Formed in 1963 with 13 member companies, the Special Equipment Market Association (SEMA) now consists of 6383 companies worldwide. Apart from bringing together stakeholders in the automotive aftermarket, employees of its member companies also benefit from services like education, market research, industry publications, and much more.
The SEMA show, first held in 1967, is a trade-only show held annually in the first week of November at the Las Vegas convention center. For 2021, it was held between 2nd and 5th November and featured over 1,000 vehicles on display and over 51,000 buyers. As evidenced in the show, electrification has found a home in the automotive aftermarket, and without doubt, the future is electric. With new EV parts becoming more compact, conversions are easier and most times do not require destructive modification. EV conversions are the new Hotrods, so let's check out ten that impressed us the most at SEMA 2021.
10 Superformance MKIII E
Revealed in 2020, the MKIII E is a creation of Superformance, which is renowned for making Shelby Cobra replicas since 1996. This time though, while retaining the classic cobra styling, no Ford V8 is hiding inside the long snout.
Under the hood, the MKIII sports a Tesla drive unit sending up to 1500 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels for performance similar to the original Cobras. If a sprint of 2 seconds to 60 mph doesn't sound like much, stay tuned for an upcoming variant that will be powered by two Tesla drive units.
9 James Marsden's Electric Buick Electra
Built by Ant Anstead as part of a TV show for Discovery Channel, the Electric Buick Electra was a gift by James Marsden to his former brother-in-law. The one-of-a-kind land-yacht was created by mating the body of a 1963 Buick Electra to the chassis of a brand new Karma Revero EV.
Chosen for having the same dimensions as the Buick, the Revero brings its 3-cylinder engine and 536 hp electric motor to the conversion. For complete custom looks, and to complement the bespoke interior, a carbon fiber hood and trunk were added.
8 Gateway Broncos Luxe GT EV
Built by Illinois-based Gateway Broncos, renowned for its work on classic Fords, the $265,000 Luxe GT EV is described as the "ultimate restomod". The all-electric luxury vehicle is powered by a 108 kWh battery pack which delivers an amazing 300 miles range when fully charged.
Sprinting to 60 mph in about 4 seconds, it has enough power for eco-friendly adventures in the city or the wilds. Fitted with an electronic ride control suspension, it delivers a smooth ride quality that complements the luxury features on offer inside the cabin.
7 Ford F-100 Eluminator
Based on a 1978 ford F-100 pickup, and built by Ford Performance, the F-100 Eluminator concept shares a drivetrain with the Mustang Mach-E GT. Created to show off Ford's new electric e-crate motor, the Eluminator concept gets its steering wheel and infotainment touchscreen from the modern Mustang Mach-E.
Powered by two electric traction motors producing a combined 480 hp and 634 lb-ft of torque, there is plenty of power on tap. The crate motor retailing at $3,900 each, weighs 205 pounds, and has a peak power of 281 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque.
6 Project X 1957 Chevrolet 210
The "Project X" has had an eventful life modeling new technologies and products for Popular Hot Rodding (and now for Hot Rod). Having been powered, at various times, by 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engines, the iconic 1957 Chevy graced SEMA 2021 powered by electricity.
Delivering 340 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque is an electric motor powered by a 400-volt battery storing 30 kWh.
While the absence of an exhaust system allows the Project X to ride lower, a quick change differential allows performance and range to be altered.
5 CanEV 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
One of the three iconic vehicles used by canEV and Webb Motorworks to showcase their newly developed e-crate motors was a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air. The state-of-the-art power plants are capable of supplying up to 500 hp of pure and clean electric power.
Designed to match the dimensions of the engines they replace, the e-crate motors can be mounted with relative ease. To make it look like a gas-powered engine, the Chevy small block look-alike is given a set of valve covers and an intake manifold.
4 Team Vesco Little Giant EV Land Speed Car
Collaborating with reVolt Systems of California, Team Veso of Rockville, Utah created one of the show stoppers at the 2021 SEMA. Four months from when it started, the EV conversion process was over, and a 1500 hp torpedo was born.
Formerly propelled by a combustion engine to record speeds, the Little Giant EV Land Speed car is now powered by 1152 prismatic battery cells with two Tesla model S motors. In October it ran a two-way average record speed of 353.870 mph for EVs.
3 Project Electrolite 1972 Plymouth Satellite
Based on the 1972 Plymouth Satellite, the Project Electrolite owned by Kevin Erickson is powered by a Tesla Model S electric motor. In creating the Project Electrolite, the Plymouths chassis had to be fabricated to carry the whole rear subframe of the model S.
Also from the model S is the power source, a 100 kWh battery pack with batteries located under the bonnet and in the trunk. With about 600 hp on tap, the Project Electrolite needs less than 4 seconds to hit 60 mph and has a range of 250 miles on a full charge.
2 Electric GT Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
A timeless classic, the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 came to the SEMA show with its iconic body riding on an electric powertrain. Ripping off the original l-6 engine, Electric GT threw in an eGT-253 system which makes 253 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque.
With so much power under the hood, it is not surprising that the Electric GT Land Cruiser FJ40 gallops to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds. Thanks to Electric GT and its team of engineers, the past has just been electrified into the future.
1 Electric GT Porsche 911 RSR
Also from the stables of Electric GT, and shining brightly in its orange coat, is the Electric GT Porsche 911 RSR. Power is supplied by liquid-cooled 47 kWh Electric GT batteries divided into two packs with an onboard 6.6 kW charger.
Paired with a Tesla drive unit, there is 435 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque to motivate the Electric GT 911 to Porsche's standard of performance. With the eGT 913 system, fast charging is also available to add a whopping 160 miles of driving range in one hour.