Reborn electric DeLorean production slashed before it begins, ruled out for Australia

The maker of the new electric DeLorean – the modern reboot of the Back to the Future movie time machine – has cut production by 60 per cent two years before the first car is built. And none will come to Australia.

The US company bringing the DeLorean name back to the future says it is “going to production” with its first new car – but has slashed production by more than half nearly two years before the first example is built.

The DeLorean Alpha5 electric car – built by the firm that purchased the DeLorean name rights after the original company went bankrupt – revives the legendary badge made famous by the car that starred as a time machine in the 1980s Back to the Future movie series.

DeLorean announced plans last year to produce 9351 examples of the Alpha5 over six years, with deliveries due to start “no earlier” than late 2024.

However, in an email to customers last week, the company said it would slash the planned production run to 4000 cars over five years – due to claimed “supply chain bottlenecks”.

MORE: New DeLorean revealed – and it’s electric

It has also confirmed it “does not plan to offer” Alpha5 in right-hand drive – ruling out any chance of an Australian launch.

Since September buyers have been able to sign up for a $US88 ($AU130) one-off membership to the DeLorean ‘Alphas Club’, which grants access to a platform that allows buyers to pay a further $US2500 ($AU3715) to secure a “build slot”.

This pre-order is claimed to guarantee a “randomised production slot” in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT) – a digital image of an Alpha5 which is authenticated through online servers to be one of one.

DeLorean claims buyers can “sell or trade” their NFT with other buyers in the queue on a ‘DeLorean Exchange’ website, allowing them to secure a vehicle due to roll off the assembly line earlier – or later – in the production run.

The electric-car maker claims the $US2500 price is available for a limited time only – and plans to raise the price to $US3500 in mid-March 2023, with further increases of $US500 “for every 500 build slots sold.”

The company said in an email to customers in mid-January 2023 “more than 1000 [build] slots have … been reserved” – which equates to more than $US2.6 million ($AU3.9 million) in deposits.

This is despite pricing for the DeLorean Alpha5 not being announced until “late 2023”, according to the company – and final specifications not yet locked in.

Based on the information provided by DeLorean, if all 4000 build slots are filled in the pre-order phase, the company will have accumulated more than $US15 million ($AU22 million) in pre-orders.

As reported at the prototype’s unveiling, the new DeLorean Alpha5 revives the iconic nameplate 40 years after the original DeLorean DMC-12 made its Hollywood debut in the Back to the Future film franchise.

It is produced by the revived DeLorean company, which purchased the rights to the name in 1995 – after the original DeLorean car maker, named after its founder John DeLorean, went bankrupt in 1982.

According to preliminary specifications published by DeLorean, the Alpha5 is claimed to offer a 100kWh battery pack and multiple electric motors good for an estimated 0-60mph (97km/h) time of 2.99 seconds, and more than 483km of estimated driving range.

The car is reportedly due to be sold in “North America, select markets in South America, Europe, select markets in the Middle East and select markets in Asia.”

DeLorean is reportedly planning a range of models to follow the Alpha5 coupe, including an Alpha5 ‘Plasmatail’ wagon or ‘shooting brake’ (above), followed by – according to the UK’s Autocar – a V8-engined sports coupe, electric sedan, and a hydrogen-powered SUV.

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