This Classic Porsche 356A Is Electric–And Has A Manual Gearbox

UK-based Electric Classic Cars converted a 1958 Porsche 356A to an electric vehicle. The German coupe is now powered by a 120-horsepower electric motor, more than double the original powertrain. Despite it being an EV, the car retains its four-speed manual transmission. 

The Porsche 356 was the German sports car manufacturer’s first series production model, and with the 356A, the company kicked things into high gear, managing an impressive production run of over 20,000 units.

These early Porsche two-seaters are some of the prettiest out there, combining simple and rugged German engineering with sleek, aerodynamic body lines. They’re light and nimble, but with an air-cooled 1.6-liter engine making just 59 hp at the rear, they’re not what you’d call fast–by modern standards, at least.

Here’s where United Kingdom-based Electric Classic Cars, or ECC, comes into play with its bolt-on EV conversion kit designed specifically for the 1950s Porsche 356A.

As you’ll see in the video embedded at the top of this page, ECC ditched the gas-burning engine for a Hyper9 electric motor that makes double the power–120 hp and 173 pound-feet of torque.

A five-module battery pack totaling roughly 30 kilowatt-hours that can be charged from an AC source at a maximum of 8 kW enables a driving range of about 100 to 120 miles. Three of those five modules sit in the back, above the electric motor, while the other two modules are at the front, in the place of the old gas tank.

While many EV conversions out there ditch the original transmission of the car in favor of a direct drive approach where a torquey electric motor is connected directly to the drive shafts, ECC chose to keep the four-speed gearbox and clutch. This means the driver still has to shift through gears and feel a mechanical connection to the car instead of just having to accelerate and brake.

The converted 356A also got a few more subtle upgrades such as slightly wider and lower profile tires, a heavy-duty anti-roll bar at the front, a period-correct set of bucket seats and a modern sound system with Bluetooth and hands-free connectivity disguised as a classic radio.