23 ms·

DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

445 points by evo_9 6y ago

pinewurst 6y ago
Did they conference in John Z on a Ouija-Zoom gateway?
dogma1138 6y ago
TBH I’m surprised Musk hasn’t bought them out yet and “released” a limited edition Model 3 with a DeLorian body kit for like $500,000... if Cyan can release a Volvo P1800 for 500K and you usually need to provide the 50 year old P1800 for them to convert and tune there clearly is a market for these things.
- buzzert 6y ago
  If Tesla just made a sedan version of the Cybertruck, it would look just like a DeLorean.
  - bredren 6y ago
    My impression was Cybertruck is heavily influenced by the DeLorean design. It would be great to be able to get a DMC-1200 by Tesla.
    - GuB-42 6y ago
      From what I've seen, there are technical reasons for the design of the Cybertruck. Tesla wanted to use stiff stainless steel for their "tough" vehicle. The use of stainless steel for the SpaceX BFR (aka Starship) may have also been a factor. Problem is that the usual techniques for making nice curved shapes don't work on such a material, so they used folded metal sheet instead, resulting in that "low poly" look. Considering that the DeLorean is also made of stainless steel and also has a rather angular shape, you are bound to make the comparison. The necessarily noticed it at Tesla and I am not sure what they intend to do with that. The DeLorean is iconic and (back to the) futuristic, it also had the reputation of a terrible car and was a commercial failure.
      - bredren 6y ago
        I recall the reasons given as you describe. So my impression is not due to statements from Tesla. That said, the resemblance is unmistakable. The designers could not have been unaware of the dmc-1200. As for the reputation of the delorean’s quality and commercial failure, I don’t think this would give Elon pause in the slightest. That guy does whatever he wants.
  - alasdair_ 6y ago
    The model X doors just scream "delorean" more than any other Tesla feature, in my mind.
- tonyedgecombe 6y ago
  Tesla and DeLorean have common roots. The DeLorean was largely engineered by Lotus based on technology from the Lotus Esprit. The original Tesla Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise.
  - breakfastduck 6y ago
    Lotus Esprit is an absolute classic. They've made some great cars.
  - caf 6y ago
    The DeLorean and the Cybertruck both have the stainless steel body, too.
- xiphias2 6y ago
  The year Tesla started manufacturing Model 3s got Elon back to the ground from dreaming about special cars, like the new Roadster: to get to a huge company and deliver on sustainability, they have to focus on cheap cars in huge volume, and can't afford many fun projects (except things like Tesla Tequila, that they can mostly outsource :) )
  - bitwize 6y ago
    TIL that Tesla Tequila is an actual thing, and it's somehow even more ridiculous than Tres Comas.
    - toomuchtodo 6y ago
      Tesla Tequila is a spoof off of Tres Comas (was priced at $250, limit two, as an alleged nod to their imminent inclusion in the S&P500), and honestly it’s pretty good tequila for a marketing spoof.
      - alasdair_ 6y ago
        Can you use the Tesla Tequila as fuel in the Tesla flamethrower?
        toomuchtodo 6y ago
        And waste good Tequila!? Sir or madam, the tequila is fuel for me.
  - orange_tee 6y ago
    Are you sure about that? Why would Tesla want to compete with Toyota and VW to produce the bottom tier of cars? When at that point they are competing with the best of the best at making the most affordable cars at the largest volumes? They could also maintain their brand image and sell their mid range luxury models achieving less volume at a higher profitability margin.
    - 6y ago
- duxup 6y ago
  For a big car maker volume and the efficiencies you get from that is a big deal right? That would seem at odds with a one off limited edition.
  - bryanlarsen 6y ago
    One of the advantages of using bent stainless rather than pressed & painted steel is that it can be done efficiently and cheaply in low volumes. A modern paint shop costs about a half billion; the forms & presses for pressing steel are also quite expensive. 750,000 preorders means that these low-volume production advantages are mostly moot, but perhaps Tesla will still take advantage of this to create some low volume variants. Which is the only way you're going to see variants -- the unibody design of the Cybertruck means that coach-builders can't use a cutaway base.
    - duxup 6y ago
      Interesting, I wonder if we will see mass 'limited edition' options out there. I do wonder how accessible they'll be as even today with mass production getting the color, price, options you want has always been a bit of a hassle / compromise outside of ... cars I don't want ;)
- mc32 6y ago
  What makes the Deloreans so appealing? From what I’m told, it wasn’t very well made and on top of that it was underpowered. So I get the iconic aspect from movie lore. And I get the founder was very... idiosyncratic —and an underdog and ultimately spiraled into making very unfortunate choices. But other than that, what’s the appeal?
  - DC-3 6y ago
    They look like spaceships and when you buy one you feel like a king (i.e. you're stealing from the British taxpayer).
  - tracedddd 6y ago
    I love how they look, everything about them from the doors to the instrument panel to the steel body. I honestly don’t like back to the future much, not more than any other movie, and it’s popularity from that has dissuaded me from buying one (not to mention the soaring prices due to the film.) Nor do I particularly care about the founder or his choices. For some, the design simply has a great appeal. An EV refresh would be a dream and I would absolutely buy a somewhat overpriced Tesla produced Delorean.
    - ryandrake 6y ago
      Modern car styling is about as exciting as a mud pie. Go to any parking lot and try to find a sedan built after 2000 that doesn’t look like the same boring bar of soap with wheels. Sure they may have different grilles or headlight clusters, but these days I can’t tell most models apart until I get clise enough to see the badge. I’d buy an electric delorian just for the unique style. I love the cybertruck’s look too, and although I wouldn’t buy one because I have no use for a pickup truck right now, I’d like to see more of them on the road and fewer white, gray, and black soap bars.
      - tracedddd 6y ago
        You’re absolutely correct, I hate how new cars look between the crumble zones, plasticky everything, and wind tunnel optimizations smoothing every stylistic choice out. They do drive well, crash well, and have sweet fuel economy though. So for ICE it’s probably best. I’m happy to see EVs having design flexibility again.
- oliv__ 6y ago
  I didn't realize that Volvo had such a rich history. That P1800 is gorgeous!
mrfusion 6y ago
Speaking of, Is it ok to own a stainless steel vehicle near the ocean? Should I advise my friend to avoid the cybertruck? (Or Delorean)
- elihu 6y ago
  Why would that be an issue?
  - mrfusion 6y ago
    Rusting
    - flyingfences 6y ago
      That's why they call it "stainless" -- it doesn't rust.
      - Armisael16 6y ago
        It doesn’t rust as much. It very definitely does rust.
        bigmattystyles 6y ago
        Can confirm - my stainless steel dishwasher has rust spots on it, albeit, tiny, they are there. WRT to the delorean, your mileage may vary :-D
        flyingfences 6y ago
        It doesn't rust as much as the steel that typical cars are made of.
      - mhb 6y ago
        That's what they mean by "less".
        6y ago
mikestew 6y ago
Why would I want an electric version of a fat, slow, heavy car? Oh, right, because Back to the Future. And gull-wing doors, let's be honest.
- EvanAnderson 6y ago
  Exactly my thoughts. It's a neat-looking design, but besides being an iconic movie prop the car did not particularly excel at anything. If DeLorean had continued production and iterated on the design it could have been a lot better.
- core-questions 6y ago
  I've driven one, and honestly, it wasn't that fat/slow/heavy. It could have used more power, but it was fairly fun to drive. Not everything needs "five hunnert horsepower" to be interesting.
  - jandrese 6y ago
    It was slow compared to similarly priced luxury sport vehicles of the day. Compared to ordinary sedans and the like it was perfectly fine, although obviously far more expensive. They definitely needed to iterate on the design a few times. The gull wing doors were super cool, but also highly failure prone. The engine desperately needed a turbocharger which was in the works when DMC folded. The electrics were typical British 80s fire hazards. One good thing is that unlike many cars of the era it is not plagued with blistering or peeling paint.
