Classic cars are being given a second, environmentally-friendly life by a company in the UK. Lunaz retrofits classic Rolls Royce and Jaguar cars with electric parts, as well as installing modern features such as wifi, sat nav and audio system. One charge of the battery allows for a journey of about 400km.
The co-founder, David Lorenz, was inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding day. “I saw Prince Harry leave the wedding in the electric [Jaguar] E-Type with Meghan Markle. It just clicked what a fantastic idea it would be to have an aesthetically beautiful car, and have that with the reliability and sustainability element of being able to drive it every day.”
He also wanted classic cars, prone to breaking down, to be more reliable. “[I have] a car that I got married in and I want to hand it down to my daughter when she’s driving age. And the fact is, in 16 years when she’s driving, she’s not going to want to be driving a petrol car,” Lorenz said.
He teamed up with John Hilton, who previously worked for Rolls Royce and the Renault Formula 1 team, to launch Lunaz. Working from the famous Silverstone race track, they re-build the cars from the ‘ground-up’, aiming to preserve the feel of a classic car with the climate-friendly elements of an electric car.
“These are some of the most beautiful cars in history. And it gives you the chance to be able to use them with a guilt-free pleasure and conscience.” Lorenz said.
