ICON’s EV Bronco restomod is a crazy $449k electric beast and we drove it
ICON invited us up to its office in Chatsworth, CA, to have a chat with its founder, Jonathan Ward, and to take a quick spin in its bonkers new Bronco EV restomod.
Jonathan Ward is stuck in the past.
His office is littered with cars, newspaper clippings, toys, and furniture that are all half a century old, at a minimum.
He lives an analog existence, and has built a name for himself in an analog business. Ward runs ICON, a company focused on restoring old vehicles to absolute perfect condition, or making hand-built modernized versions of the classics. Ward has made quite a name for himself, and is considered by many to be the best in the business of restomods.
But time does not stand still for any man.
The automotive industry is changing, more than it has in a century. And even the grognards need to adapt.
This is not to say that Ward is an entirely begrudging participant in the transition – his “GAS GUZZLER – NO ACCESS” mock carpool lane sticker notwithstanding. He merely says that he wants to ensure the transition happens in what he considers the right way – he wants to carry over the analog processes that he appreciates from the past and apply them alongside the technology we have right now.
Ward has toyed with electrification before, with a few one-off projects – a 1974 VW Thing, a 1966 Fiat Giardiniera and a 1949 Mercury Coupe.
But he never thought the technology was quite ready to make a scaled-up project – at least until now.
So, Ward has created the ICON EV Bronco, and it’s something else.
Broncos have been a popular platform for restomods both electric and otherwise, with multiple other companies doing their take on the same era of the Ford classic. ICON itself has a gas-powered Bronco restomod, which it calls the ICON BR.
The ICON EV Bronco builds on the ICON BR chassis. But it replaces the powerplant and software with an electric drivetrain with 500hp and 440lb-ft of torque – much more than the 100-200hp from the straight-six or V8 options in the first-generation Ford Bronco the ICON EV Bronco is based on, and also more than the 426hp of the gas-powered version of the restomod.
ICON says it spent about 5,000 hours of development on the EV Bronco over the course of 18 months, in partnership with Marc Davis and Moment Motors in Austin, Texas. Moment is another shop focusing on vintage restomods, but with more of a focus on electrification than ICON has had in the past.
Ward brought Davis on for his electrification expertise in particular – while Ward was happy to talk with us about CNCed billet aluminum, powder coated chassis and locking front differentials, he paused and called in the cavalry when we started asking questions about fast charging (it should manage around a 100kW peak charge rate, Davis told us, or about an hour to fill the 105kWh pack from 20-80% on DC – otherwise, it has a 6.6kW level 2 charger).
The 105kWh battery pack should be good for somewhere around 180-200 miles of range. It’s not the most efficient vehicle, but it’s not trying to be.
- Drivetrain and Performance Specs
- 440+ lb-ft of torque
- 500+ hp
- Full-time All Wheel Drive for on and off road performance
- Currie axles with rear LSD and ARB locking front differentials
- Advanced Ringer Adjustable Suspension
- Brembo Brakes
- Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes to control performance and power usage
- Battery Pack and Charging Specs
- Industry standard 400V architecture
- 105kWh capacity for 175-200 miles of range
- IP67* Waterproof Standard tested battery enclosures
- Full thermal management to keep the pack in the optimal temperature range at
- all times
- On board 6.6kW Level 2 charger for easy at-home overnight charging
- Level 3 CCS Fast charging via all the leading charging networks
- VCU and System Control Specs
- Completely integrated Battery Management, Power Management, and Vehicle
- Management for complete control of the entire EV drivetrain
- OTA remote diagnostics and updates
- Traditional ICON gauges transformed to show essential EV stats at a glance
- Head Unit with complete system monitoring and control available in the center
- console along with CarPlay and Android Auto Compatibility
- Ancillary System Specs
- Fully electro-hydraulic power steering
- Electric power brakes and parking brakes
- Electric heat and Air Conditioning
- Traditional ICON gauges now reflect basic EV stats at a glance, then the center
- console mounted Audio head unit provides even more EV system stats and
- controls along with a reverse Camera. Apple Carplay and Android compatible.
- Dimensions (estimated)
- LENGTH ……………….14’9” (177”)
- WIDTH …………..…….6’3” (75”)
- WHEELBASE………7.59 3/8” (91 3/8”)
- HEIGHT ………………. 6’6” (79”)
- TRACK WIDTH FRONT……5’9”” (69”)
- TRACK WIDTH REAR……..5’7”” (67”)
- Curb Weight………..5420 lbs.