  - blackrock 6y ago
    It only needs to hit 88 mph before it hits the wall, for things to be interesting.
  - mywittyname 6y ago
    There's a lot of room between 130 (SAE NET) hp and "five hunnert horsepower" The DMC-12 is roughly as fast as a Prius. I can appreciate the complaints in that department. I wouldn't dare call 2900lbs fat though.
elihu 6y ago
> National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a regulation permitting low volume motor vehicle manufacturers to begin selling replica cars that resemble vehicles produced at least 25 years ago. Congress enacted a DeLorean Motor Company-backed bill backed by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) DeLorean Motor Company, and others into law in 2015, which streamlined requirements for small automakers, but implementation was delayed while awaiting the NHTSA regulations. Companies like DeLorean will now be able to apply for authorization to produce and sell vehicles under this program. I assume this means they waive certain modern safety regulations in order to allow companies to make new cars (in low volume) that resemble old cars? > That said, with EV’s becoming more mainstream, we’ve been considering switching to an all-electric as the future. It certainly makes for an easier path through emissions maze which still looms large over any internal combustion engine. That makes sense. If ever there was a car that looks like it should be an EV, it's the Delorean. They could even do a stickshift EV if they wanted to, though most car companies seem to not think it's worth the complexity/maintenance, and I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions.
- Armisael16 6y ago
  > They could even do a stickshift EV if they wanted to, though most car companies seem to not think it's worth the complexity/maintenance, and I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions. Electric motors have a wider power band, so there’s less need for gear shifting. They could get more efficiency with multiple gears, but it’s be a smaller benefit than in an ICE vehicle. One of the big early problems was that the amount of instant torque that an electric vehicle puts out just shreds a gearbox. You could limit the initial torque in software, but that’d kill the joy of the EV. I’m sure someone has managed to work this by now. On the other hand, different axles don’t have to use the same gearing ratio. That’s how dual motor Teslas work - the front wheels are geared for higher speeds, and more power is shifted towards those as you go faster. No gear-shifting required.
  - abfan1127 6y ago
    is there some type of clutch that allows the rear wheels to free-spin at higher speeds?
EvanAnderson 6y ago
As a fun replica car in a limited run it makes sense. You wouldn't want a DMC-12 (even as an EV, where the lack of acceleration and power could be addressed) for a daily driver. The ergonomics of the design are terrible. It's a cool-looking car, but supremely uncomfortable to drive or ride in. I suppose that if you like attention it could be a "win". Driving one gets you a lot of attention, even 30+ years after "Back to the Future" came out. The appeal of those movies made that car immortal.
- jrossi94 6y ago
  I don't know. I have one and while its performance is awful its certainly the most comfortable car I've ever owned.
  - EvanAnderson 6y ago
    My father has one (restored) that I've driven a fair amount. I really like the car, but I just can't see it as a daily driver. (For a taste comparison, my '99 Nissan Maxima was probably my most comfortable car, both for passenger comfort, and for the driving experience.) The DMC-12 is a hotbox in the summer and the stock AC just can't keep up. That's my biggest memory. Rolling the window down would be fine, except that the portion that can roll down is tiny. You get no airflow to speak of. If the doors were redesigned so a larger portion of the window rolls down it would help tremendously. It may just be my body shape, but I can't get comfortable in the seats. I wouldn't want to ride in it for a long time. re: driving - It's probably also the lack of performance, too. If I'm in that more reclined "sporty" driving position I expect some response when I mash the accelerator. As an EV the performance could be radically enhanced. That would definitely be neat. I felt that visibility was bad. The high window sills, gigantic A pillars, and sloped windowshield always made me feel like I had to second-guess what was going on around the car. The hood is deceptively long, too. It would be a neat conversation piece to have one, for sure. As an EV it could be made wickedly performant. I think it would still feel like riding in a low-slung box that you are just peeking out over the top of, though.
    - tyingq 6y ago
jamestimmins 6y ago
This sounds like an ideal partnership with a company like Canoo (https://www.canoo.com/ https://www.canoo.com/), which is focused on creating the "skateboard" of EVs. If people don't truly care about the authenticity of their DeLorean, seems like building on someone else's platform is the obvious path.
netsharc 6y ago
This needs a "(201x)" at the end, they've been having these plans for maaaany years. Yes I know strictly speaking it's a blog post from today.
perardi 6y ago
Some useful backstory on the government regulation to allow low-volume cars like this on the road: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the-new-delorean/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the... And some history on DeLorean overall: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-future-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-delorean-motor-company/ https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-futu... …and it’s a pretty wild history.
- EvanAnderson 6y ago
  John DeLorean background - I don't much care for Alec Baldwin, and I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the film, but the 2019 "Framing John DeLorean"[1] was a fun watch. [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/
  - linksnapzz 6y ago
    John Z's autobiography "On a Clear Day, You Can See General Motors" is an enormously fun read, both for what it says about GM in the 50s-70s, and what it doesn't say. My recollection is that most people writing an autobiography might use it as a way to acknowledge things they did wrong, or people they may have upset...not John Z.
  - miguelmota 6y ago
    I remember watching that film and getting Elizabeth Holmes vibes from John DeLorean. He made many promises on what he was going to deliver but failed terribly on execution.
- Daho0n 6y ago
  Maybe I'm missing something or I'm too stupid to understand the article but I don't see why anyone should be allowed to sell a new car with old safety standards for road use? I'm not from the US so maybe it is yet "Another US Thing I Don't Understand" (sorry). Where I'm at (in Scandinavia) not only would this not be allowed on the roads but even if I buy an old car and want to upgrade it (modern brakes?) it wouldn't be allowed without a car inspection and it would no longer have a cheaper vintage car insurance, registration fees, etc. etc. It would be very costly if at all possible. AFAIK this is equally so in all of the EU. Seems to me this is a giant loophole. Like as if Coca Cola re-released an old recipe with real coke in it and everyone just went "Sure! It's authentic!" Could someone enlighten me?
m-i-l 6y ago
From 2011: "So far, said [James] Espey, the company has retrofitted one car with an electric motor. If all goes well, he said, the company would start selling built-to-order electric DeLoreans around 2013."[0] Original article also mentions "...an EV DeLorean – as we displayed at the 2012 New York International Auto Show...". [0] https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/back-future-delorean-plans-electric-car/story?id=14761822 https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/back-future-delorean-plans...
- reitzensteinm 6y ago
  In 2011 it was pretty difficult to build a BEV. In 2021 you just call up Magna and use their stock platform, like the Fisker Ocean is doing. Maybe they are full of shit and always have been. But I could see a good team with limited resources realizing how in over their heads they are 10 years ago, only to circle back today and be able to pull it off.
postit 6y ago
There’s a huge opportunity for the manufacturer that could streamline an hypothetical chassis with integrated electronics and batteries. We could be looking for a future resembling what we have today in some formula categories that are basically a power unit paired with a dallara or lolla chassis.
