Automotive

Kreisel electrifies classic Porsche race car into a high-speed supercar

Kreisel electrifies classic Porsche race car into a high-speed supercar
With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
View 23 Images
Kreisel and Evex showed a 910e, Evex 910 and original Porsche 910 at the recent Techno-Classica Essen show
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Kreisel and Evex showed a 910e, Evex 910 and original Porsche 910 at the recent Techno-Classica Essen show
Evex's standard 910 has a 320-hp gas engine
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Evex's standard 910 has a 320-hp gas engine
The Porsche 910 raced for about a year in 1966 and 1967
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The Porsche 910 raced for about a year in 1966 and 1967
The all-electric 910e has a 483-hp dual-motor powertrain
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The all-electric 910e has a 483-hp dual-motor powertrain
Kreisel Evex 910e
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Kreisel Evex 910e
Kreisel Evex 910e
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Kreisel Evex 910e
The 910e relies on a 53-kWh battery
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The 910e relies on a 53-kWh battery
Kreisel Evex 910e
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Kreisel Evex 910e
Kreisel and Evex give the classic 910 race car second life as an electric supercar
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Kreisel and Evex give the classic 910 race car second life as an electric supercar
With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
10/23
With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
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With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
Kreisel Evex 910e
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Kreisel Evex 910e 
Kreisel Evex 910e
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Kreisel Evex 910e
The 910e's two-speed transmission helps it achieve supercar performance levels
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The 910e's two-speed transmission helps it achieve supercar performance levels
Evex revives classic Porsche 910 styling into a street legal sports car for modern-day driving
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Evex revives classic Porsche 910 styling into a street legal sports car for modern-day driving
Evex 910 sports car
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Evex 910 sports car
The gas Evex 910 is the lighter of the new 910s, weighing just 1,764 lb
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The gas Evex 910 is the lighter of the new 910s, weighing just 1,764 lb
The Evex 910 has around the same 186+ mph top speed as the 910e
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The Evex 910 has around the same 186+ mph top speed as the 910e
The Porsche 910 was powered by both six- and eight-cylinder engines in its racing days
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The Porsche 910 was powered by both six- and eight-cylinder engines in its racing days
It's not Porsche's most famous race car, but the 910 is certainly a beautiful car
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It's not Porsche's most famous race car, but the 910 is certainly a beautiful car
Porsche 910
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Porsche 910
Porsche 910
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Porsche 910
Kreisel Evex 910e
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Kreisel Evex 910e
View gallery - 23 images

We're suckers for electrified versions of classic and iconic vehicles, whether it's a fun-loving VW Microbus or a timelessly sporty Shelby. A few months ago, it was a 483-hp Mercedes G-Class with close to 200 miles (322 km) of range. Now, Kreisel, the Austrian company behind that E-G-Class, has revealed an entirely different kind of electric vehicle... a 1960s Porsche 910 that channels electric power toward modern-day supercar performance.

In 1966, Porsche was in the midst of transforming from young, hungry marque chasing the big boys to all-out Le Mans tour de force. It had had plenty of success in small engine classes, but as far as outright victory, it found itself on the outside of the great Ford-Ferrari battles, watching from behind as the GT40 drove through its glory days.

Porsche 910
Porsche 910

The 910 was not destined to be Porsche's Le Mans 24 Hours breakthrough (that was the 917 in 1970), and it didn't even serve as Porsche's main car at the 1967 event. Its successor, the 907, was more purposefully designed for the race and served as the primary 1967 car. Fittingly, the 907 finished 5th behind a sea of Fords and Ferraris, the 910 6th.

The 910 did have a few impressive showings in roughly a year of racing in '66 and '67, including 1-2-3 finishes at the 1967 Targa Florio and Le Mans 1,000 km, but it's not necessarily the first race car from that era you might expect to see revived today. Then again, it isn't a car we're complaining about seeing 50 years later, especially when it masterfully pairs the flowing curves and bulges of a 1960s race car with the supercar performance of a modern, cutting-edge electric powertrain.

The journey began last year when Evex Fahrzeugbau GmbH restarted a line of work it had abandoned back in the 70s: building 910-based replica cars to street-legal specification. Those standard Evex 910s come powered with a 320-hp 3.2-liter gas engine, but Kreisel had another idea. It teamed up with Evex last August to develop an Evex 910 running an all-electric powertrain. The partners call it the 910e.

With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there
With over 186 mph of speed and a 2.5-second 0-62 mph, the 910e competes with some of the fastest electric cars out there

The 910e isn't just electric to be trendy; it's actually a higher performance model. It packs the same 483 hp as Kreisel's G-Wagen, but the slippery race car makes more efficient use of that power than the boxy utility vehicle. Kreisel estimates an exhilarating 2.5-second 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time and top speed over 186 mph (300 km/h). The 910e's 568 lb-ft of torque is channeled out to the wheels through a newly developed automated two-speed transmission with self-locking differential and integrated electric oil pump for lubrication and cooling.

With a 53-kWh lithium-ion pack, Kreisel reckons the 910e will be able to roll around 217 miles (350 km) before it needs to cozy up to a charger. Interestingly, Kreisel has added a DC bidirectional fast-charging system that allows the car to feed battery power into the grid when desired, and it looks well prettier doing it than an exhaust-spewing box wheeled out from the garage.

The Evex 910 frame was modified to accommodate the battery pack and electric powertrain. The standard air cooling system was swapped out for a new liquid cooling unit. All told, the 910e weighs 2,425 lb (1,100 kg) compared to the gas Evex 910's 1,764 lb (800 kg). Both the 910e and Evex 910 have removable targa roofs.

The all-electric 910e has a 483-hp dual-motor powertrain
The all-electric 910e has a 483-hp dual-motor powertrain

Kreisel and Evex debuted the 910e alongside an Evex 910 and original Porsche 910 race car at last week's Techno-Classica Essen. Plans are to build a limited number of 910e models for buyers willing to drop a cool €1 million (approx. US$1.06 million). Kreisel will also sell the two-speed transmission as a standalone offering.

Source: Kreisel

View gallery - 23 images
3 comments
3 comments
LordInsidious
Finally and all electric Porsche sports car, too bad it's not a production model.
Cody Blank
Came to see old timers get their jimmies rustled over taking a 910 to electric. Glad to not see it.
Imran Sheikh
Now thats what i call a beautiful design.. seen such work after a long time of looking at all the "crazy designs" with no aerodynamics or structural strength understanding just building bad designed stuff on pure materials strength..