Let’s face it. If it hadn’t been for the highly popular Back To The Future film trilogy of the 1980s, the stainless-steel, gullwing-doored DeLeorean DMC-12 would probably have been relegated to the history books as an overly-expensive, unreliable sports car wannabe.  

But thanks to the flux capacitor and one Dr.. Emmett Brown, the estimated 6,500 surviving original DeLoreans enjoy a cult-movie-star existence -- with even non-running examples commanding high prices on auction sites like eBay.

If you read GreenCarReports last week you’ll know that isn’t the end of the DeLorean story, thanks to a joint project between two companies keen to resurrect the DeLorean DMC-12 as a fully-electric car. 

Now a video has surfaced on Youtube of one of the prototype electric DeLoreans being driven around the 3/8 mile Houston Motorsports park as part of the International DeLorean Owners event there a few weeks back. 

Although the video shows the prototype DeLorean DMCEV-12 driving around the oval track at the motor racing venue, we’d like to hazard a guess that it peaks at around 50 mph.  We’ll assume that was to prevent it reaching the magic 88 miles-per-hour required to initiate time-travel, or perhaps more honestly, to make sure there was enough charge in the battery pack for the many other test-rides we’re sure it gave that day. 

Jokes aside, the video also lets us see inside the sensitively-updated interior, complete with what we assume is a touch-screen monitor where the radio and central air-conditioning vents were in the original cars. There’s also a new centrally-mounted electronic gear-selector system featuring Tesla-style push-buttons and a big multi-function rotary knob.

And of course, the obligatory iPhone dock. 

Electric DeLorean DMCEV-12

Electric DeLorean DMCEV-12

Aside from that, the car appears almost identical to its predecessor. That’s hardly a surprise, since the limited-edition cars will be built from new original stock components and chassis direct from the resurrected DeLorean Motor Company, and an all-new electric drivetrain from Epic Electric Vehicles.

According to DMC -- that’s the resurrected DeLorean Motor Company as purchased in 1995 by astute Texas-based British businessman Stephen Wynne -- the DMCEV-12 will hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Top speed hasn’t been disclosed, nor has the purchase price of the limited-run car when it supposedly launches in 2013. 

What about EPA ratings and crash tests? Because the electric DeLoreans will be made of 80% original parts, most countries will treat them as 30 year old cars, meaning they won’t have to meet the same stringent criteria as today’s electric cars. 

We can’t wait to see the all-electric DeLoreans hit production, but note they won’t come with lightening-rod quick-charge capability, or a battery pack big enough to provide the 1.21 jigawatts (gigawatts) of power necessary for time travel.

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