- taitems 6y ago
  Lots of EV manufacturers are investigating the "skateboard" model where you drop a chassis on a unified battery platform. VW has invested monumental amounts in this but I imagine will keep it all locked down to the VAG family. Perhaps they're open to licensing opportunities. Canoo ($GOEV) on the other hand is in the news for their skateboard platform being adopted by Hyundai/Kia and potentially being the base of the new Apple car. In theory DMC could build upon a Canoo skateboard, or license another EV startups skateboard.
  - blueblisters 6y ago
    What are the biggest cost centers and differentiators for EVs? I have heard that a big reason why traditional automobile manufacturers are behind is because they don't have the software foundation that Tesla does. I imagine the "skateboard" integrates software, electronics, batteries and motors in a single platform, but will that be enough to counter Tesla's competitive advantage, while being able to differentiate the product enough from other folks using the same platform? I wonder if an Android like fragmentation of the market makes sense here - a company like Google developing and maintaining the software, another customizing it to fit inside custom hardware.
    - rcxdude 6y ago
      Software isn't particularly important (at least the kind that Tesla's most visibly writing). The key is getting to low cost motor control electronics and batteries (along with accompanying electronics and safety systems). The battery especially is the current barrier to an affordable EV with the range of a typical IC car.
    - 6y ago
chrisgd 6y ago
Probably via a SPAC and promoted by WSB memes. $10T TAM identified
oscb 6y ago
They have been saying this for over a decade. I do think it is a good idea, if at least for a niche collector's market, but so far the leadership of the new delorean co seems to just be throwing promises every year to see if something sticks. ... I mean... I guess it lives up to its name.
Animats 6y ago
Why not? Stanford did that years ago. Stanford has an autonomous electric DeLorean capable of precision drifting.[1] [1] https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/20/autonomous-delorean-drives-sideways-move-forward/ https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/20/autonomous-delorean-dri...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- m3at 6y ago
  Thanks for sharing! The project is certainly fun and the visuals complement that well
soheil 6y ago
Tesla should have bought this brand and maybe used it for their high-end models (plaid, roadster) similar to Toyota with Lexus.
- sedatk 6y ago
  It makes sense. Cybertruck seems to be inspired by DeLorean a lot: a steel body and a design with sharp lines.
callahanrts 6y ago
Some fans couldn't wait! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6yTNvl-s-Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6yTNvl-s-Y
onenightnine 6y ago
i think it would be widely successful, i'd buy one
29athrowaway 6y ago
Despite the time machine nostalgia, I have heard DeLoreans are not very good cars to own. Low availability and high cost of replacement parts, not many mechanics are familiar with them, need to avoid scratching them in any way because you don't paint them... Not to mention gas consumption, safety, etc. You can make a profitable business from a DeLorean. Like selling wedding photos and such... but as an everyday car it is not the right choice.
blackrock 6y ago
That would be fun. Maybe it can also be powered by Mr. Fusion.
grenoire 6y ago
> The DeLorean was memorably featured in the Back to the Future movie trilogy (1985, 1989, and 1990) as the model of car made into a time machine by eccentric scientist Doc Brown, although the company had closed down before the first movie was made. Woah! Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? Truly iconic.
- notahacker 6y ago
  > Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? They wouldn't need roads... (Disappointed this one doesn't appear to have flight or time travel capabilities planned tbh. Battery tech obviously needs more work)
- Judgmentality 6y ago
  > Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? What cars today are you talking about?
  - grenoire 6y ago
    Well, in general! Had other automakers copied similarly futuristic and overly-stylish cars, we would've ended up with a completely different design philosophy perhaps?
    - icebraining 6y ago
      I'm not sure - efficiency standards push in a very specific direction.
  - scoopertrooper 6y ago
    You know, modern cars, which all feature straight edged unpainted stainless steel.
- dharmab 6y ago
  The DeLorean story is insane. Mr. DeLorean tried to finance the company with literal briefcases of cocaine in hotel rooms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeLorean#Arrest_and_trial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeLorean#Arrest_and_trial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCwKEnu5xSk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCwKEnu5xSk
pengaru 6y ago
I'm eagerly waiting for mazda to announce the electric miata with knobs, levers, and no autonomous bullshit.
- cestith 6y ago
  Mazda has extensive experience as a company with fairly unusual motors. I'd expect they might start a performance electric line under their RX badge series, or perhaps start aa new set of badges.
eliseumds 6y ago
"Error establishing a database connection"
grecy 6y ago
It's 2021 now, and any vehicle on the drawing board won't go into production until ~2024. Many jurisdictions around the world are already banning the sale of new ICE vehicles from about 2030 I would be shocked if any company anywhere is sinking R&D money into designing new ICE motors, and I believe we're seeing the last evolution that will ever come. They'll keep building what they've already designed, but they're not going to sink billions into designing new ones. Yes, yes, tractors and transport trucks and whatever will persist, but I think for mass produced passenger vehicles, we'll never see another big ICE R&D breakthrough like Variable valve timing or variable vane turbos or overhead camshafts. It's over.
nyxtom 6y ago
This is the one
hcrisp 6y ago
No one is going to point out that for today, January 21, the Wikipedia main page [0] says the following? "1981 – The DeLorean Motor Company completed the first production car of the DMC DeLorean (example pictured)." 40 years to the day, what a coincidence. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
tartoran 6y ago
They might as well make the leap and let us feed the car trash, recycle it into energy and we'd go back to the future in a heartbeat.
vz8 6y ago
I misread another title. "DeLorean considering all-electric robot." Either way, I'm in.
acidburnNSA 6y ago
In Back to the Future, Marty asks: "Wait a minute Doc, are you telling me that this sucker is nuclear?!" after hearing that it needs plutonium. Doc answers brilliantly: "Hey hey! keep rolling there! no no no no no this sucker is electrical! But I needed a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity I need!" Geez that's how nuclear power advocates should describe their "electrical generating stations" Anyway, fun to hear that an electric version may come about. If it charges from a nuclear-heavy area it will indeed be as doc said.
- captaincrowbar 6y ago
  For sale: Slightly used DeLorean. Only driven from time to time.
peterfield 6y ago
Why going "only" electric? The real innovative move is to go straight to nuclear fusion isn't it ?
- lifeisstillgood 6y ago
  The power output per old banana skin is not yet cost efficient. We have great hopes for the spin-off silver-visor tech however :-)
beatboxrevival 6y ago
Random piece of history - John DeLorean got his start creating snowcats when he purchased the Logan Machine Company (LMC) brand. He quickly renamed it to DMC, and continued to make snowcats at the same time he was making the DMC DeLorean. I have one of the LMC snowcats from the mid 80s and it's fantastic machine.
- sokoloff 6y ago
  I would characterize his early (and spectacular) career at General Motors as where he “got his start”.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - beatboxrevival 6y ago
    You took that quote out of context. "...creating snowcats when he purchased the Logan Machine Company" I'm aware of his automotive history. Just wanted to provide a different perspective of what other things he was doing around the same time.
    - sokoloff 6y ago
