Ireland: Electrifi rebuilds electric cars with Tesla parts
The Irish startup Electrifi is investing 50 million euros over the next three years to convert classic luxury cars into electric vehicles using Tesla components. Yet, Electrifi is working on a range of more affordable electric cars for 2020 as well.
Serial entrepreneur Norman Crowley is driving the business and hopes to reinstall car manufacturing in Ireland that last saw the DeLorean made on the isles in the mid-eighties. Crowley reckons that his 50-million-euro invest could help restart an industry with a potential to employ thousands.
Electrifi though is starting small and will concentrate on converting the most high-end cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin to electric vehicles using motors and batteries from Tesla. Prices will start at a Formula 1 worthy 750,000 euros, but Crowley has mentioned an entry-level EV starting at €30,000. The company claims it has sold out its high-model range for the next 18 months but given the price and type of car, said capacity is supposedly low.
When a more basic electric car comes out is unclear at this stage but Electrifi boss Crowley said the startup is aiming to debut its own car/s designed and possible made in Ireland from 2020. The first high-end EVs with Tesla component will leave a new plant in Powerscourt, Co Wicklow, by the end of this year. Moreover, manufacturing has already begun in the Electrifi’s sister plant in Wales with orders from the Middle East and Europe for pricey performance electric cars being written as you read.
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