Electric DeLorean Races Toward 2013 Release

The not-yet-released electric version of the iconic DeLorean sports car featured in the Back to the Future films has arrived at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, touting an iPhone dock, Bluetooth capabilities and a battery-powered engine.

The electric DeLorean, which will hit the U.S. market in 2013, was originally announced in October 2011 but it's making a surprise appearance at the auto show this week.

The latest DeLorean still comes with recognizable gull-wing doors, a stainless steel body and a rear-mounted engine. However this sucker is electrical: It features a 32-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion phosphate battery system. It's still sporty, too: The car can go from 0 mph to 60 mph in less than six seconds.

Although DeLoreans typically run for $65,000, the electric model will cost $95,000.

"The electric DeLorean is a natural progression for the vehicle — it has everything that people expect in cars today that you couldn't get back in 1981 with the original model," James Espey, vice president of DeLorean, told Mashable.

The DeLorean may be best known for its role as the unlikely time machine in the Back to the Future movies, but it has attracted the attention of car collectors and fans years following the movie's 1985 debut.

"People still love that movie and as younger people see it for the first time, they go online and learn more about the DeLorean," Espey said, noting that orders for the DeLorean are mostly placed by people in their 30s and 40s. "We are never going to be a mass production type of company, but for low-volume, niche-market cars, there is a demand."

Espey said that the electric DeLorean will get about the same mileage as a Nissan Leaf, running about 100 miles on one electric charge.

"Anyone can buy a Prius or a Tesla, but if you want something collectible and different than what anyone else has, this is it. It certainly attracts attention."

Moving forward, the company plans to add iOS controls to the vehicle with the inclusion of apps. The first deliveries of the car itself will take place in February or early March of next year.

"Starting in January, we will be making three DeLoreans a week," Espey said. "Depending on order volume, it will be a mixture of gas and electric — one week we may do two electric and one gas or vice versa."

Are you excited about the electric DeLorean? Tell us why or why not in the comments.