      Sure. If the question is "How did John Delorean start manufacturing snowcats?", then I completely butchered the quote. If the question is "How did John Delorean get his start?" it seems to me like "at General Motors" is a better answer than "by buying LMC".
      - beatboxrevival 6y ago
        There was no question posed. I was simply injecting a random piece of trivia (which I acknowledged). Now that you understand my intent, why do you keep pressing? These are the types of responses that make people not want to comment on news.yc.
        6y ago
fortran77 6y ago
With electric cars, I have a feeling we'll see a lot of "classic cars" from Model Ts to Trans Ams re-introduced in Electric form. Once the platform is perfected, why not drop different bodies on top of it?
ggm 6y ago
Great! can we then start making classic VW beetle, and the original Austin/Morris Mini, and not the beefed-up-on-steroids grandkids?
cf100clunk 6y ago
You the man, DeLorean! (note to self: pitch story idea to Disney)
p1mrx 6y ago
The premise of Back to the Future III was that the vehicle still had electrical power from the Mr. Fusion, but couldn't get up to 88 MPH due to problems with the gasoline engine. So this solution has been staring us in the face. Really they should've just dropped in a motor as part of the hover conversion.
- ginko 6y ago
  Now that's unrealistic. Had the Mr Fusion been an actual appliance from 2015 it would have stopped working without internet connection.
- iso1210 6y ago
  The problem being no fuel was left due to a leak in the tank. So Doc wrote another letter to his futre self and said "include a spare can of gas in the boot", end of film. "Mr Fusion" could product 1.21GW. For about a tenth of a second. It then needed a recharge, so about 33kWh, half that of a Model 3
adventured 6y ago
EV bubble top. Stick a pin in it.
partiallypro 6y ago
They'd have to ditch the famous stainless steel body or it wouldn't make it very far.
- nickik 6y ago
  The body is not actually stainless steel. This is common misconception. Its actually a totally normal unibody construction, they just put stainless steel panels on top just like other cars put painted panels on top. And even if it was, why 'would it not make it far'? Cars are made out of steel, stainless steal worse then other types of steel. The first car that is actually structurally stainless steel will by the Cybertruck as far as I know.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
gdsdfe 6y ago
Apple should buy DeLorean
f430 6y ago
This is gonna suck for Tesla. More and more competitors are jumping at the EV market with their own unique brands. The idea that Tesla has an economic moat is laughable. GM also thought they were untouchable. Where are they now?
- smileysteve 6y ago
  The battery factory and superchargers are the moats that Tesla has. The cars, they're just the providing a market for the above
  - f430 6y ago
    well they are in big trouble because Samsung, Toyota have come up with superior batteries and they are now ramping up production.
- nickik 6y ago
  Wow, what nonsense. This is a very low volume car at best. This is not Tesla competition, VW is. There are already tons of EV companies and all the big automakers are already producing EV as well. Just in terms of pure electric vehicle you have Rivian, Lucid in the US, there is Xpeng, NIU and others in China, and those are already valued in the billions. Tesla skeptics have been saying 'competition is coming' for literally 6 years now. I literally read that story every single year. And in those 6 years Tesla increased its global market share every single year. Comparing Tesla and GM makes no sense what so ever, GM was toppled like 100 years, like 30 years after it has peaked in sales. Tesla on the other hand is more like a startup growing year over year by around 40%. Based on your other comment you have some believe that some other companies might simply show up with superior batteries and massively improve on what Tesla (and others have). This will not actually happen if you understand how the battery industry works. And even if it does, it would take year and year after the first car with a new battery is produced, to reach anywhere close to real volume production. (You seem to believe they are 'ramping up production now, which is simply false no idea where you got this from). Go look at QuantumScape manufacturing plan and even if you assume Toyota or somebody will get there twice as fast (not very likely) the numbers will not actually be enough to be mainstream. Toyota has been talking about their solid state tech for years and no car with it will come out for years. Tesla on the other hand has a 30ish% silicon anode battery going in huge volume production this year and the amount of silicon will grow every year after tat. And the main advantage of silicon anodes is that you can put them into traditional factory, you know all those 10s of billions of factories that are being built right now (compared to 10s of millions for solid state factories). That is why Tesla and many others, including just as many startups (SILA for example) bet on silicon anodes and not solid state. My bet is that by 2030 the majority of EV produced will not be solid state, rather traditional but with a high silicon graphite anode. Availability of batteries will be the moat and will continue to be so for many more years. Just in terms of material sourcing alone there is a huge bottle neck. > Where are they now? GM still exits and still produces a huge amount of cars, like millions, including electric cars. They are building a copy of the Tesla Nevada factory (ie 35GW per year plant)
dehrmann 6y ago
Cool, but the Tesla story already made it feel like a spiritual successor to the DeLorean.
perdamgaard 6y ago
Has anyone seen some pictures of the concept car?
rob74 6y ago
Now they just need Doc Brown to come back from the future with the plans for a "Mr. Fusion" to solve the range problems once and for all...
m_st 6y ago
OT: Wow I somehow feared a Flash animation intro when loading the main site newdelorean.com. Probably due to the old-school feeling of the logo and a progress bar.
- yreg 6y ago
  Those days are thankfully done since Flash Player refuses to play web content after Jan 1 2021.
naruhodo 6y ago
Ctrl-F Flux Capacitor. Missed opportunity.
jillesvangurp 6y ago
Kind of fits the fictional upgrades doc Brown did in Back to the Future. If you have a flux capacitor, having a petrol engine makes no sense whatsoever. And to paraphrase him, if you are going to drive, you might as well do it in style. That kind of is the point of a DeLorean. Its engine never was the selling point; rather the opposite.
- WorldMaker 6y ago
  Yeah it is funny that Doc went with the Hover conversion in 2015 but must have cheaped out on the EV conversion (which would have been easily doable in our 2015), given parts of the plot in Part III.
metafunctor 6y ago
It takes a lot of reading to go from the original title “NHTSA releases final Low-Volume Manufacturing Rules” to the submitted “DeLorean considering all-electric reboot”.
JOnAgain 6y ago
but will it fly?
- esher 6y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_time_machine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_time_machine
rainbowzootsuit 6y ago
MARTY already exists, and has full-self-drifting mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x3SqeSdrAE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x3SqeSdrAE
AtlasBarfed 6y ago
Skateboard EV design combined with high-density batteries and plunging motor/component costs should enable lots of flexible near DIY designs. I speculate the widespread ability to do small scale manufacture of the base skateboard (wheels, motors, battery, "frame" part of body on frame) dropping to $5000 in about 10 years. Sure it might not get the range / weight advantage of Big Auto EVs (that is, once the rest of Big Auto starts to close the gap with Tesla), but it will probably still do 200 miles for daily driving or fun driving. It probably won't have slick software, won't self-drive, etc. Then there is the drop-in engine replacements. Again, once batteries get cheap and good enough, you can probably get a 100-150 mile range on a all-in-one battery+motor drop in for a, for example, chevy big block. Stick shifts could do regen with the old "engine braking", or single pedal driving could probably be done too. But it might save a vast array of old cars. If the cheap skateboard can be tailored for the old car wheelbase/dimensions, you could see old cadillacs rolling around with these inside of them.
oliv__ 6y ago
I'm sorry but that design is not timeless at all. That car looks aged as hell and I wouldn't want to drive it. (My 2 grumpy cents)
blippage 6y ago
This will require that the electricity grid generates an extra 1.21 gigawatts, though.

