28 With the active suspension system, we’re able to take away a lot of that compromise, which is generally what we have achieved across the board.” The choice of materials has also been refined and improved, as modern leathers age much better and – crucially for Pearson – do not squeak. In fact, the team is so particular about peripheral noise when going around corners or over bumps that they have carefully planned every material-to-material contact, designing out the sounds of the original cars. Significant focus has also been placed on sourcing materials sustainably, with the original walnut trim redesigned to integrate sustainably-sourced woods and the leather supply chain carefully monitored to ensure its as ethicallysourced as possible. Locality is also important, with most of the engineering and restoration partners within an hour of the factory. Needless to say, the onboard entertainment system has been modernised to feature music streaming, with premium sound to match any modern vehicle. This is a significant step up from the original, which contained the radio and eight-track system (also known as an eight-track cartridge or tape) that was popular with car manufacturers in the mid-60s to early 80s. Of all the interior improvements, it is the dashboard that Evice is perhaps most proud of, and although this has yet to be revealed to the public, Pearson hints at what to expect: “We have cleaned it up. We’ve taken a lot of the 60s, 70s and 80s out of it, and added in a lot of clean, analogue, classic simplicity to it. “A few things have been removed, a few systems consolidated, and we’ve very subtly added modern systems, so if you don’t want to see your wireless Apple CarPlay screen or your reversing camera, you can hide it at the push of a button, with a beautiful leather cover actuating over the screen. “In the original cars there was a fourin-one gauge with the fuel, temperature and two other now irrelevant pieces of information. We’ve changed what those functions show and added a very small ‘driver information’ display in the middle, so it’s now a five-in-one; very subtle and beautifully integrated with very simple information on. “Everything is designed to not distract from the experience. Everything is metal, wood and even Bakelite in a few areas. And it’s all analogue, because nothing can replace the way light passes through the lens on a gauge; the way it bounces off the needle; the way the needle moves. There are no haptic touchscreen features or pixellated needles here.” One of the biggest advances in modern vehicles compared with the classics regards safety, with the use of airbags and deformable energyabsorbing crumple zones. Given the ‘new car’ approach taken by Evice, it may seem sensible to add in these features, but that is not something the company chose to do. “The cost and time to implement those sorts of systems would be very high, and when it comes to airbags, a bad airbag is worse than no airbag at all,” says Pearson. “It would also take away so much from the experience we’re aiming for with these cars. January/February 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering Safety is paramount, especially when it comes to packaging the battery packs within the vehicle to modern standards
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