Enterprising individuals have been converting all kinds of conventional cars to electric power since long before battery-powered models like the GM EV1, Tesla roadster, or even plug-in hybrid conversions like our Toyota Prius started becoming fashionable.

There’s something strangely appropriate about converting a DeLorean to electric power. Made famous by a starring role in the Back to the Future film series, the distinctively styled, stainless-steel bodied coupe from the 1980s is probably remembered more for its on-screen adventures than it’s off-screen performance. Which, by the way, wasn’t so good.

Medical doctor, engineer, and inventor David Delman owns another DeLorean, and knowing about the car’s performance thought a conversion might not be a bad idea. He says, in fact, it was the movie that inspired him to pop open the engine compartment of his project car, whip out the original V6, and fill the space with eight conventional lead-acid batteries. Five more went under the hood, former home of the fuel tank, and a NetGain WaRP 9 electric motor completed the package. Total cost for batteries was $2000, and the conversion took about six months.

At the Consumer Reports Future of the Car day, Dr. Delman told us the range of his DeLorean is between 30 and 40 miles. He claims the converted car accelerates faster than his conventional model despite the added weight. And, it’ll head back to the future at speeds of over 85 mph, as long as he doesn’t want to go too far away from an electrical source. The neatly executed car even has a Flux Capacitor to add the essential Back to the Future flair. Our favorite touch is the smile-making George Jetson spaceship sound it can make as it otherwise silently motors by.

As major automakers, such as GM and Chrysler are making high-profile announcements about future electric powertrains, it is fun to see what home-grown ingenuity can accomplish.

—Jim Travers