22 the rules and regulations that the DVLA has, but then really designing and innovating in every single area, from the powertrain, software and battery designs to the sound management, interior design and technology, and not just thumbing systems in.” In the case of the company’s first prototype car, the R001 Silver Shadow, all that remains of the original vehicle is effectively a rolling chassis plus a small amount of interior structure. When it comes to weight, the car began at around 2.2 t, had 1 t of old technology taken out and around 1.1 t of new parts added in. Development is limited by what is permitted in the regulations for classic cars, which apply to any car built over 40 years ago. But, over and above the addition and integration of the electric powertrain and ancillaries, the team has sympathetically modernised as much as possible while retaining all the features required to keep the original registration of the car. “Working with a classic car, we are able to do things that the modern car companies just cannot do,” says Pearson. “All the design features that classics are loved for, like beautiful chrome bumpers, we don’t see on modern cars because they’re not allowed. They wouldn’t pass the tests, which have been predominantly mandated by insurance. “Nowadays, bumpers have to be replaceable, and if you have a 5 mph impact, for example, you have to make sure you do not write off your radiator. We are able to make the car safer and better in performance in many ways, but we can also retain the look of that real, golden age of car design before it effectively became controlled by insurers.” Performance, as it should be The original Corniche came with a 6.75 litre, overhead valve, V8 internal combustion engine, known as the L410, coupled to a three-speed automatic transmission. In 1977, this was upgraded with fuel injection to become the L401I, which produced 237 bhp at just above 4,000 rpm and reached a top speed of 118 mph. In contrast, the new electric powertrain comprises just one single rear-wheeldrive unit, producing a power output of 400-500 bhp, depending on the battery pack size. It is all designed around a proprietary, 800 V electric architecture, which can be fitted into everything from the four-door Silver Shadow through to the flagship Corniche. The decision to opt for cutting-edge, 800 V architecture, and to design and build the system in-house, was made with a long-term view. In a project where the budget is near unlimited, it made sense to target the gains offered by 800 V. By creating it in-house, owned IP and design offers ultimate flexibility. Dossier | Evice Rolls-Royce Corniche January/February 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering The complex electric powertrain has been carefully pieced together within the structural design of the original vehicle Evice employs a team of engineers and designers to completely redesign their classic vehicles
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