How A Cotswolds Engineering Firm Became The World’s Leader In Electrifying Classic Cars

He might blush if you suggest it, but Steve Drummond is England’s answer to Mate Rimac. Sat in the Oxfordshire HQ of Electrogenic, the 63-year-old mechanical engineer and renewable energy expert can understand why some people might make such a comparison.

Rimac, the billionaire electric car innovator and CEO of Bugatti Rimac, is himself often referred to as Europe’s Elon Musk. The 38-year-old began his career by electrifying old cars in the garage and went on to build a global empire. ‘There are similarities, but Electrogenic is on a slightly different scale,’ smiles Drummond. ‘We employ 25 people in our Cotswolds workshop. Most of them are diehard automotive boffins, passionate about creating EVs from a driver’s point of view.’

The sign above one door says it all: ‘Saving the world one car at a time.’ However, the Electrogenic story is not one of loud engines and exhaust fumes but of silent, seamless power.

Electrogenic, founded by Steve Drummond, can turn your gas-guzzling classic car into a purring electric version, such as this Aston Martin DB6.

Electrogenic is a team of modern-day alchemists who breathe new life into the legends of the road, including the Jaguar E-Type, Citroën DS and the company’s most popular electric conversion, the classic Land Rover. Other high-profile cars to have passed through the workshop include a stunning 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, fitted with a 200bhp electric motor. This breathtaking one-off was commissioned by Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa.

Comedian Jimmy Carr also came to Electrogenic to prove that even the most iconic of British sports cars can embrace a future without emissions. His 1967 Aston Martin DB6 was ingeniously converted to run on battery power.

Drummond, 63, says the story of Electrogenic isn’t about replacing the past, but rather preserving it. ‘Every conversion is designed to be entirely reversible,’ he explains. ‘It means that while these cars now glide silently through modern cities, their soul remains untouched for generations to come.’

Electrogenic’s most popular electric conversion is the classic Land Rover.

While the company is famous for bespoke masterpieces, Electrogenic’s vision extends further. It has since developed exportable drop-in conversion kits for icons like the Porsche 911, Triumph Stag and original Mini, allowing classic car lovers everywhere to future-proof their vehicles.

The company’s technology even reaches into the Ministry of Defence, where it helps electrify military-spec Land Rovers for stealthier, more efficient operations. ‘We’ve been in existence for about ten years but the business is fast-evolving,’ explains Drummond. ‘We have become the world’s only electric vehicle powertrain and software provider. Other conversion companies can electrify your classic car but they aren’t designing their own software, which is the crucial bit. Our software is now proven in a whole range of vehicles and the drop-in kits we make can be fitted anywhere. More than half our business is for export.’

Every kit features a high-voltage e-motor, with a single-speed transmission and a battery pack, pre-assembled and ready to bolt into a specific classic, resting on the existing mounting points. Remarkably, with a qualified engineer, the whole operation can easily be completed in a day.

‘DeLorean drivers suddenly have a car that isn’t horrible to drive.’

‘People convert their cars for different reasons,’ says Drummond. ‘E-Type customers get fed up with their Jag constantly breaking down. Land Rover owners don’t want to make black smoke and love the economy of an e-motor when it’s been fitted. DeLorean drivers suddenly have a car that isn’t horrible to drive.’

For other Electrogenic customers, electrifying a vehicle is a necessity. With regular fuel shortages in northern Kenya caused by flooding, the Sarara Eco Safari Lodge approached Electrogenic to convert a fleet of Land Rover Defenders so the wildlife reserve could remain operational year round.

‘These Land Rovers had been ferrying people around for 40 years and were towards the end of their life,’ explains Drummond. ‘We shipped three kits out and sent two technicians. They did the job in the most basic of workshop conditions in a couple of weeks.’

As Electrogenic’s reputation continues to grow, in the last 18 months mainstream manufacturers have started approaching the Kidlington company to design powertrains for their own EVs, too.

The Mate Rimac of the Cotswolds? Even the Croatian billionaire couldn’t argue with that.

Electrogenic is based in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. For more information, visit their website or contact them directly for custom conversion enquiries.