Sign up with GoogleUnlike most EV swaps, this has a manual transmission. Not only that, the battery-powered 356 even uses the original four-speed transmission from the original article. There are even a few nods to the past with this electric 356. For instance, the motor is still at the back, it still uses wind-down windows, and even the battery cooling system is air-cooled. So how did Electrogenic do it?
The electric motor is connected to a top hat that links it to the flywheel. Power and throttle input is then fed through the factory pressure plate and clutch. A special adaptor then makes the whole thing work. If you're curious about its performance figures, the motor is good for 120 horsepower (80 kilowatts) and 173 pound-feet (235 Newton-meters) of torque. It may not seem like much, but it's heaps more than the 'Pre-A' models with 1.1-liter engine that made 40 horsepower (29 kilowatts).
Because it relies of a flywheel, pressure plate, and clutch, the car acts like a manual despite having an electric motor. It can even 'rev' when you step on the accelerator when it's set in neutral, making a whirring when you do so. Thankfully, it doesn't stall but you will have to use the clutch when setting off. You can also choose to leave it in one gear and let the torque do all the work.