The “Electra 007” badges on this 1980 Dodge Omni 024 aren’t some misguided try to show it right into a poor man’s James Bond automobile. Nevertheless, the know-how inside may need impressed Q himselfat the least in 1980. This can be a Jet Industries electrical conversion of the Omni 024. It is not the primary time we have seen onehowever this instance is in significantly better situation, and definitely extra unique than the modified Lemons racer. Better of all, this one could be yours, due to Mecum Auctions.
Particulars of this explicit automobile’s historical past are sparse, however we will fill in some blanks. In the course of the late Nineteen Seventies and early Eighties, Jet Industries transformed roughly 1,400 autos to electrical energy, together with Ford and Subaru fashions in addition to Chrysler merchandise. Based on Automobile weekJet was considered one of 4 firms given authorities grants to push the bounds of EV know-how on the time. The U.S. was popping out of an power disaster, and electrical automobiles have been one approach to free us from Massive Oil. Sound acquainted?
The best concept on the improper time
The federal government additionally helped fund Chrysler’s growth of the then-futuristic, aerodynamic physique, which it shared with the Plymouth Horizon TC3. The usual automobile got here with a VW-sourced 1.7-liter engine making 70 horsepower — not precisely a barnstormer. Jet Industries changed this with a 23-hp electrical motor. It nonetheless used the VW four-speed guide transmission, in contrast to trendy EVs that usually have a single-speed transmission.
The dashboard has a sticker advising what gear to make use of at which pace. It additionally has extra gauges for battery amps and p.c of cost. I additionally acknowledge an Espar heater management, generally utilized in camper vans at present. With no gasoline engine to supply warmth, this will need to have been a essential complement.
The rear cargo space is usually gone, transformed into a big battery field with extra electrical meters. As with most toys, batteries will not be included on this automobile. That is in all probability a very good factor, because the unique 20 six-volt lead-acid batteries weighed about 1,000 kilos, practically half the load of the unique automobile.
That, finally, is why this technology of EVs failed. The know-how was merely not superior sufficient to make it sensible for on a regular basis use. Whereas EVs are nonetheless heavy, batteries have vastly improved, vary is on par with gas-powered autosand efficiency is healthiernot worse. Nonetheless, the Jet Electra 007 is an attention-grabbing time capsule of an anticipated EV future that by no means got here to be.
