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A 1981 DeLorean DMC 12 at a novelty auction in Melbourne in 2004.
AFP/Getty Images
GM GM, +0.88% bringing back the Hummer as an insane EV truck (and eventually SUV) is a stroke of genius. Hummer has always been a name associated with automotive hyperbole and its return is looking to live up to that reputation very well.
Hummer’s return got me thinking about what other discontinued cars would be cool to see come back in the form of an EV. Here are a few ideas, some of which are nearly impossible and some that could actually happen one day.
DeLorean DMC-12
This one seems like an obvious candidate. Plenty of comparisons have already been made between DeLorean and Tesla TSLA, -1.85% as visions of the automotive future that were radically different from the mainstream. Also, real-life electric DeLorean conversions have been done by enthusiastic mad scientists. Since a new electric DeLorean will probably never happen, you’ll have to settle for a Cybertruck.
Also see: Five perfect cars for five great American road trips
Yugo GV
Yugo GV
Irina Slutsky San Francisco USA/Wikipedia
Yugo is another dead automotive brand that almost definitely won’t return, but it’s fun to dream. The Yugo name, although synonymous with failure and poor quality in the past, has its fair share of charms today. A new Yugo could have pretty much the same styling as the old one, but with an electric motor. It wouldn’t need to go very fast or far, it would just need to be cheap. Instead of the GV (which stood for Great Value), we could call it the Yugo EV…get it?
Related: Five cars we wish were still being made
Geo Metro
A 1995 Geo Metro
Wikipedia
Speaking of old economy cars that did not exactly have a sterling reputation when new, how cool would it be to see a new electric Metro? GM has brought back the Hummer under the banner of GMC, how about an affordable electric hatchback in the form of a Chevy Metro EV? It could even borrow styling from the Geo of the early 90s, which is now old enough to be retro. Maybe even a convertible?
Toyota Celica
A 1990s Toyota Celica GT liftback.
iStock
I’ve ranted before that Toyota TM, +0.09% should bring back the Celica as an affordable hybrid sports car, but an EV would be cool too. There’s a Celica-sized hole in Toyota’s resurgent sports car lineup. Right now, Toyota doesn’t really offer a car that’s both fun and practical (try putting four people in an 86) and a hybrid or electric Celica that’s priced between the 86 and the Supra would be just right.
Read next: 20 car models on the chopping block: Rest in peace, Honda Fit
Honda Element
The Honda Element
Wikipedia
The cute Honda e hatchback is unfortunately not coming to the U.S. I’m assuming that’s because of our insatiable appetite for crossovers. Honda could take the architecture of the e, massage it into a boxy crossover, and call it the Element. The cube-like shape of the original Element makes it perfect for electrification since you could put a skateboard-style battery pack in the floor. An electric Element might not be a high-volume seller, but it couldn’t possibly be more of a flop than the Honda HMC, +6.03% Clarity EV.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