445 points by evo_9 6y ago

Did they conference in John Z on a Ouija-Zoom gateway?

TBH I’m surprised Musk hasn’t bought them out yet and “released” a limited edition Model 3 with a DeLorian body kit for like $500,000... if Cyan can release a Volvo P1800 for 500K and you usually need to provide the 50 year old P1800 for them to convert and tune there clearly is a market for these things.

buzzert 6y ago
If Tesla just made a sedan version of the Cybertruck, it would look just like a DeLorean.
- bredren 6y ago
  My impression was Cybertruck is heavily influenced by the DeLorean design. It would be great to be able to get a DMC-1200 by Tesla.
  - GuB-42 6y ago
    From what I've seen, there are technical reasons for the design of the Cybertruck. Tesla wanted to use stiff stainless steel for their "tough" vehicle. The use of stainless steel for the SpaceX BFR (aka Starship) may have also been a factor. Problem is that the usual techniques for making nice curved shapes don't work on such a material, so they used folded metal sheet instead, resulting in that "low poly" look. Considering that the DeLorean is also made of stainless steel and also has a rather angular shape, you are bound to make the comparison. The necessarily noticed it at Tesla and I am not sure what they intend to do with that. The DeLorean is iconic and (back to the) futuristic, it also had the reputation of a terrible car and was a commercial failure.
    - bredren 6y ago
      I recall the reasons given as you describe. So my impression is not due to statements from Tesla. That said, the resemblance is unmistakable. The designers could not have been unaware of the dmc-1200. As for the reputation of the delorean’s quality and commercial failure, I don’t think this would give Elon pause in the slightest. That guy does whatever he wants.
- alasdair_ 6y ago
  The model X doors just scream "delorean" more than any other Tesla feature, in my mind.
tonyedgecombe 6y ago
Tesla and DeLorean have common roots. The DeLorean was largely engineered by Lotus based on technology from the Lotus Esprit. The original Tesla Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise.
- breakfastduck 6y ago
  Lotus Esprit is an absolute classic. They've made some great cars.
- caf 6y ago
  The DeLorean and the Cybertruck both have the stainless steel body, too.
xiphias2 6y ago
The year Tesla started manufacturing Model 3s got Elon back to the ground from dreaming about special cars, like the new Roadster: to get to a huge company and deliver on sustainability, they have to focus on cheap cars in huge volume, and can't afford many fun projects (except things like Tesla Tequila, that they can mostly outsource :) )
- bitwize 6y ago
  TIL that Tesla Tequila is an actual thing, and it's somehow even more ridiculous than Tres Comas.
  - toomuchtodo 6y ago
    Tesla Tequila is a spoof off of Tres Comas (was priced at $250, limit two, as an alleged nod to their imminent inclusion in the S&P500), and honestly it’s pretty good tequila for a marketing spoof.
    - alasdair_ 6y ago
      Can you use the Tesla Tequila as fuel in the Tesla flamethrower?
      - toomuchtodo 6y ago
        And waste good Tequila!? Sir or madam, the tequila is fuel for me.
- orange_tee 6y ago
  Are you sure about that? Why would Tesla want to compete with Toyota and VW to produce the bottom tier of cars? When at that point they are competing with the best of the best at making the most affordable cars at the largest volumes? They could also maintain their brand image and sell their mid range luxury models achieving less volume at a higher profitability margin.
  - 6y ago
duxup 6y ago
For a big car maker volume and the efficiencies you get from that is a big deal right? That would seem at odds with a one off limited edition.
- bryanlarsen 6y ago
  One of the advantages of using bent stainless rather than pressed & painted steel is that it can be done efficiently and cheaply in low volumes. A modern paint shop costs about a half billion; the forms & presses for pressing steel are also quite expensive. 750,000 preorders means that these low-volume production advantages are mostly moot, but perhaps Tesla will still take advantage of this to create some low volume variants. Which is the only way you're going to see variants -- the unibody design of the Cybertruck means that coach-builders can't use a cutaway base.
  - duxup 6y ago
    Interesting, I wonder if we will see mass 'limited edition' options out there. I do wonder how accessible they'll be as even today with mass production getting the color, price, options you want has always been a bit of a hassle / compromise outside of ... cars I don't want ;)
mc32 6y ago
What makes the Deloreans so appealing? From what I’m told, it wasn’t very well made and on top of that it was underpowered. So I get the iconic aspect from movie lore. And I get the founder was very... idiosyncratic —and an underdog and ultimately spiraled into making very unfortunate choices. But other than that, what’s the appeal?
- DC-3 6y ago
  They look like spaceships and when you buy one you feel like a king (i.e. you're stealing from the British taxpayer).
- tracedddd 6y ago
  I love how they look, everything about them from the doors to the instrument panel to the steel body. I honestly don’t like back to the future much, not more than any other movie, and it’s popularity from that has dissuaded me from buying one (not to mention the soaring prices due to the film.) Nor do I particularly care about the founder or his choices. For some, the design simply has a great appeal. An EV refresh would be a dream and I would absolutely buy a somewhat overpriced Tesla produced Delorean.
  - ryandrake 6y ago
    Modern car styling is about as exciting as a mud pie. Go to any parking lot and try to find a sedan built after 2000 that doesn’t look like the same boring bar of soap with wheels. Sure they may have different grilles or headlight clusters, but these days I can’t tell most models apart until I get clise enough to see the badge. I’d buy an electric delorian just for the unique style. I love the cybertruck’s look too, and although I wouldn’t buy one because I have no use for a pickup truck right now, I’d like to see more of them on the road and fewer white, gray, and black soap bars.
    - tracedddd 6y ago
      You’re absolutely correct, I hate how new cars look between the crumble zones, plasticky everything, and wind tunnel optimizations smoothing every stylistic choice out. They do drive well, crash well, and have sweet fuel economy though. So for ICE it’s probably best. I’m happy to see EVs having design flexibility again.
oliv__ 6y ago
I didn't realize that Volvo had such a rich history. That P1800 is gorgeous!

mrfusion 6y ago

Speaking of, Is it ok to own a stainless steel vehicle near the ocean? Should I advise my friend to avoid the cybertruck? (Or Delorean)

elihu 6y ago
Why would that be an issue?
- mrfusion 6y ago
  Rusting
  - flyingfences 6y ago
    That's why they call it "stainless" -- it doesn't rust.
    - Armisael16 6y ago
      It doesn’t rust as much. It very definitely does rust.
      - bigmattystyles 6y ago
        Can confirm - my stainless steel dishwasher has rust spots on it, albeit, tiny, they are there. WRT to the delorean, your mileage may vary :-D
      - flyingfences 6y ago
        It doesn't rust as much as the steel that typical cars are made of.
    - mhb 6y ago
      That's what they mean by "less".
      - 6y ago

mikestew 6y ago

Why would I want an electric version of a fat, slow, heavy car? Oh, right, because Back to the Future. And gull-wing doors, let's be honest.

