Electrogenic launches EV conversion kit for MX-5

We’ve talked about Electrogenic’s battery-powered, plug-and-play technology before, most recently when it conducted open heart surgery on Kia UK’s one-off electric Pride. Prior to that, we drove the firm’s expensively overhauled (and it hopes, not one-off) DeLorean DMC-12. Both those cars were appealing because unlike converting a Porsche 911 or Jaguar E-type – where distinctive petrol power is very much part of the recipe – the Pride and DMC-12 did not possess an engine worth keeping in the first place. This made the electrification pill much easier to swallow. 

Its latest EV conversion kit for the Mk1 MX-5 isn’t nearly as black and white given the car’s wholesome lightweight reputation – although you could argue that it comes closer to treading a similar line. This is not to take anything away from Mazda’s original B6ZE four-pot unit; it revved beyond 7,000rpm, let’s not forget, and has provided the buzzy soundtrack to a million memorable summer days. But it was never the most powerful engine in the world (120hp was about its limit) and many if not most have seen an awful lot of life since their ‘90s heyday. Would we want to swap out a pristine example? No. Would we consider transforming something much more leggy? Maybe. 

As ever, Electrogenic does all it can to allay most of the obvious concerns. Yes, the electrified version would be heavier – the firm suggests the end result would weigh around 100kg more than a standard NA – but with 160hp now available to the rear axle, the power-to-weight ratio would have improved by 21 per cent. And despite being made to accommodate 42kWh worth of OEM-grade batteries in the front and back, Electrogenic insists that the MX-5’s weight distribution remains unaffected. That doesn’t mean the handling dynamic will feel exactly the same, of course – but it has endeavoured to mount everything as low as possible to preserve ‘the inherent lightweight, RWD character of the car’. 

Much like its other conversions, no cutting or drilling is required and the firm reckons it only takes a trained installer a few days to complete the transformation. Once done, your electric MX-5 ought to be capable of around 150 miles of range (and promises to fast charge in around an hour at the end of it) and reel in 60mph in 6ish seconds. Thanks to its single-speed, fixed ratio gearbox, the kit can be applied to both manual or automatic derivatives, and Electrogenic has added different drive modes to the mix to suit various scenarios – although likely the most notable difference (predictably enough) is the 228lb ft of torque now immediately available to the crank. 

“We’re delighted with the results,” says company CEO, Steve Drummond. “There’s subtly enhanced performance, a newfound muscularity – and thanks to that instant torque, the joys of the MX-5’s rear-wheel-drive handling balance are more accessible than ever before. This is all combined with zero tailpipe emissions and total reliability. The MX-5 is a defining take on a classic sports car recipe. Now, thanks to our Electrification kits, its special driving experience can be enjoyed by enthusiasts for many decades to come.”

It certainly sounds intriguing enough and Electrogenic promises the kind of ‘OEM polish’ it has already earned a decent reputation for delivering. That’s to be expected based on its prices, though – and while it offers no guidance for the new MX-5 kit, there’s no reason to think that it will be cheap. Or not cheap like buying an old NA used to be in the good old days. It is precisely that level of cost-effectiveness that has seen the Mk1 go from universal availability to vanishing rarity. Number of examples currently for sale on PH? One. And there’s a good chance that if you’re shelling out for a well-preserved one, you’d very much prefer to keep it that way. Still, if there’s one currently putting down roots in your garage, Electrogenic might just have provided you with the perfect excuse to finally do something about it…