The EV-olution of Hot Rodding
By Edward A. Sanchez — Feb. 10, 2023
As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Although there are still some hardcore internal-combustion partisans, there are getting to be more and more enthusiasts that are at least showing some curiosity in electric propulsion, if not outright enthusiastic embrace.
On the MotorTrend channel, there are more shows with hot rod and racing shops experimenting with electric race cars. While many of the old-guard initially approach the new technology with skepticism, most are quickly won over by the instantaneous torque and responsiveness of EVs.
If you look back on the history of hot rodding, it’s been about technological evolution and innovation from the start. From the dry lake beds of California, it’s always been about tweaking, modernizing, and improving existing technology. The case could be made that electric propulsion is just the latest chapter in the evolution of automotive performance, going from steel to aluminum pistons, larger carburetors, higher compression ratios, overhead cams, fuel injection, forced induction, and electronic engine management and tuning. Yes, it’s a fundamental shift and change from internal combustion, but arguably, just the latest chapter in a long saga.
Hot rodding has changed a lot through the years, with carbureted muscle from the 1950s and ‘60s making way for computer-controlled imports. The move to modifying EVs is simply an evolution, not a revolution. (Image by Dylan Gillis)
Just within the past few weeks, Jalopnik’s Daniel Golson wrote a post entitled “I Don’t Want to Drive Internal Combustion Cars Anymore,” in which he expresses the objectively superior driving experience of most new EVs to their internal-combustion equivalents. Golson also admits EVs are not optimized for all use cases, as Phil Royle and myself have discussed extensively on this blog and on our podcast, namely for trucks and towing.
Perhaps one of the best examples of tuning ingenuity in the modern era is AEM’s “Testang” an S197 Ford Mustang with a rear drive unit out of a Tesla Model S. Other than the drive unit itself, almost everything else is uniquely designed and engineered to offer enthusiasts and tuners the ability to fine-tune the car’s performance to fit their needs and desires.
The Watt Car’s own Phil Royle got a chance to drive the Testang, and in his own words, “The torque is an unrelenting kick in the back. There’s no ramp. But if your right foot is patient, an electric setup is a beast.”
This is a common refrain from those that have had limited experience with modern EVs, or approach them with a “glorified golf cart” mentality. The Tesla Model S Plaid, Lucid Air Sapphire, and Rimac Nevera prove that EVs are no 98-pound weaklings.
What you have right now is a lot of curious observers to EV technology salivating at the potential, but not knowing exactly how to harness it. Change is almost never easy, and giving up your 10mm ratchet, greasy fingernails, and the smell of race gas for a laptop, electric power management software, and throttle maps is surely not easy for the old-timers. But really, the past 20 years of hot rodding have been largely characterized by software tuning, so perhaps the transition might not be quite as daunting for the technologically adept, or younger generation.
Yes, there is a visceral appeal of the deep exhaust roar from a finely tuned combustion engine, the feel of the turbo “spooling up” and the smell (even if carcinogenic) of exhaust. But there is something equally thrilling about the instant wallop of torque when you press the throttle down in an EV and are planted in your seat. Hot rodding is far from dead — we’re just seeing the next chapter being written before our eyes.
(Main image by Phil Royle)
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