Rock West Racing is entering the EV (electric vehicle) market with a tribute to the Fifties classic Speedster that will run solely on battery power. This component car, based on the company’s RW Speedster, is engineered to accommodate a battery conversion kit designed and developed by EV West.

The RW Speedster Electric kit can be purchased in three different levels depending on the builder’s time and ability. The Speedster Electric’s design is a derivation of the original RW Speedster in that it has been modified specifically to accept the electric powertrain kit from EV West, electric vehicle conversion specialists. 

The car’s power comes from eight lithium-ion battery packs providing 120 volts with 24kWh storage. This gives the vehicle a range of up to 100 miles, which is comparable to recent auto industry offerings. The stored electrical energy is converted to velocity through a programmable 72-130V AC controller driving a Curtis AC-50 brushless motor delivering 71 hp and 120 lb/ft of torque. The motor shaft power is transmitted to the wheels via a conventional Volkswagen transaxle.  

Initial tests indicate the 0-to-60 mph acceleration time is under six seconds, but that figure has not been documented yet. Recharging the battery from 100 percent depletion takes eight hours, but this time can be cut in half with the addition of a second onboard charging system. The Speedster Electric is equipped with a regenerative braking system, which is another technical benefit.

“The technology developed in the last few years has completely changed the viability of the electric car,” said Jim Gormican, CEO of Rock West Racing.  “And the growth interest in electric vehicles is too important to ignore. There is no reason you can’t help the environment while driving a fun, fast, and stylish car!”        

The company currently offers other component cars that are tributes to classics such the Speedster, Spyder, RSK and GTS.  Rock West Racing is an emerging business in the replica car industry and is headquartered in San Diego with manufacturing facilities in both El Cajon, California and West Jordan, Utah. The Rock West team has a background in advanced composites for the aerospace, industrial, and sporting goods industries and currently produces racing products such as the HANS safety device, carbon fiber drive shafts, and structural composites for racing suspension components.