We took the Bronco EV for a short drive around the streets of Chatsworth – not necessarily the best spot to get a feel for performance or to find many stretches of unoccupied pavement, but it’ll have to do.
The car is, obviously, full of ancient character (and I’m not just referring to Ward himself). The switches, the seats, the shifter, all have their retro flavor, though many have been updated behind the scenes (e.g. the window levers are electronic, but look manual).
The one thing that betrays the car’s modern underpinnings is the screen between the seats, which allows control of vehicle functions and even includes CarPlay and Android Auto
There are a few other modern touches as well, like my favorite, an electric step that automatically pops out when you open the door. Given how high the stepover is to get into this truck, the step will be appreciated by many.
I do think the drive software on this pre-production vehicle could use some more refinement. While the ICON EV Bronco does offer different drive modes thanks to drive software provided by Ampere EV, the instant 440 lb-ft of torque available to us is honestly too much for such a tall vehicle (79″) with such a short wheelbase (91 3/8″).
As a result, torque just has to be limited on the low end, even despite its all-time all-wheel drive. It would be too squirrelly without. It can get from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, but there will likely be a good amount of drama on the way there.
The various drive modes do provide vastly different drive feel. Ward himself likes to drive in Eco mode, which he says is uncharacteristic for him, but that the car just too much without something to moderate all that power. I preferred the responsiveness of Sport mode, since I’m a stickler for rapid throttle response, but it was still very easy to spin the tires on this topheavy vehicle even during the simplest of maneuvers. So, maybe Ward is right on this one.
But, amazingly enough, this exercise in analog thinking also includes something that even many modern cars (and certainly most restomods) don’t: over-the-air software updates. So, even though we drove a development version, there’s even the possibility that post-release vehicles could be tweaked over time.
It even has off-throttle regenerative braking, something rare in the EV restomod scene.
Compounding the squirreliness of the accelerator, the steering system in the EV Bronco carries over much of the character of the original (though it has been upgraded with electro-hydraulic power steering) – which is to say, a big steering wheel with a lot of “play.”
We didn’t get a chance to try the Bronco EV off-road, but it felt like its driving dynamics would be most at home in the dirt, where it can use all that torque for rock climbing instead of racing.
For those purposes, the Bronco is packed with all the equipment you’d need, with off-road components carried over from the ICON BR chassis – Reiger Suspension, Brembo brakes, Currie axles, ARB locking front/ limited slip rear differentials, and multi-link suspension. And the ample ground clearance and approach angles you’d expect out of a box on stilts.
All that said, this is not a vehicle for a casual buyer – which you might have guessed from the $449k pricetag. It is obviously lacking much of what you might want in a regular vehicle on the road these days, and a lot of the things that you would expect out of an EV.
But if you’re looking for classic charm mixed with new technology underneath, and you happen to have recently found a bitcoin drive you lost in 2011, you know who to call.
Ward plans to make ten examples of the EV Bronco, each customized to their respective buyers’ tastes such that no two are alike. The buyers will be able to choose from the same design packages ICON offers for the gas-powered BR (New School, Old School, and Derelict) and body styles (soft top, hard top, roadster), with additional customizations for color, seating position, and so on.
And he wants to scale up from here. Heading into the future, Ward hopes to offer an electric powertrain as an option on all of his builds sometime in the next 3-5 years.
With what we’ve seen out of this one (and his past derelict builds in particular), we’re certainly excited to see what crazy projects he comes up with next.
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Donald Trump signed two executive orders today that walked back parts of tariffs he previously imposed on US automakers ahead of a rally in Michigan to mark his first 100 days in office.
The Wall Street Journal first reported today in an exclusive that Trump was “expected to soften the impact of his automotive tariffs, preventing duties on foreign-made cars from stacking on top of other tariffs and easing some levies on car parts.”
Trump signed an executive order making sure the 25% tariffs on vehicles and certain auto parts won’t stack on top of existing aluminum, steel, or Canada and Mexico tariffs. He also gave automakers a credit to help blunt the impact of the 25% duties on imported parts that go into US-built cars.
Trump’s backpedal comes after weeks of meeting with automaker executives, and a week after a coalition that included GM, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai sent a letter urging him to drop tariffs on foreign auto parts due to land in May.
