Icon’s Tesla-Powered 1949 Mercury Coupe EV Is Coming To Geneva

Icon will bring its fully electric 1949 Mercury Coupe to the Geneva International Motor Show, taking place next week.

Power comes from a dual-motor setup that provides the equivalent of 400 HP and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque, while the top speed resides at 120 mph (193 km/h). Providing juice is a Tesla Performance 85 kWh battery, fully rechargeable in 90 minutes.

The range is estimated at 150 to 200 miles (241 to 322 km), according to Icon, which is pretty good for a car that you wouldn’t necessarily drive on a daily basis.

This car is part of Icon’s “Derelict” series of conversions, focused on combining retro looks with ultra-modern electric powertrains. Before being turned into something a lot more environmentally-friendly, this old Mercury was disassembled so that all of its rubber could be replaced with new parts. It also features insulation and sound-deadening materials wherever possible.

Mechanically, there’s a new chassis developed with Art Morrison Enterprises, with an independent suspension front and rear. As for the engine you’re looking at underneath the hood, that’s actually a custom aluminum construction made to look like a vintage V8.

The electric motors are mounted in the transmission tunnel, while the “V8 engine” houses the battery controllers and a few of the modules. Then there’s the EV management system, tasked with protecting the batteries from overcharging, among other things.

Icon also added a fast-charging plug behind the front license plate, to go with the Tesla Supercharger plug out back, instead of the original fuel filler.