EvanAnderson 6y ago
Exactly my thoughts. It's a neat-looking design, but besides being an iconic movie prop the car did not particularly excel at anything. If DeLorean had continued production and iterated on the design it could have been a lot better.
core-questions 6y ago
I've driven one, and honestly, it wasn't that fat/slow/heavy. It could have used more power, but it was fairly fun to drive. Not everything needs "five hunnert horsepower" to be interesting.
- jandrese 6y ago
  It was slow compared to similarly priced luxury sport vehicles of the day. Compared to ordinary sedans and the like it was perfectly fine, although obviously far more expensive. They definitely needed to iterate on the design a few times. The gull wing doors were super cool, but also highly failure prone. The engine desperately needed a turbocharger which was in the works when DMC folded. The electrics were typical British 80s fire hazards. One good thing is that unlike many cars of the era it is not plagued with blistering or peeling paint.
- blackrock 6y ago
  It only needs to hit 88 mph before it hits the wall, for things to be interesting.
- mywittyname 6y ago
  There's a lot of room between 130 (SAE NET) hp and "five hunnert horsepower" The DMC-12 is roughly as fast as a Prius. I can appreciate the complaints in that department. I wouldn't dare call 2900lbs fat though.

elihu 6y ago

> National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a regulation permitting low volume motor vehicle manufacturers to begin selling replica cars that resemble vehicles produced at least 25 years ago. Congress enacted a DeLorean Motor Company-backed bill backed by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) DeLorean Motor Company, and others into law in 2015, which streamlined requirements for small automakers, but implementation was delayed while awaiting the NHTSA regulations. Companies like DeLorean will now be able to apply for authorization to produce and sell vehicles under this program. I assume this means they waive certain modern safety regulations in order to allow companies to make new cars (in low volume) that resemble old cars? > That said, with EV’s becoming more mainstream, we’ve been considering switching to an all-electric as the future. It certainly makes for an easier path through emissions maze which still looms large over any internal combustion engine. That makes sense. If ever there was a car that looks like it should be an EV, it's the Delorean. They could even do a stickshift EV if they wanted to, though most car companies seem to not think it's worth the complexity/maintenance, and I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions.

Armisael16 6y ago
> They could even do a stickshift EV if they wanted to, though most car companies seem to not think it's worth the complexity/maintenance, and I get the impression that electric motors are hard on transmissions. Electric motors have a wider power band, so there’s less need for gear shifting. They could get more efficiency with multiple gears, but it’s be a smaller benefit than in an ICE vehicle. One of the big early problems was that the amount of instant torque that an electric vehicle puts out just shreds a gearbox. You could limit the initial torque in software, but that’d kill the joy of the EV. I’m sure someone has managed to work this by now. On the other hand, different axles don’t have to use the same gearing ratio. That’s how dual motor Teslas work - the front wheels are geared for higher speeds, and more power is shifted towards those as you go faster. No gear-shifting required.
- abfan1127 6y ago
  is there some type of clutch that allows the rear wheels to free-spin at higher speeds?

EvanAnderson 6y ago

As a fun replica car in a limited run it makes sense. You wouldn't want a DMC-12 (even as an EV, where the lack of acceleration and power could be addressed) for a daily driver. The ergonomics of the design are terrible. It's a cool-looking car, but supremely uncomfortable to drive or ride in. I suppose that if you like attention it could be a "win". Driving one gets you a lot of attention, even 30+ years after "Back to the Future" came out. The appeal of those movies made that car immortal.

jrossi94 6y ago
I don't know. I have one and while its performance is awful its certainly the most comfortable car I've ever owned.
- EvanAnderson 6y ago
  My father has one (restored) that I've driven a fair amount. I really like the car, but I just can't see it as a daily driver. (For a taste comparison, my '99 Nissan Maxima was probably my most comfortable car, both for passenger comfort, and for the driving experience.) The DMC-12 is a hotbox in the summer and the stock AC just can't keep up. That's my biggest memory. Rolling the window down would be fine, except that the portion that can roll down is tiny. You get no airflow to speak of. If the doors were redesigned so a larger portion of the window rolls down it would help tremendously. It may just be my body shape, but I can't get comfortable in the seats. I wouldn't want to ride in it for a long time. re: driving - It's probably also the lack of performance, too. If I'm in that more reclined "sporty" driving position I expect some response when I mash the accelerator. As an EV the performance could be radically enhanced. That would definitely be neat. I felt that visibility was bad. The high window sills, gigantic A pillars, and sloped windowshield always made me feel like I had to second-guess what was going on around the car. The hood is deceptively long, too. It would be a neat conversation piece to have one, for sure. As an EV it could be made wickedly performant. I think it would still feel like riding in a low-slung box that you are just peeking out over the top of, though.
  - tyingq 6y ago

jamestimmins 6y ago

This sounds like an ideal partnership with a company like Canoo (https://www.canoo.com/ https://www.canoo.com/), which is focused on creating the "skateboard" of EVs. If people don't truly care about the authenticity of their DeLorean, seems like building on someone else's platform is the obvious path.

netsharc 6y ago

This needs a "(201x)" at the end, they've been having these plans for maaaany years. Yes I know strictly speaking it's a blog post from today.

perardi 6y ago

Some useful backstory on the government regulation to allow low-volume cars like this on the road: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the-new-delorean/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a34673012/where-is-the... And some history on DeLorean overall: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-future-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-delorean-motor-company/ https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15352382/back-to-the-futu... …and it’s a pretty wild history.

EvanAnderson 6y ago
John DeLorean background - I don't much care for Alec Baldwin, and I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the film, but the 2019 "Framing John DeLorean"[1] was a fun watch. [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6256978/
- linksnapzz 6y ago
  John Z's autobiography "On a Clear Day, You Can See General Motors" is an enormously fun read, both for what it says about GM in the 50s-70s, and what it doesn't say. My recollection is that most people writing an autobiography might use it as a way to acknowledge things they did wrong, or people they may have upset...not John Z.
- miguelmota 6y ago
  I remember watching that film and getting Elizabeth Holmes vibes from John DeLorean. He made many promises on what he was going to deliver but failed terribly on execution.
Daho0n 6y ago
Maybe I'm missing something or I'm too stupid to understand the article but I don't see why anyone should be allowed to sell a new car with old safety standards for road use? I'm not from the US so maybe it is yet "Another US Thing I Don't Understand" (sorry). Where I'm at (in Scandinavia) not only would this not be allowed on the roads but even if I buy an old car and want to upgrade it (modern brakes?) it wouldn't be allowed without a car inspection and it would no longer have a cheaper vintage car insurance, registration fees, etc. etc. It would be very costly if at all possible. AFAIK this is equally so in all of the EU. Seems to me this is a giant loophole. Like as if Coca Cola re-released an old recipe with real coke in it and everyone just went "Sure! It's authentic!" Could someone enlighten me?

m-i-l 6y ago

From 2011: "So far, said [James] Espey, the company has retrofitted one car with an electric motor. If all goes well, he said, the company would start selling built-to-order electric DeLoreans around 2013."[0] Original article also mentions "...an EV DeLorean – as we displayed at the 2012 New York International Auto Show...". [0] https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/back-future-delorean-plans-electric-car/story?id=14761822 https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/back-future-delorean-plans...

reitzensteinm 6y ago
In 2011 it was pretty difficult to build a BEV. In 2021 you just call up Magna and use their stock platform, like the Fisker Ocean is doing. Maybe they are full of shit and always have been. But I could see a good team with limited resources realizing how in over their heads they are 10 years ago, only to circle back today and be able to pull it off.

