While shifting to electric vehicles may be frowned upon by some car enthusiasts, Hollywood star Jason Momoa has made a bold statement by electrifying his 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II.
The “Aquaman” and “Game of Thrones” star, in a bid to elevate his passion for cars while staying faithful to his green advocacy, commissioned Electrogenic, a UK-based EV technology company, to give his classic Rolls-Royce gem a bespoke conversion to a clean car.
Now that he has done it, should you make the EV move, too?
What changed?
What was said to be the “most ambitious and complex EV conversion ever undertaken” has given the supercar a quiet but powerful stride with an updated machine claimed to be more efficient than its original 7.7-litre pushrod straight-six engine.
Its 40-50 horsepower-producing engine paired with its four-speed transmission have been replaced with 93kWh of batteries to support the new electric motor installed between the chassis rails.
The Phantom’s new single-speed direct drive system channels 150kW and 310Nm of torque to its fixed reduction gear that sends 1,000Nm to the prop shaft.
Electrogenic said all these systems have been programmed to work in sync, thanks to the suite of software developed by Electrogenic engineers, fabricators, and programmers.
Mod challenges
The 18-month conversion of the Phantom, however, had been met with key challenges, with converting it to an EV as the main one due to the disruption of its centralized “through-flow” chassis lubrication system.
With this, a new braking system needed to be integrated in the new EV architecture.
The original Phantom brakes have been re-engineered and given a new hydraulic system to amplify its braking power. Electrogenic also said it calibrated the brakes to complement the motor’s energy reduction function to enhance its braking performance, and boost its efficiency and range.
Modernized classic interior
While the modifications may not be obvious from the outside, interior changes in the ‘20s car would be a giveaway sign that it has undergone mods to fit in the more modern era.
Electrogenic said the Rolls-Royce piece has continued to boast of its original leather and wood motif but the controls and gauges have been especially repurposed for the car’s new electric structure.
What used to be a vertical sight glass used as fuel gauge has turned into an LED state-of-charge gauge; the amp meter now a power gauge, and the displays for oil and water temperature now show the temperature of its charger and electric motor, respectively.
Moreover, to complement what it promised to be a smoother driving experience, the company also gave it a discreet audio system makeover: a state-of-the-art high-end multi-speaker HiFi system, with an integrated sub-woofer and full Bluetooth connectivity.
Stored history, updated technology
The “Fast and Furious” antagonist expressed his satisfaction over his “dream project” made true by the company known for its “drop-in” kits for Land Rover Defender, classic Porsche 911 original Mini, and Jaguar E-Type.
“I needed a team that would appreciate the stored history of this car while updating its technology. Electrogenic is all about honouring vintage cars. Making them electric without losing any of the vehicle’s character. They were the perfect fit,” he said of Electrogenic.
The technology Electrogenic offers is what Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce would have wanted had it been a viable option back in the day, Electrogenic claimed.
“The car’s diverse elements all add up to deliver a stunning, cohesive package. It’s a delight to drive, a Phantom that performs as Rolls-Royce’s engineers of a century ago would have wanted had they possessed the technology available to us today. It is silent, effortless, and graceful,” director Steve Drummond said.
In the old yet new Phantom, Momoa now has three options for how he would like to cruise his Phantom: Drive, Eco, and Sport. A ‘regen doubler’ setting was also made available for regenerative braking for long and steep descents.
The process of the conversion has been documented in Momoa’s “On the Roam” documentary.
Should Filipinos convert their cars to EV, too?
Not at the moment, said Edmund Araga, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines.
“It’s very challenging for you to have a conversion,” Araga told ANCX.
“In the Philippine setting, for now, it’s not yet time because in terms of registering a converted vehicle from ICE (internal combustion engine) to electric, [it] is still a question,” he added.
“Though the kits are available in the market, the question is, can you use it on the road legally?”
Moreover, Araga emphasized that safety standards of converted vehicles, especially if they got involved in accidents, remain to be a gray area in terms of policies.
