ICON 4×4 goes EV, giving their basic Bronco-based restomod an electrical twist

Californian customized store ICON 4×4 are greatest identified for his or her meticulously restored and upgraded historic SUVs, creating the gold customary for extremely fascinating one-off machines that has helped form the trendy restomod business. In recent times, the workshop has delivered lovely examples of the 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser, 1975 Jeep Cherokee and even an electrified 1966 Fiat Giardiniera.

Often, an ICON construct entails shoehorning and replumbing trendy combustion muscle and uprated suspension and steering right into a basic physique shell. With the brand new limited-edition EV Bronco, nevertheless, the corporate is now venturing into full-on electrification. The EV Bronco has taken 18 months to develop, 5,000 hours of testing and engineering work to make sure that reworking Ford’s basic early off-roader right into a high-performance EV stays true to the ICON method.

ICON labored with Austin, Texas-based Second Motor Firm, to develop the electrical working gear for the brand new Bronco. ‘This undertaking was each an unimaginable honour and a real pleasure from a car designer’s perspective,’ says ICON4x4 Founder Jonathan Ward, ‘Commissioned by a long-time ICON shopper with whom we’ve constructed a deep bond of belief, we got the uncommon alternative to push boundaries and go additional.’ Realising that aftermarket EV tech may now lastly his firm’s exacting requirements, Ward and his crew threw himself into the conversion.

‘The extent of artistic freedom we had been afforded is one thing each customized designer goals of,’ he explains, ‘Immersing myself within the varied artwork kinds and traditions honoured on this construct was a deeply rewarding expertise, making this undertaking actually one-of-a-kind.’

Naturally, EV energy means a big efficiency increase. With a 105kWh battery and business customary 400V electrical structure, the EV Bronco has round 500 horsepower. That’s sufficient to propel this fully overhauled first era Bronco-based automobile to 60mph in 4.5 seconds. There’s additionally full-time four-wheel drive, huge off-road tyres and boosted suspension, steering and brakes to take in that efficiency, on and off-road.

The corporate reckons the battery ought to ship between 175 and 200 miles of vary, good for the lifetime of freeway cruising and backroad hacking that awaits these very California-centric automobiles. There are even three driving modes, Eco, Regular and Sport, as per a normal manufacturing EV. An onboard 6.6kW charger makes for straightforward battery top-ups, with CCS quick charging out there as effectively. Importantly, the battery can also be graded to the IP67 Waterproof Commonplace.

Inside the standard Bronco shell, craftsmanship is high notch, as at all times. This debut EV mannequin, the ‘Blue Star’, begins as ICON means to go on, showcasing a customized mixture of blue and white all through. Customized gauges showcase EV vary with out compromising the classic seems to be, and all different in-car programs, from aircon to audio, are modern but classically styled.

‘We have now designed an EV drivetrain that seamlessly integrates with our present award-winning chassis and takes efficiency to the following stage,’ Ward concludes, ‘With the added comfort of our customary DC Quick charging functionality of charging from 20-80% in below an hour, the ICON Bronco EV is constructed to excel out on the open street.’