Not only is the future electric, but we’re getting the impression the past is being retroactively electrified as well. Indeed, it was only last week when we talked about an E9 with a Tesla heart and now this 2002 has gone through a similar transplant. Meet the Bavarian Econs 2002te, developed by Columbia-born Nicolas who moved to Germany to work for BMW.
He started the project three years ago by buying a donor car to replace its oily bits with an electric drivetrain. It’s still rear-wheel drive, but there’s no longer a combustion engine providing the propulsion. Instead, it’s powered by a Tesla electric motor working in conjunction with a battery pack sourced from a BMW i3.
The car is fully homologated in Germany as an EV as denoted by the license plate ending in “E”. The BMW 2002te uses a 120-kilowatt front electric motor originating from a Tesla, but mounted at the back. It sends 161 hp to the rear and feeds from a 33-kWh battery split between the front and rear.
The Bavarian Econs 2002te Fuses The Old With The New
Most of the battery cells have been mounted in the trunk where there was more room. Charging can be done at 50 kW and the maximum range is 200 kilometers (124 miles) in ideal conditions. In colder climates with temperatures well below zero, it should still do 150 km (93 miles) between charges. Since October last year, the BMW 2002te has been driven for 9,123 kilometers (5,668 miles).
As it stands, it’s just about as powerful as the BMW 2002 turbo, but extra oomph will be unlocked after changing the stock brakes. The man behind the project mentions the car should be able to match the 200 hp of the hardcore 2002tii by ALPINA.
Although it has a modern drivetrain, the idea was to keep the design as classic as the original. For this reason, the 2002te rides on period-correct BBS wheels wrapped in retro-looking Michelin semi-slick tires.
The 2002te is more than just a one-off affair as Bavarian Econs is accepting preorders.
Source: Misha Charoudin / YouTube, Bavarian Econs