“Ang problem din kasi kunyari nagkaroon ng accident, o some big collision that happened, tapos i-ke-claim ‘yung safety standards nung unit na kinonvert mo, branding is one of the reasons eh. Kunyari Toyota yung kinonvert mo, tapos nakabangga ka [...], there’s a possibility they would put the blame on the Toyota or Toyota does not recognize the conversion. Why? Because they don’t have that technology,” Araga explained.
(The problem is if for instance there had been an accident or some big collision that happened, and the safety standards of your converted unit would be claimed, branding is one of the reasons. If for example you converted a Toyota and you caused a collision, there’s a possibility that they would put the blame on the Toyota or that Toyota would not recognize the conversion. Why? Because they don’t have that technology.)
“And when the technology comes in and ginamit nila, kaninong responsibility ‘yung claims? ‘Yun ‘yung hindi naiintindihan ng mga tao. Hindi ganoon kasimple ‘yung kapag nagkaroon ng aberya,” he added.
(And when the technology comes in and they point to it, whose responsibility are the claims? That is something people don’t understand. It’s not that simple to deal with mishaps.)
These unresolved issues surrounding EVs constrained Araga from recommending conversion to those who want to shift from ICE.
“If you have already the law, yes. I would be more than willing to push you forward for conversions but if there is no law yet, you are on the nasa negative side ka rito kasi mahirap na especially if you’re pushing for safety of the commuters,” he said.
(If you have already the law, yes, I would be more than willing to push you forward for conversions but if there is no law yet, you are on the negative side of things especially if you’re pushing for the safety of the commuters.)
READ: This Filipino engineer converted his vintage Toyota into an electric car
EV: What’s the hype?
While issues in conversion may be discouraging, the pros in using EVs should be considered in deciding on your vehicle purchase.
Cost effectiveness remains to be the most appealing in choosing the battery-powered vehicle route— in the long run, that is, as upfront costs of EVs may be pricier than the usual fuel-powered vehicles.
One reason for this is that EVs require lower maintenance, Araga said.
“EVs are less maintained because they don't have change oil, change of oil filters. Consumables lang ‘yung pinapalitan — brake pads, tires, like that. ‘Yun ‘yung medyo magandang advantage ng electric vehicles to ICE,” he explained.
(EVs are less maintained because they don’t have change oil, change of oil filters. You only replace the consumables such as the brake pads, tires, like that. That is what somehow put EVs at an advantage over ICE.)
Araga, an EV owner himself, shared that he only had a cash out of P2,500 when he recently brought his car to the dealer for its 5,000-kilometer mark maintenance.
The lifespan of electric vehicles depends on the batteries used. Commonly used lithium-ion batteries may last up to 8 to 10 years, Araga said.
He said continuously using the EV will slow the battery depreciation: “Ang batteries kasi once naging idle it’s like the same as the cellphone and the computer. If you’re not using your phone for a long period of time or your laptop, the battery depreciates faster because it doesn't work that well.”
(The batteries, once they become idle, it’s like the same as in cellphones and computers. If you’re not using your phone or laptop for a long period of time, the battery depreciates faster because it doesn't work that well.)
Since EVs do not use fuel, its users are also spared from the frequent price hikes in petroleum products, Araga said, as he pointed out that in terms of electricity, its rates are almost fixed.
Furthermore, gas spent on standstill traffic won’t be a problem for EV users, as battery consumption is at minimal when idle, he said.
These vehicles are also believed to be more suited to drive through floods, which is a common occurrence in several parts of the country.
Araga said an electric vehicle would still run even if it got submerged in water, as long as it is still attached to the ground.
“It’s advantageous because it won’t bog down, especially on flood. Why? Because it is run by a motor. It doesn’t have any carburetors that might choke if the water gets inside the carburetor. [...] Even drenched on water yan, submerged in water siya, it will still work,” he said.
(It’s advantageous because it won’t bog down, especially on flood. Why? Because it is run by a motor. It doesn’t have any carburetors that might choke if the water gets inside them. [...] Even if it gets drenched or submerged in water, it will still work.)
If the aforementioned advantages of using an EV were appealing enough to switch from an ICE car, Araga reminded that intended use for the vehicle should also be thoroughly discerned before purchasing.
He also said to decide based on the vehicle’s capacity, range, weight of load, and the type of terrain the user would usually drive on.