1962 Henney Kilowatt Electric Car

From 1959 to 1961, a US coachbuilder teamed up with a battery company and a tech dude named Victor Wouk. Instead of building a car from scratch, they bought 100 engine-less Dauphine bodies from Renault and stuffed them full of heavy lead-acid batteries.

The early versions were slow and could barely touch 40 mph but upgraded the next batch to a 72-volt system that could do 60 mph and cover with around 60 miles of range. Not exactly a Model S.

Oct 9, 2026

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Replies (9)

· 3w

They only sold 47 cars and most went to utility companies as promotional vehicles. I guess 15 real customers bought a car. There are not many known survivors with some numbers suggesting only 10.

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· 3w

I started this topic because I saw one for sale on the AACA forum:

"Rare Henney Kilowatt electric car — major restoration project

Up for sale is an extremely rare Henney Kilowatt electric car, believed to be one of only 47 produced.

The Henney Kilowatt was an early electric automobile built using a Renault Dauphine body shell, modified with an electric drivetrain. These cars are an important part of early electric-vehicle history and are exceptionally uncommon today.

THE CAR

This particular car was found in a barn outside of Detroit, Michigan. Unfortunately, there is no known history or documentation accompanying the car from before I acquired it.

The car is currently a roller and is not operational. It will require a complete restoration.

It has been sitting for many years and is very dirty and rough from storage. There are missing parts, and sections of the floor have deteriorated and rotted away. The tires do not all hold air.

The windshield has holes and cracks. Used replacement front and rear windshields are included with the car.

I do not know the complete history of the car or what modifications, repairs, or changes may have been made during its life after it was originally built. The photos are an important part of the description, so please look them over carefully.

TITLE / VIN

The car has a clear Indiana title in my name.

The Indiana title identifies it as:

Year: 1962

Make: Unknown

Model: Unknown

VIN: R10902961538

The car previously had the Henney Kilowatt name on its title, but Indiana would not retain that description when I transferred the title into my name.

RESTORATION PROJECT

This is not a running or driving car and should be considered a complete restoration/project vehicle.

It would be an excellent candidate for someone interested in:

Early electric-vehicle history

Henney Kilowatt automobiles

Renault Dauphine-based vehicles

Automotive history and preservation

Electric-vehicle collecting

A unique museum/display project

A very unusual restoration

Cars like this are rarely offered for sale, especially as restoration projects.

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/461525-1962-renault-dauphine-henney-electric-project-ebay-auction-mishawaka-indiana

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· 3w

Wow. Never heard of it. I might need to find one.

· 3w

I know a little bit about these. Because lead-acid chemistry has a notoriously low energy density, providing usable range meant adding an overwhelming amount of weight to a little car not designed for it.

The 60 mph top speed and the 60 mile range were mutually exclusive features.

· 3w

I'm wondering if some upgraded battery technology could be made to work? Looks like earlier cars are simply repowered by car batteries. I don't think they are being driven very far.

· 3w

@alsancle Modern lithium batteries would be a HUGE upgrade. They’d give you way more range for the same space and weigh a lot less. It might be a simple swap that roughly matches the old 72-volt setup. It won’t turn the car into a Model S — the original motor is still way tame—but it would make it a lot more usable.

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· 3w

Check out the NetGain HyPer 9 kit. It would double the HP and be just as efficient as the original motor.

https://evwest.com/netgain-hyper9-ac-motor-x1-controller-kit-120-volt

· 3w

I'm typically not a an of resto-moding but will jump on board with these upgrade ideas.

· 3w

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