Students in Northern Ireland once built an all-electric version of the DeLorean
- Students in Belfast created an EV DeLorean
- The project saw them overhauling the classic car
- It was unveiled on a very special date
Published on Mar 24, 2025 at 7:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Mar 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A group of students from Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, built an all-electric version of iconic the DMC DeLorean.
The DeLorean Motor Company – or DMC for short – launched the futuristic-looking DeLorean, sometimes known as the DMC-12, back in 1981.
Designed by famous automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, the DeLorean was an incredibly eye-catching vehicle.
More than three decades on from its launch, students in Belfast decided to rebuild the classic car – but this time as an EV.
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The iconic DMC-12 was originally made in Northern Ireland
With its brushed stainless steel bodywork, sharp lines, and gullwing doors – the DeLorean looked unlike any other car out there.
While sales of the car didn’t exactly fly – only around 9,000 units were ever made – the DeLorean got certified pop-culture status after appearing in the Back to the Future trilogy.
The DeLorean was made for the American market, but it was actually produced at the Dunmurry plant near Belfast.
One example, that had spent its life in sunny South Carolina, landed back in Northern Ireland in 2014 where students from Belfast’s Queen’s University decided to restore it and convert it into an EV.
Heading up the project was Jake Mercer who wanted to make sure the old classic was brought into the 21st century.
“It’ll have cool speedos and you will be able to Bluetooth your phone to it,” he told the BBC at the time.
“This is all part of a learning project. However, the restored DeLorean will have just as much charisma as the old car.”
Dr David Laverty, a lecturer in electrical engineering at Queen’s University, oversaw the project and said he saw it as a great way to encourage younger people to consider careers in electrical engineering.
The electric version of the DeLorean was unveiled on a special date
Fast-forward a year, and the all-electric DeLorean was complete and ready to be shown off to the world.
Queen’s decided to unveil the EV on October 21, 2015, the same date Marty McFly traveled to in Back to the Future.
And it seems the project was a bit of a glimpse into the future itself – almost a decade on from its unveiling we’re seeing more and more automakers turning towards EV and hybrid engines.
“In the future, more and more of our energy will come from renewable electricity – whether to power appliances in the home or our means of travel,” Dr Laverty said at the time.
“The electrification of transport is a major global challenge, so projects like the Queen’s Electric DeLorean are crucial in equipping young engineers with the knowledge and expertise to build the electric vehicles of the future.”
All of which goes to show that ‘if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything’.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
