DeLorean DMC-12 may return as an EV

After the DeLorean brand was revived in the 1990s to repair DMC-12s and supply parts to owners worldwide, it seems that the next phase for the reborn company is a new version of the gullwing sports car with an electric powertrain. 

Labelled the DeLorean ‘EVolved,’ details are scant at time of writing, but based on a twitter statement and brief video released on 14 February, it appears that the EVolved will feature more luxurious trim and appointments, as well as modernised styling.

The original DMC-12’s gullwing doors will remain, but whether the new car will also have a stainless-steel skin is less certain.

Italdesign is believed to be involved in the EVolved project, which re-establishes a connection between DeLorean and ItalDesign, which was founded in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who styled the original DMC-12 in the late 1970s.

The new, electric-powered take on the original DMC-12 is being led by personnel from EV company Karma Automotive, including CEO Joost de Vries, who has also held executive roles at Tesla, Volvo and Mack.

In an interview with Car and Driver in the US this February, de Vries stated that the EVolved will use a bespoke chassis and bought-in EV componentry, adding that range will be in the region of 480km.

The current DeLorean operation has no connection to the original that was created by former General Motors senior executive John Z DeLorean in 1975. The new ‘DeLorean Motor Company’ was established in 1995 when British engineer Stephen Wynne acquired the rights to the DeLorean name, establishing a facility in Texas to restore original DMC-12 cars and provide parts and repair services.

Changes in US law regarding low-volume vehicle manufacturing that were to come into effect in 2019 led to claims that DeLorean would manufacture small numbers of continuation DMC-12s.

Although approval for low volume manufacturing was granted to Delorean Motor Company in 2021, it seems like the continuation project may now be shelved in favour of the EVolved.

This is further reinforced by a new company – DeLorean Motors Reimagined LLC – that has been established, along with new facilities, including offices and an engineering centre, in San Antonio, Texas. DeLorean Motor Company will still be in overall control of the new venture, though, as Reimagined’s largest shareholder. 

The new DeLorean EVolved is due to make its public debut at the Pebble Beach Concours in California this August.