postit 6y ago

There’s a huge opportunity for the manufacturer that could streamline an hypothetical chassis with integrated electronics and batteries. We could be looking for a future resembling what we have today in some formula categories that are basically a power unit paired with a dallara or lolla chassis.

taitems 6y ago
Lots of EV manufacturers are investigating the "skateboard" model where you drop a chassis on a unified battery platform. VW has invested monumental amounts in this but I imagine will keep it all locked down to the VAG family. Perhaps they're open to licensing opportunities. Canoo ($GOEV) on the other hand is in the news for their skateboard platform being adopted by Hyundai/Kia and potentially being the base of the new Apple car. In theory DMC could build upon a Canoo skateboard, or license another EV startups skateboard.
- blueblisters 6y ago
  What are the biggest cost centers and differentiators for EVs? I have heard that a big reason why traditional automobile manufacturers are behind is because they don't have the software foundation that Tesla does. I imagine the "skateboard" integrates software, electronics, batteries and motors in a single platform, but will that be enough to counter Tesla's competitive advantage, while being able to differentiate the product enough from other folks using the same platform? I wonder if an Android like fragmentation of the market makes sense here - a company like Google developing and maintaining the software, another customizing it to fit inside custom hardware.
  - rcxdude 6y ago
    Software isn't particularly important (at least the kind that Tesla's most visibly writing). The key is getting to low cost motor control electronics and batteries (along with accompanying electronics and safety systems). The battery especially is the current barrier to an affordable EV with the range of a typical IC car.
  - 6y ago

chrisgd 6y ago

Probably via a SPAC and promoted by WSB memes. $10T TAM identified

oscb 6y ago

They have been saying this for over a decade. I do think it is a good idea, if at least for a niche collector's market, but so far the leadership of the new delorean co seems to just be throwing promises every year to see if something sticks. ... I mean... I guess it lives up to its name.

Animats 6y ago

Why not? Stanford did that years ago. Stanford has an autonomous electric DeLorean capable of precision drifting.[1] [1] https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/20/autonomous-delorean-drives-sideways-move-forward/ https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/20/autonomous-delorean-dri...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
m3at 6y ago
Thanks for sharing! The project is certainly fun and the visuals complement that well

soheil 6y ago

Tesla should have bought this brand and maybe used it for their high-end models (plaid, roadster) similar to Toyota with Lexus.

sedatk 6y ago
It makes sense. Cybertruck seems to be inspired by DeLorean a lot: a steel body and a design with sharp lines.

callahanrts 6y ago

Some fans couldn't wait! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6yTNvl-s-Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6yTNvl-s-Y

onenightnine 6y ago

i think it would be widely successful, i'd buy one

29athrowaway 6y ago

Despite the time machine nostalgia, I have heard DeLoreans are not very good cars to own. Low availability and high cost of replacement parts, not many mechanics are familiar with them, need to avoid scratching them in any way because you don't paint them... Not to mention gas consumption, safety, etc. You can make a profitable business from a DeLorean. Like selling wedding photos and such... but as an everyday car it is not the right choice.

blackrock 6y ago

That would be fun. Maybe it can also be powered by Mr. Fusion.

grenoire 6y ago

> The DeLorean was memorably featured in the Back to the Future movie trilogy (1985, 1989, and 1990) as the model of car made into a time machine by eccentric scientist Doc Brown, although the company had closed down before the first movie was made. Woah! Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? Truly iconic.

notahacker 6y ago
> Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? They wouldn't need roads... (Disappointed this one doesn't appear to have flight or time travel capabilities planned tbh. Battery tech obviously needs more work)
Judgmentality 6y ago
> Can you imagine what the cars today would look like if they hadn't and became a huge hit following the movie's status!? What cars today are you talking about?
- grenoire 6y ago
  Well, in general! Had other automakers copied similarly futuristic and overly-stylish cars, we would've ended up with a completely different design philosophy perhaps?
  - icebraining 6y ago
    I'm not sure - efficiency standards push in a very specific direction.
- scoopertrooper 6y ago
  You know, modern cars, which all feature straight edged unpainted stainless steel.
dharmab 6y ago
The DeLorean story is insane. Mr. DeLorean tried to finance the company with literal briefcases of cocaine in hotel rooms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeLorean#Arrest_and_trial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeLorean#Arrest_and_trial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCwKEnu5xSk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCwKEnu5xSk

pengaru 6y ago

I'm eagerly waiting for mazda to announce the electric miata with knobs, levers, and no autonomous bullshit.

cestith 6y ago
Mazda has extensive experience as a company with fairly unusual motors. I'd expect they might start a performance electric line under their RX badge series, or perhaps start aa new set of badges.

eliseumds 6y ago

"Error establishing a database connection"

grecy 6y ago

It's 2021 now, and any vehicle on the drawing board won't go into production until ~2024. Many jurisdictions around the world are already banning the sale of new ICE vehicles from about 2030 I would be shocked if any company anywhere is sinking R&D money into designing new ICE motors, and I believe we're seeing the last evolution that will ever come. They'll keep building what they've already designed, but they're not going to sink billions into designing new ones. Yes, yes, tractors and transport trucks and whatever will persist, but I think for mass produced passenger vehicles, we'll never see another big ICE R&D breakthrough like Variable valve timing or variable vane turbos or overhead camshafts. It's over.

nyxtom 6y ago

This is the one

hcrisp 6y ago

No one is going to point out that for today, January 21, the Wikipedia main page [0] says the following? "1981 – The DeLorean Motor Company completed the first production car of the DMC DeLorean (example pictured)." 40 years to the day, what a coincidence. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

tartoran 6y ago

They might as well make the leap and let us feed the car trash, recycle it into energy and we'd go back to the future in a heartbeat.

vz8 6y ago

I misread another title. "DeLorean considering all-electric robot." Either way, I'm in.

acidburnNSA 6y ago

In Back to the Future, Marty asks: "Wait a minute Doc, are you telling me that this sucker is nuclear?!" after hearing that it needs plutonium. Doc answers brilliantly: "Hey hey! keep rolling there! no no no no no this sucker is electrical! But I needed a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity I need!" Geez that's how nuclear power advocates should describe their "electrical generating stations" Anyway, fun to hear that an electric version may come about. If it charges from a nuclear-heavy area it will indeed be as doc said.

captaincrowbar 6y ago
For sale: Slightly used DeLorean. Only driven from time to time.

peterfield 6y ago

Why going "only" electric? The real innovative move is to go straight to nuclear fusion isn't it ?

lifeisstillgood 6y ago
The power output per old banana skin is not yet cost efficient. We have great hopes for the spin-off silver-visor tech however :-)

beatboxrevival 6y ago

Random piece of history - John DeLorean got his start creating snowcats when he purchased the Logan Machine Company (LMC) brand. He quickly renamed it to DMC, and continued to make snowcats at the same time he was making the DMC DeLorean. I have one of the LMC snowcats from the mid 80s and it's fantastic machine.

