A company in the United Kingdom is launching a new electric-vehicle platform clothed in familiar-looking bodywork. The Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC) plans a small batch of Porsche 356-inspired electric sports cars to show off its Passenger and Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES) platform, and the completed design has been shown for the first time.
WEVC said the sports car just completed 10 months of prototype testing. Simply dubbed Coupe, the Porsche lookalike is powered by a single electric motor rated at 160 hp, which can push the roughly 2,204-pound Coupe from 0-62 mph in a tad over 5.0 seconds.
A 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack is said to deliver a range of over 200 miles. Interestingly, the mounting of the battery and electric motor has helped to achieve an ideal 50:50 weight distribution.
The composite bodywork is specifically modeled on the 1955 Porsche 356A, but all surfaces have been subtly changed to optimize aerodynamic efficiency and make room for the PACES platform and modern suspension, WEVC said.
Watt Electric Vehicle Company Coupe
The PACES platform itself is made from bonded aluminum, and was designed to fit a wide variety of vehicles. WEVC previously said it could be used for everything from sports cars to buses, with front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts all possible.
A full reveal of the WEVC Coupe will take place this summer, after additional development work is completed, the company said.
So far WEVC has only confirmed plans for 21 Launch Edition models, with a base price of 81,250 British pounds (approximately $112,000). Production is slated to start at WEVC's home base in Cornwall in November, with deliveries scheduled for 2022. The term Launch Edition implies that a regular production model will follow, but WEVC hasn't mentioned that.
If you want to combine electric power with classic styling, you have a few other options. Czech firm MW Motors has the Luka EV, a retro-looking EV that invokes classics like the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and Aston Martin DB4. Several companies are also converting actual classic cars into EVs, with at least two—Voitures Extravert and Everati—offering conversions of the 356's successor—the Porsche 911.
