Aussie EV firm reveals Rolls-Royce restomod

Melbourne-based EV specialist SEA Electric is building a name for itself in Australia and abroad with its high-tech commercial vehicle powertrain systems, and has now shown that highly-modified restorations (or restomods) could feature in its future.

Described as a one-off project, this 1971 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow has had its big 6.8-litre V8 engine replaced with one of SEA Electric’s locally-developed powertrains.

Details are thin on the ground, with SEA Electric simply taking to social media to show off the handiwork of its R&D team that reveals the extensive plumbing under the bonnet, battery installed in the boot and a power plug neatly integrated into the fuel filler inlet.

“This vintage Rolls-Royce is now fully electric and future-ready,” the company said.

There’s no word on powertrain specs, but we’re tipping an entry-level system from the SEA-Drive powertrain range at 134kW/700Nm sounds about right (designed for commercial vehicles up to 4.5t GVM), rather than the range-topping 350kW/3500Nm unit tailored to 18t behemoths.

Paired with an 88kWh battery pack, the entry SEA-Drive 70 system is said to deliver a driving range of up to 300km (typically for large vans such as the Ford Transit), with the break-even period for operators claimed to be less than four years without grants or subsidies.

Restomods could be a lucrative sideline for the fast-growing Aussie company, which in less than five years has forged partnerships with major automotive manufacturers, transport companies, government fleet operators and others to provide EV powertrain conversions.

These include Hino Australia, Isuzu Australia and the ACT government, while overseas programs have extended to New Zealand, Thailand, South Africa, Europe and North America.

In the US, where SEA Electric has a facility in Torrance, California, the company recently secured $US20 million ($A25.9m) in capital raising – two thirds of its targeted $US30m ‘Series A’ round – as it looks to deploy and further develop its EV powertrain tech in collaboration with glider (sans engine) chassis suppliers across a range of van and truck platforms.

The latter includes a deal with Detroit Custom Chassis and Morgan Olsen to integrate electric powertrains into Ford’s F-59 chassis, which is found in a wide variety of vehicles in the US, from motor homes and school buses to US Postal Service vehicles.

As well as Ford, SEA Electric has also been working with Isuzu and General Motors in the US.

High-calibre EV restomods such as the Volvo P1800 Cyan and Jaguar E-type can attract huge interest and big dollars.

Italian automotive outfit Totem Automobili also recently revealed its Alfa Romeo GT electric – a restomod of the classic 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA with a price tag of around $700,000.