sokoloff 6y ago
I would characterize his early (and spectacular) career at General Motors as where he “got his start”.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- beatboxrevival 6y ago
  You took that quote out of context. "...creating snowcats when he purchased the Logan Machine Company" I'm aware of his automotive history. Just wanted to provide a different perspective of what other things he was doing around the same time.
  - sokoloff 6y ago
    Sure. If the question is "How did John Delorean start manufacturing snowcats?", then I completely butchered the quote. If the question is "How did John Delorean get his start?" it seems to me like "at General Motors" is a better answer than "by buying LMC".
    - beatboxrevival 6y ago
      There was no question posed. I was simply injecting a random piece of trivia (which I acknowledged). Now that you understand my intent, why do you keep pressing? These are the types of responses that make people not want to comment on news.yc.
      - 6y ago

fortran77 6y ago

With electric cars, I have a feeling we'll see a lot of "classic cars" from Model Ts to Trans Ams re-introduced in Electric form. Once the platform is perfected, why not drop different bodies on top of it?

ggm 6y ago

Great! can we then start making classic VW beetle, and the original Austin/Morris Mini, and not the beefed-up-on-steroids grandkids?

cf100clunk 6y ago

You the man, DeLorean! (note to self: pitch story idea to Disney)

p1mrx 6y ago

The premise of Back to the Future III was that the vehicle still had electrical power from the Mr. Fusion, but couldn't get up to 88 MPH due to problems with the gasoline engine. So this solution has been staring us in the face. Really they should've just dropped in a motor as part of the hover conversion.

ginko 6y ago
Now that's unrealistic. Had the Mr Fusion been an actual appliance from 2015 it would have stopped working without internet connection.
iso1210 6y ago
The problem being no fuel was left due to a leak in the tank. So Doc wrote another letter to his futre self and said "include a spare can of gas in the boot", end of film. "Mr Fusion" could product 1.21GW. For about a tenth of a second. It then needed a recharge, so about 33kWh, half that of a Model 3

adventured 6y ago

EV bubble top. Stick a pin in it.

partiallypro 6y ago

They'd have to ditch the famous stainless steel body or it wouldn't make it very far.

nickik 6y ago
The body is not actually stainless steel. This is common misconception. Its actually a totally normal unibody construction, they just put stainless steel panels on top just like other cars put painted panels on top. And even if it was, why 'would it not make it far'? Cars are made out of steel, stainless steal worse then other types of steel. The first car that is actually structurally stainless steel will by the Cybertruck as far as I know.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

gdsdfe 6y ago

Apple should buy DeLorean

f430 6y ago

This is gonna suck for Tesla. More and more competitors are jumping at the EV market with their own unique brands. The idea that Tesla has an economic moat is laughable. GM also thought they were untouchable. Where are they now?

smileysteve 6y ago
The battery factory and superchargers are the moats that Tesla has. The cars, they're just the providing a market for the above
- f430 6y ago
  well they are in big trouble because Samsung, Toyota have come up with superior batteries and they are now ramping up production.
nickik 6y ago
Wow, what nonsense. This is a very low volume car at best. This is not Tesla competition, VW is. There are already tons of EV companies and all the big automakers are already producing EV as well. Just in terms of pure electric vehicle you have Rivian, Lucid in the US, there is Xpeng, NIU and others in China, and those are already valued in the billions. Tesla skeptics have been saying 'competition is coming' for literally 6 years now. I literally read that story every single year. And in those 6 years Tesla increased its global market share every single year. Comparing Tesla and GM makes no sense what so ever, GM was toppled like 100 years, like 30 years after it has peaked in sales. Tesla on the other hand is more like a startup growing year over year by around 40%. Based on your other comment you have some believe that some other companies might simply show up with superior batteries and massively improve on what Tesla (and others have). This will not actually happen if you understand how the battery industry works. And even if it does, it would take year and year after the first car with a new battery is produced, to reach anywhere close to real volume production. (You seem to believe they are 'ramping up production now, which is simply false no idea where you got this from). Go look at QuantumScape manufacturing plan and even if you assume Toyota or somebody will get there twice as fast (not very likely) the numbers will not actually be enough to be mainstream. Toyota has been talking about their solid state tech for years and no car with it will come out for years. Tesla on the other hand has a 30ish% silicon anode battery going in huge volume production this year and the amount of silicon will grow every year after tat. And the main advantage of silicon anodes is that you can put them into traditional factory, you know all those 10s of billions of factories that are being built right now (compared to 10s of millions for solid state factories). That is why Tesla and many others, including just as many startups (SILA for example) bet on silicon anodes and not solid state. My bet is that by 2030 the majority of EV produced will not be solid state, rather traditional but with a high silicon graphite anode. Availability of batteries will be the moat and will continue to be so for many more years. Just in terms of material sourcing alone there is a huge bottle neck. > Where are they now? GM still exits and still produces a huge amount of cars, like millions, including electric cars. They are building a copy of the Tesla Nevada factory (ie 35GW per year plant)

dehrmann 6y ago

Cool, but the Tesla story already made it feel like a spiritual successor to the DeLorean.

perdamgaard 6y ago

Has anyone seen some pictures of the concept car?

rob74 6y ago

Now they just need Doc Brown to come back from the future with the plans for a "Mr. Fusion" to solve the range problems once and for all...

m_st 6y ago

OT: Wow I somehow feared a Flash animation intro when loading the main site newdelorean.com. Probably due to the old-school feeling of the logo and a progress bar.

yreg 6y ago
Those days are thankfully done since Flash Player refuses to play web content after Jan 1 2021.

naruhodo 6y ago

Ctrl-F Flux Capacitor. Missed opportunity.

jillesvangurp 6y ago

Kind of fits the fictional upgrades doc Brown did in Back to the Future. If you have a flux capacitor, having a petrol engine makes no sense whatsoever. And to paraphrase him, if you are going to drive, you might as well do it in style. That kind of is the point of a DeLorean. Its engine never was the selling point; rather the opposite.

WorldMaker 6y ago
Yeah it is funny that Doc went with the Hover conversion in 2015 but must have cheaped out on the EV conversion (which would have been easily doable in our 2015), given parts of the plot in Part III.

metafunctor 6y ago

It takes a lot of reading to go from the original title “NHTSA releases final Low-Volume Manufacturing Rules” to the submitted “DeLorean considering all-electric reboot”.

JOnAgain 6y ago

but will it fly?

esher 6y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_time_machine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_time_machine

rainbowzootsuit 6y ago

MARTY already exists, and has full-self-drifting mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x3SqeSdrAE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x3SqeSdrAE

AtlasBarfed 6y ago

Skateboard EV design combined with high-density batteries and plunging motor/component costs should enable lots of flexible near DIY designs. I speculate the widespread ability to do small scale manufacture of the base skateboard (wheels, motors, battery, "frame" part of body on frame) dropping to $5000 in about 10 years. Sure it might not get the range / weight advantage of Big Auto EVs (that is, once the rest of Big Auto starts to close the gap with Tesla), but it will probably still do 200 miles for daily driving or fun driving. It probably won't have slick software, won't self-drive, etc. Then there is the drop-in engine replacements. Again, once batteries get cheap and good enough, you can probably get a 100-150 mile range on a all-in-one battery+motor drop in for a, for example, chevy big block. Stick shifts could do regen with the old "engine braking", or single pedal driving could probably be done too. But it might save a vast array of old cars. If the cheap skateboard can be tailored for the old car wheelbase/dimensions, you could see old cadillacs rolling around with these inside of them.

oliv__ 6y ago

I'm sorry but that design is not timeless at all. That car looks aged as hell and I wouldn't want to drive it. (My 2 grumpy cents)

blippage 6y ago

This will require that the electricity grid generates an extra 1.21 gigawatts, though.