEO. “American truckers want their trucks to reflect their identity, and our retrofit technology allows them to continue driving the trucks they love while still making a living.”
If all of that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of Hyliion.
Hyliion electric semi truck
Before it changed its focus to develop Carnot-cycle generators and gensets, Austin-based Hyliion built a number of EREV Peterbilts using the then-new 15L Cummins diesel as a generator and employing the same sort of battery and e-axle-arrangement as ReVolt.
In addition to being located in the same town and employing the same idea in the same Peterbilt 579 tractor, ReVolt even employs some of the same key players as Hyliion: both the company’s CTO, Chandra Patil, and its Director of Engineering, Blake Witchie, previously worked at Hyliion’s truck works.
Still, Hyliion made their choice when they shut down their truck business. ReVolt seems to have picked up the ball – and their first customer is eager to run with it.
“Our industry is undergoing a major transition, and fleet owners need practical solutions that make financial sense while reducing our environmental impact,” said Dan Titus, CEO of Page Trucking. “ReVolt’s hybrid drivetrain lowers our fuel costs, providing our drivers with a powerful and efficient truck, all without the need for expensive charging infrastructure or worrying about state compliance mandates. The reduced emissions also enable our customers to reduce their Scope 2 emissions.”
Page Trucking has a fleet of approximately 500 trucks in service, serving the agriculture, hazardous materials, and bulk commodities industries throughout Texas. And, if ReVolt’s EREV semis live up to their promise, expect them to operate a lot more than 20 of ’em.
SOURCES | IMAGES: ReVolt; via Power Progress, TTNews.
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