Jason Momoa’s EV Swapped Rolls-Royce Boasts Vintage Car Originality

Sir Henry Royce’s famous quote, “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better” reigns true for the painstakingly restored and EV swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II owned by American actor Jason Mamoa. Henry Royce also took pride in building some of the smoothest riding, quiet vehicles on the road, and when it comes to cruising in a vintage car in silky silence, Jason Momoa’s electrified Rolls-Royce gets the crown.

Electrogenic, a British company known for its expertise in converting classic cars to all-electric power, was tasked with replacing the 95-year-old Phantom II’s original 7.7-liter engine with an electric motor. Before purists begin to boil over, we should mention that Electrogenic’s bespoke EV conversions are made to easily be switched back to the vintage car’s original powertrain.

“I had to find the right partner,” Momoa said. “I needed a team that would appreciate the history of this car while updating its technology and Electrogenic is all about honoring vintage cars, making them electric without losing any of the vehicle’s character.”

A 201 bhp electric motor and 93 kWh worth of aluminum-cowled batteries take the place of the Royce’s mammoth pushrod straight-six and four-speed transmission, which originally offered between 40 and 50 horsepower. The rear wheels are driven by the electric motor via a fixed reduction gear, increasing its 229 lb-ft of torque to 738 lb-ft at the prop shaft. Three drive modes, Drive, Eco, and Sport, allow Momoa to choose his experience. Steep hills? No problem, the regenerative braking can be doubled to help the heavy Phantom slow down as it rolls down sharp declines. Electrogenic boasts an approximate 150-mile range for the Rolls under normal driving conditions.

The original coachwork by HJ Mulliner & Co has been preserved, as has the original mechanical ‘through-flow’ chassis lubrication system that once sent oil through the vintage car’s phosphor-bronze bushes to keep the brake and suspension linkages, as well as other mechanical control systems, functioning seamlessly. Even the original cable-operated braking system, which now has an added hydraulic booster, was carefully revised to work seamlessly with the electric motor’s regenerative braking capability.

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Jason Momoau2019s EV Swapped 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Inside, the Phantom still sports its killer vintage looks, but with tons of technology upgrades. For example, the fuel gauge is converted to an LED state-of-charge gauge, the amp meter is not an energy flow meter, and the water temperature gauge shows the electric motor’s operating temperature. Don’t think Momoa stopped there: the Rolls also features a hidden high-end multi-speaker audio system with an integrated sub-woofer and full Bluetooth connectivity.

Considering that Rolls-Royce founders Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce were both early pioneers of the electric motor, we’d like to think the duo would be proud of this custom 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. According to Electrogenic director Steve Drummond, the electrified Phantom II “performs as Rolls-Royce’s engineers of a century ago would have wanted had they possessed the technology available to us today.”

On the Roam | Ep. 6 Clip 1 | Max youtu.be