Kindred Motorworks has delivered its first customer Bronco EV Edition and, alongside it, unveiled the Grayback Electric Vehicle Platform (EVP), a proprietary architecture developed over five years in a multimillion-dollar, in-house programme at the company’s Mare Island facility in Vallejo, California.
Named after the USS Grayback (SSG-574) submarine once built at Mare Island, the platform underpins Kindred’s electric range and is designed to integrate modern electric powertrains into a wide spread of classic cars and trucks.
The Grayback EVP packages heating and cooling, battery management, vehicle controls, power distribution, battery enclosures and the charging system, combining off-the-shelf components with Kindred-engineered hardware and software.
“The customer interest in our lineup of EV prototypes has been off the charts,” said founder/CEO Rob Howard.
“We knew we had to develop an electric-vehicle platform that exceeded their lofty expectations, and after five years of focused research and development, our engineering team has delivered exactly that with the Grayback EVP.
“This is the best-in-class platform for converting classic vehicles to EV propulsion, and the Kindred EV Bronco is the perfect launch vehicle to showcase the system’s reliability and usability.”
A modular, high-energy-density battery sits at the core of the platform, enabling packaging flexibility across different body styles. Multiple motor layouts are supported, including all-wheel drive and higher-performance road set-ups.
A thermal management system regulates temperatures for the high-voltage battery, motors and inverters, and also supplies cabin heating and air conditioning.
Kindred quotes up to 322km of range and as much as 600hp, with an emphasis on serviceability and future upgrades as new cell technologies emerge.
The integrated charging suite supports home AC charging and CCS DC fast charging, with battery and ambient monitoring to optimise charge times.
Kindred’s line-up includes the Kindred Bronco (combustion and EV), EV Chevy 3100 pickup and EV VW Bus.
Pre-orders are open. Howard leads a team spanning supply chain, technology and automotive disciplines, applying proprietary processes to standardise classic-vehicle restorations into modern, road-ready EVs.