American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) president Matt Blunt today said in response to the executive orders, “American Automakers Ford, GM, and Stellantis appreciate the administration’s clarification that tariffs will not be layered on top of the existing Section 232 tariffs on autos and auto parts. Applying multiple tariffs to the same product or part was a significant concern for American automakers, and we are glad to see this addressed. We will review the details of the executive order closely to assess how effectively it will mitigate the impact of tariffs on American automakers, our domestic supply chains and ultimately American consumers.” The AAPC represents Ford, GM, and Stellantis.
Electrek’s Take
The 25% auto tariffs implemented under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act aren’t going anywhere, and most economists say that tariffs will raise car prices and slow auto sales. This White House Fact Sheet is titled, “President Donald J. Trump Incentivizes Domestic Automobile Production.” Where’s the incentive? US automakers are just getting hit with the stick once instead of twice, and they’re thanking Trump for it.
The carrot that worked as an incentive was Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, along with the stability that came with it. All this whiplash is terrible for the US and global economy.
Read more: Killing IRA EV tax credits will ruin US EV and battery industries – Princeton study
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New data suggests that the Tesla Powerwall 3 is significantly disrupting the US solar inverter market.
The home battery pack’s integrated inverter is changing the game.
Tesla acquired its solar business when it bought SolarCity in a controversial deal due to Musk being a large shareholder of both Tesla and SolarCity, and Musk’s cousin led the latter.
The automaker kept the SolarCity operations going for a few years. In fact, it continued until after Tesla shareholders sued Musk over the acquisition, and Musk defended himself by claiming that SolarCity had become an integral part of Tesla.
Shortly after he won the lawsuit, Tesla virtually stopped all operations that came from its SolarCity acquisition, which primarily consisted of residential solar financing and installations.
Tesla even stopped reporting solar deployment. The company’s energy business now consists almost entirely of Powerwall and Megapack deployments.
However, the launch of the Powerwall 3 has indirectly brought Tesla back into the solar business, as the home battery pack features an inverter that works for both solar and storage applications.
EnergySage is a company that matches solar installers with potential buyers, and as a result, it has a wealth of interesting data about the solar industry in the US. Today, it released its Spring 2025 Marketplace report.
In the report, EnergySage revealed that Tesla became the second-most quoted inverter brand in the second half of last year:
Tesla became the most quoted battery brand in H2 2024, occupying 63% of Marketplace share nationwide. Because the Powerwall 3 includes an integrated inverter, Tesla also became the second-most quoted inverter brand. With batteries increasingly being added to solar systems—the national battery attachment rate jumped to 45% in H2 2024, an all-time high—Tesla’s growth was a key driver of the low storage and solar prices seen on EnergySage. In 2025, we are examining whether brand backlash and equipment shortages will affect Tesla’s Marketplace share.
This is also a byproduct of the increased popularity of energy storage systems when deploying new solar systems.
In big solar markets like California and Texas, the majority of residential solar quotes are attached to batteries, and Tesla is not the top quoted brand, thanks to Powerwall 3:
Powerwall was already the preferred home battery pack for many homeowners, and the fact that it now includes a solar inverter has made it even more attractive, as most home energy storage systems in the US are being deployed along with rooftop solar.
The Powerwall 3’s solar inverter integration is pushing solar plus storage costs down quite a bit.
The popularity of the Powerwall 3 has particularly hurt Enphase, a leader in solar inverter. It had 73% of the US market in 2022, and now it is down to 53%.
Despite Tesla driving prices down, Powerwall 3 is not the cheapest battery pack available. Panasonic and EG4 batteries were both priced lower on a per kWh basis than Tesla’s in the second half of 2024, but Tesla won on cost when also replacing the solar inverter.
However, it’s not all good news from Tesla. EnergySage also recently reported an increase in customers requesting alternatives to Powerwalls in 2025, partly due to Elon Musk’s increasing controversy.
If you’re interested in installing solar panels and/or batteries for your home, we recommend using EnergySage. You will be able to get quotes without any hassle and only talk to someone when you are ready to move forward. Within minutes, you can get on the path to producing your own power with solar and battery storage, including with Powerwall.
