When what we want doesn't exist, we build it.
The idea for Grayback EVP started long before the first prototype ever rolled out of Kindred’s Mare Island HQ. It began as a simple question,
"What if we built our own electric platform from the ground up — no compromises, no off-the-shelf shortcuts?"
Four years later, that question has turned into Kindred Grayback EVP: a fully integrated electric vehicle platform that quietly powers every Kindred conversion. Behind it sits millions of dollars in R&D, countless hours in the shop and out in the wild, and a team obsessed with getting the details right, because when you’re reimagining beloved classics, good enough just doesn’t cut it.
Behind the Name
Grayback takes its name from the famous submarine built right here on Mare Island in 1954. That vessel was a symbol of boundary-pushing engineering in its era, a machine that did things no one had seen before. We chose the name as a reminder: our platform should carry that same spirit of innovation, but on the road instead of under the sea.
Grayback (LPSS-574), underway, c. 1968, Wikipedia
Engineered and Crafted From Scratch
At the heart of Grayback EVP is a proprietary battery pack design, engineered specifically for the demands of vintage vehicles. Unlike generic EV solutions, it’s shaped, structured, and secured to work harmoniously with older chassis with balancing weight, safety, and serviceability without compromising the character of the original car or truck. We build all Kindred EV battery packs at our Mare Island HQ. Our biggest accomplishment we are excited about is our sealing infrastructure, which ensures no water permeates into the vehicle and impacts the batteries.
How It All Comes Together
Underneath, a Kindred-designed chill plate keeps everything in its thermal sweet spot. It doesn’t just cool the batteries; it manages temperature with the same care you’d expect from a modern OEM, protecting performance and longevity in hot climates, spirited drives, and long touring days alike. One of the hardest engineering feats with vintage vehicles is ensuring proper HVAC system performance to ensure you can keep a cabin heated in the winter or cool in the summer without negatively impacting the performance of the EV vehicle.
All of this lives within a carefully orchestrated architecture that connects every major system including the battery management system, power distribution, charging, vehicle controls, heating and cooling, all into one cohesive whole. Instead of a patchwork of components trying to cooperate, Grayback EVP is a unified platform with a single brain and a single purpose: make an electrified classic feel effortless.
The result isn’t just an EV solution. It’s an invisible foundation that allows Kindred to bring iconic vehicles into the electric era with confidence.
You may never see the Grayback EVP when you walk around a Kindred build, but you’ll feel it in every mile.
