---
title: "The First Electric Ferrari is Definitely Unofficial"
description: "All it took was a burned-out 1978 308 GTS hulk and a couple hundred pounds of batteries."
date: "2016-05-05"
modified: "2016-05-05"
authors:
  - name: "Ben Keeshin"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ben-keeshin"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/3340/the-first-electric-ferrari-is-definitely-unofficial"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "Ferrari News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Electric Cars"
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Ferrari"
---

# The First Electric Ferrari is Definitely Unofficial

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/050516-electric-ferrari-hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Before the purists wail, listen here: this all-electric Ferrari 308 "GTE" was slated for a total parting-out. When Eric Hutchinson of California-based firm [Electric GT](<https://www.electricgt.com>) came across this 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS, it had just suffered a catastrophic engine fire, leaving the motor and all electronics past the points of repair. The cost? Just $10,000. So, in "The Six Million Dollar Man fashion," the folks at Electric GT sought to replace the car's old-fashioned innards with the latest technology. *Ciao*, V8; *salve*, HPEVS AC51 electric motor and nearly fifty 3.3-volt lithium-ion batteries. Though the electric version carries 150 pounds more weight than the original, the motor compensates with a wild 465 horsepower a 330 pound-feet of torque; the original 308, for all of its aggressive, wedgy looks, came factory equipped with just 200 horses.

Interestingly, though most electric motors provide enough torque that a multi-speed transmission is unnecessary, this car has been equipped with a Porsche transaxle. According to the builders, the combination of a manual transmission and typical, instantaneous EV torque make for a "clutch-dropping, gear-pounding Ferrari experience." We don't know about the life of that clutch, but best of luck with those electron-infused burnouts.

In terms of range, the Ferrari 308 GTE's 100 miles are a little off the latest from the big OEMs: Tesla announced a 300-mile range for the Model S, while GM is promising 200 miles on the inexpensive Chevy Bolt. But, hey, neither of those cars will give you the panache of a modern-day *Magnum*.

https://youtube.com/embed/GqMIIqqBCrU

## Author
Ben Keeshin is a former staff writer for Maxim, and before that, contributed writing to the digital sides of Road & Track and Vanity Fair.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/BnKshn>)