Porsche 356 Goes All-Electric But Keeps Its Manual Gearbox.

Electrogenic, a UK firm is responsible for the conversion of this classic 1963 Porsche 356 into a full-blown EV. The car shop swapped out the car’s Boxer-Four engine in favour of an electric motor and battery pack.

The Porsche 356 is the forebear of the legendary 911 sports car. The original Porsche had humble beginnings, sharing a lot of components with the Volkswagen Beetle. Like the Beetle, it was not the most powerful car on the road. It instead relied on its solid engineering and playful handling to gain something of a cult status within the car community.

Today, it is a highly desirable collectible with sky-high values for even less-than-sterling examples. That did not stop Electrogenic from undertaking the conversion project. However, the company claims every aspect of work carried out on the car is completely reversible should the owner wish to reverse to the car’s internal combustion roots.

The conversion also has another twist – the Porsche 356 EV gets to keep its manual gearbox. It isn’t just to retain the original feel of the car. The gearbox is fully functional thanks to some clever engineering by Electrogenic. The 356 is powered by an electric motor producing 120 hp and 173 lb-ft of torque. There is also a 36 kWh battery that retains juice for 140 miles before it needs recharging via the 15 kW onboard charger.

Electrogenic is willing to carry out this EV conversion for interested clients. It will cost anything from $40,000 to $70,000, and the customer will also have to provide the donor Porsche, which could prove to be the most challenging aspect of the entire exercise.