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Here’s something most people don’t know: In the US, switching to solar and battery-based energy can actually save you money on taxes. And it’s not a future promise – it’s happening right now. Under the US Residential Clean Energy Credit, BLUETTI’s eligible solar systems and home batteries qualify for a 30% federal tax credit through 2032. That means with the right model, like the AC500 Home Battery Backup, you’re not only saving on electricity, you could also get a portion of your purchase back during tax season.
Meanwhile, gas generators are quietly costing more
There’s a reason so many people have relied on gas generators: they’re familiar, accessible, and have served us well for years. But as fuel prices continue to rise and usage becomes more frequent, the hidden costs of gas generators are quietly piling up:
- Ongoing fuel expenses, especially during summer or storm seasons
- Routine maintenance and part replacements
- Stricter regulations in certain areas limiting usage times
- Noise complaints and environmental concerns
It’s not about shaming these tools—it’s about recognizing when the cost-to-benefit ratio starts to shift.
Not ready to give up your generator? Start small with the BLUETTI AC60
The move to clean energy doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Sometimes, the right first step is simply trying a lightweight alternative, like the AC60 Portable Power Station (Pioneer 50).
- Compact and powerful: 600W output (1000W surge) covers most outdoor needs
- Historically affordable: Only $269 after subsidy
- Fast charging: 80% charge within an hour
- IP65-rated for water and dust resistance – ideal for outdoor life
- Backed by a 6-year warranty, cutting down on waste and replacement costs
- Expandable to 2,015Wh capacity for powering phones, laptops, and more
Whether you’re into camping, road trips, or just want something for light backup at home, portable power stations like AC60 are an easy way to test the waters – no big commitment needed.
Need something stronger? Apex 300 is built to last
For those looking to level up their home battery backup or long-term savings, the Apex 300 offers a durable, future-forward alternative. With second-gen EV-grade batteries rated for 6,000+ cycles, this power station can last up to 17 years – nearly twice as long as typical models.
More reasons why Apex 300 stands out:
- Ultra-efficient 20W AC idle drain extends fridge runtime by up to 24 hours and boosts CPAP usage by 2.5x compared to typical units
- Built-in 120V/240V dual output with 12,000W bypass that powers 99% of home appliances, even a Tesla EV
- 2-year savings sprint when paired with one Solar X 4K Charge Controller for a massive 6400W solar input
- Whisper-quiet at 40dB, no fumes, no fuel
- Time-of-use savings made easy: Easily schedule and monitor energy usage with a user-friendly app and a clear, intuitive LED screen
- Expandable ecosystem: Add extra B300K batteries or a smart 700W Hub D1 to grow your setup as your needs evolve, from whole-home backup to off-grid RV power
This isn’t about replacing your gas generator overnight. It’s about introducing a better Plan B that’s cleaner, quieter, and built for the long haul.
Thinking about a cleaner future? BLUETTI is offering a little help
In honor of Earth Day, BLUETTI has launched a new Clean Energy Incentive Program. Gas generator owners around the world can submit basic info about their devices and select a clean power product to receive an exclusive subsidy.
The compact AC60 and other select models are already available at subsidized prices through BLUETTI’s Clean Energy Incentive Program – a practical step designed to support a smoother, more affordable transition to greener living.
Meanwhile, early access to the all-new Apex 300 Portable Power Station is now open through May 19, ahead of its official launch on May 20 on Indiegogo.
Going green isn’t about rushing
It’s about small, thoughtful choices that build toward something better – for your home, your wallet, and the planet. BLUETTI believes real change happens step by step, just like the LAFF (Light An African Family) Initiative. By walking the same path as those in need, the team can better understand and manage which solutions will most effectively help families who need affordable, sustainable energy.
So even if your gas generator still works just fine, it might be worth looking at a smarter backup. The future doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. It can start with one quiet step with BLUETTI’s solutions, and this simple step could lead to a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone.
About BLUETTI
BLUETTI is a dedicated advocate for sustainability, integrating ESG principles throughout product design and corporate initiatives. Through impactful projects like LAAF (Light An African Family), BLUETTI provides affordable, sustainable energy solutions to communities across Africa. By partnering with Leave No Trace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, BLUETTI supports responsible outdoor recreation through clean energy solutions that minimize environmental footprints. This blend of craftsmanship, reliability, and a focus on real-world needs is what makes BLUETTI trusted in over 110 countries and regions.
Follow BLUETTI on Twitter/X here and on Facebook here.
All photos: BLUETTI
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