Electrogenic’s conversion kit includes everything necessary either to convert the 911’s existing instruments for EV-specific information (so the transformation remains a more subtle one, easier to reverse at a later stage if necessary) or to replace them. Our test car retained its clocks, but repurposed them: so the fuel level dial would instead indicate remaining battery capacity, the oil temp gauge motor temperature (it’s water-cooled), the oil pressure gauge battery regeneration energy, et cetera. I’m not sure you need a motor speed gauge as well as a speedometer; but I can see why 911 owners would want to keep the car’s original clocks.
The Porsche’s wider cabin is untouched save for a rotary drive selector knob where the manual shift lever might be. You get to keep the occasional rear seats; but you’ll also need them for baggage because, up front, the car’s 62kWh drive battery entirely fills the ‘frunk’ space.
The weight of that battery pack rebalances the 911’s famously rearward-biased weight distribution, of course: something which, in theory, could have a positive effect on one or two of the car’s handling characteristics. For reasons we’ll come to, though, I’m not so sure it actually does. But this car certainly drives like a pretty effective conversion, well capable of satisfying owners who just want to get their cars out on the road more often – and want to be able to continue to do so in a motoring world that might soon start moving beyond fossil fuels. Rather predictably, it’s missing some classic 911 charisma and soul – but it’s by no means boring.
Opting to remove the car’s old manual transmission is clearly one way in which you’re also removing a route to driver engagement; but it also means you just turn the knob to ‘D’ and squeeze the accelerator to move off. The electric motor offers lots of smooth, accessible low-speed zip and thrust, and more motor energy regeneration at low speeds than high (although Electrogenic can include manual controls for this if you prefer).
Outright performance is strong: particularly so up to about 60mph, where it puts this ‘964’ on a par with plenty of modern twin-motor EVs. Above 60mph, while there’s still plenty of power, you can feel the electric motor’s power and torque tailing off a little – but only at speeds at which few are likely to drive forty-year-old classic cars. The takeaway here is, for the vast majority of Porsche owners, an Electrogenic EV conversion will feel like as large a step up on accessible pace for their car as is delivered on easy drivability.