Aston Martin will be launching a “Heritage EV” program in late 2019, taking vintage cars and turning them into electric cars. Existing owners of the 1970 DB6 MkII Volante will be the first to get their cars retrofitted into fully electric cars. The original engine and gearbox will be removed and be replaced with newer technology. The car maker wants to preserve the look of their vintage cars, because it is part of its heritage and its brand. Plus, Aston Martin owners would not be please to have the look of their vehicles completely changed. This program allows them to respect the environment and new laws concerning internal combustion engines.

1970 DB6 MkII Volante

The amazing thing about this conversion is that it is reversible. So the owner will have the option to remove the EV technology and re-insert the original engine.

The reason that Aston Martin is doing this is simple: Cities around the globe are starting to ban what they consider to be “polluting vehicles,” and a vintage Aston Martin would be considered a polluting vehicle. So far, places like Geneva, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, and many other cities have such bans.

1970 DB6 MkII Volante

The EV technology that Aston Martin will put inside their vintage vehicles will be the same as their Rapide E. The cars will be powered by a 65kWh battery, have a range of 200 miles, travel at a maximum speed of 115 mph, and go from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds.

As Martin Lagonda, President and CEO of Aston Martin said during a press release today: “We are very aware of the environmental and social pressures that threaten to restrict the use of classic cars in the years to come. Our Second Century Plan not only encompasses our new and future models, but also protects our treasured heritage. I believe this not only makes Aston Martin unique, but a truly forward-thinking leader in this field.”

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