‘The best thing we’ve ever made’: Jason Momoa turns his 100-year-old Harleys into new electric classics — and you can buy the same ‘drop-in’ conversion kits | Tech Radar
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‘The best thing we’ve ever made’: Jason Momoa turns his 100-year-old Harleys into new electric classics — and you can buy the same ‘drop-in’ conversion kits
Aquaman teams up with Electrogenic once more for latest project
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Electrogenic has teamed up with a Hollywood star for another EV project
Two Land Rovers and three classic Harley-Davidsons go electric
A UK-based conversion company that specializes in developing electric powertrains for classic vehicles has revealed that it has re-engineered five of Hollywood star Jason Momoa’s cherished machines for a new series of HBO's On The Roam.
The list of vehicles includes two very rare Land Rovers and three vintage Harley-Davidsons that were all first produced in the 1920s.
Electrogenic and Momoa have history in so much that the company converted his 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II to electric power back in 2024, but the most recent project was even more ambitious.
“The technical challenge with the Land Rovers was to introduce electric power while retaining the original four-wheel-drive transmission, which is what gives these iconic vehicles their unrivaled off-road capabilities,” explains Steve Drummond, CEO at Electrogenic.
The Harley-Davidsons were perhaps even more complicated, as they have been converted to run on either electricity alone, petrol power or a hybrid mix of the both. Better still, they now offer electric start, so no more broken tibias trying to kick-start the old petrol engine.
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Momoa’s 1949 Land Rover Series I 80 conversion centers around a compact 48k Wh battery pack that has been neatly packaged into the original engine bay, replacing the old 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engine.
Batteries are housed in a bespoke enclosure designed to match the vehicle’s aged patina, helping preserve the classic looks while introducing modern EV technology beneath the skin.
Power comes from a 150k W electric motor, although torque has deliberately been dialed back to suit the lightweight nature of the original vehicle and retain its driving characteristics, rather than creating a souped-up monster.
The all-wheel-drive transmission remains, along with all of the original low-range functionality, complete with mechanical levers.
The conversion also adds CCS rapid charging capability and delivers a real-world range of more than 150 miles, all without cutting, drilling or permanently altering the original vehicle.
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Analysis: Conserving history, one electric motor at a time
Momoa claims that his electrified Harley-Davidsons, which use rear hub motors from Maeving motorcycles and batteries tucked in discreet, purpose-built panniers, are “the best thing we’ve ever made”.
“I’ve ridden on an e-bike before, I’ve ridden on e-bicycles, I’ve ridden on e-motorcycles, but the idea of riding on an old (electrified) bike, it was just unlike anything I’ve experienced,” he said, stating that the ability to switch to the petrol engine just increases the versatility.
Electrogenic says that, like with many of the other previous projects, ‘plug and play’ kits have been produced that now allow owners of other vintage cars and motorcycles to have their vehicles discreetly converted to electric power, without the massive overheads of the initial R&D phases.
Conversion kits for a Classic Mini, for example, start at around
It’s certainly not cheap, but it could be one of the simplest and most reliable ways to keep aging classics on the road.
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Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.
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