Texas tuner electrifies the Jaguar E-Type, gives it 300 silent horsies

An automotive company based in Texas has taken a chunk of British motoring royalty and filled it with electricity. Not as some medieval punishment, but as a means of… keeping it alive.

This is Moment Motor Company’s take on that most holy of all Jaguars, equipping it with lots of electricity to allow its owners a chance to enjoy it “in an entirely new way with high-performance fun”, in a consistently reliable fashion. In short: no spanners (or fuel) required.

It’s not the first time an E-Type has been electrified of course: years ago, Jaguar’s own Heritage division swapped out the E’s old combustion engine and in its place slotted in a high-voltage powertrain. It was called the E-Type Zero.

And much like that effort, MMC’s idea is the same: to preserve “beautiful vintage collectible automobiles” and keep them on the road. And keep them reliable. This one gets a 60kWh battery pack said to be “perfectly distributed in the chassis” for better weight balance, matched up to an electric motor housed in the original powertrain’s transmission tunnel.

There’s 300bhp and a whopping 375lb ft of torque sent to the rear wheels via a carbon-fibre driveshaft, and MMC reckons on a 0-60mph time of 5.5s. That’s plenty quick. On the other end of the scale, there’s a claimed 175 miles of range and the option of rapid charging.

Unlike Jaguar’s own E-Type Zero, this MMC version retains the E’s assortment of very old dials and gauges, though with obvious tweaks: they now show state of charge and power consumption and things related to electricity.

But very much ­like Jaguar’s own E-Type Zero, MMC says it can quite easily swap back the ICE powertrain should the owner wish – it’ll hold onto the original engine and gearbox, though is “very confident” owners won’t go back to petrol.

“While these vintage Jaguars offer legendary styling and presented impressive performance for their day, their drivetrains require extensive work on a regular basis,” said MMC boss Marc Davis. “For many enthusiasts, owning one means endless hours tuning carburettors, adjusting timing, and fixing leaks.

“We electrify popular vintage vehicles such as the E-Type and update them to be more powerful, more reliable, and enjoyable to drive. It’s impossible to drive this car without a huge smile on your face.”

MMC does loads of other classic e-restos and quotes between $75k and $150k as a general guide depending on the car and the work required.

And much like Jaguar’s own E-Type Zero, one suspects MMC’s electrified take will elicit a rather loud response. Over to you…