Lunaz converts two classic Rolls-Royces and Jaguar into electric cars

Electric cars are all the rage, and we have more and more electric models on the market. But some owners want an electric car shaped like one of those great classics they keep in their garage. So Lunaz, a fairly young engineering company from the UK, has turned its attention to two classics: the 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V and the Jaguar XK120 from 1953.

For each of these cars it has launched a specific electrification kit, which replaces the drivetrain of the model so that it is fully electric and can offer all the advantages of this type of vehicle. The kit costs £350,000, a considerable sum, but one that allows these two great classics to be given a new lease of life, adapting them to modern times.

Turning classics into electric cars

These classics are converted into electric cars, and to do so the work begins with the exterior. The entire bodywork is repaired, and the underlying structure of the model is also reworked to suit the electrical engineering needed to transform it. The upgrades also include new shock absorbers, redesigned springs, electrically assisted steering and brakes suited to the new drive system.

The exterior of both models has also been reworked and updated with LED lights in the headlamps, modern tyres in place of the original rubber, and the fuel filler caps conceal charging sockets for charging the battery packs. These are mounted at two points, under the bonnet and in the floor of the car, so that the use of the batteries is optimised. They power an electric motor that was also designed by Lunaz specifically for these vehicles, so the kit was created expressly to modernise these cars.

The Jaguar XK120 has an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery that feeds a pair of motors producing power equivalent to 345 CV and a maximum torque of 700 Nm. This power is transmitted to the rear axle through a limited-slip differential.

As for the Rolls-Royce Phantom V, Lunaz has not given details of the battery and motor configuration, but the battery is expected to reach 120 kWh, since the car is considerably larger. In both cases, the cars will be able to run in normal traffic conditions throughout the day. Both models are still under development and, once ready, the 1956 Rolls-Royce Cloud will be added to this collection of electric classics.