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A 23-year-old Vietnamese architect spent 2 years creating a drivable replica of the Batmobile, and it's fully electric — check it out

A 23-year-old Vietnamese architect spent 2 years creating a drivable replica of the Batmobile, and it's fully electric check it out

Marielle Descalsota

Nguyen Dac Chung's "Batmobile."Courtesy of VAN DARYL, Nguyen Dac Chung, and Macro Studios

Nguyen Dac Chung, 23, spent two years creating a replica of Batman's famous supercar.
The two-seater retails for $35,000 and has falcon-winged doors.

This is the world's first electric replica of the Batmobile, Batman's famed supercar.

Nguyen Dac Chung's 'Batmobile'. Courtesy of VAN DARYL, Nguyen Dac Chung, and Macro Studios

Architect and creator Nguyen Dac Chung was inspired by Christopher Nolan's rendition of the Batmobile, known as the 'Tumbler."

But Nguyen wanted to put his own twist on the vehicle: He wanted to integrate an electric motor instead of a gas engine. He spent two years working on the project alongside a team of designers, mechanics, and engineers.

"I want to sell [the cars] so I have the funds to do another project," Nguyen told Insider in a Facebook message.

The Batmobile retails for $35,000 and cost $27,000 to produce, Nguyen said.

It's not the first version of the Batmobile that Nguyen has built.

A post shared by Nguyễn Đắc Chung (@dactdg)

Nguyen built a gas-powered Batmobile in 2019, and spent more than $21,700 in the process of creating it, per Malaysian newspaper Malay Mail.

It took 10 months before his initial design was ready for the road, per the newspaper.

"I was inspired by the movie 'The Dark Night,'" Nguyen told Insider. "The design and the technology fitted to the car made it special," he added.

The two-seater is fully operational.

Nguyen Dac Chung's "Batmobile." Courtesy of VAN DARYL, Nguyen Dac Chung, and Macro Studios

The electric car reaches speeds of up to 104 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour), and weighs 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds), per a press release from Nguyen.

In comparison, a Toyota Corolla weighs 1,340 kilograms (2,955 pounds.)

The car is currently on display at Van Daryl Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City. "This is a fully operational, tactical vehicle capable of freeway speeds," said Nguyen, per Van Daryl's website.

The interior of the car is "something the artist is still working on," Daryl Villanueva, the gallery's founder, told Insider. "Right now it's still quite utilitarian — like a tank or a NASCAR," he added.

Parts of the Batmobile are 3D printed, while others are handcrafted.

Nguyen Dac Chung's "Batmobile." Courtesy of VAN DARYL, Nguyen Dac Chung, and Macro Studios

"I wanted to take things to the next level and completely blow people's minds," Nguyen said in the press release.

The car is made of materials like ABS plastic, steel, and carbon fiber, per the press release. Nguyen used 3D printing technology to create parts of the car, with armor panels forming the exterior.

The Batmobile's falcon-winged doors are operated with a remote control.

A post shared by Nguyễn Đắc Chung (@dactdg)

As seen on other electric super cars like the Tesla Model X, these automatic falcon-winged doors use a hydraulic system.

The vehicle is also replete with four cameras to "[navigate] tight corners" and give the driver a 360 degree view of the surroundings, per Nguyen's press release.

Two replicas of the car are currently available for purchase.

Nguyen Dac Chung's 'Batmobile'. Courtesy of VAN DARYL, Nguyen Dac Chung, and Macro Studios

Villanueva told Insider that Nguyen made nine replicas, and seven have already been bought. The cars are expected to be shipped to buyers in September, Villanueva said.

Although Nguyen says he is the first to create an electric version of the Batmobile, many designers before him have created various replicas of the supercar.

Car manufacturer Caresto transformed a Lamborghini into a Batmobile that could reach speeds of almost 322 kilometers per hour (200 miles per hour) in September 2016.

An Australian man also tried his hand at replicating the famed car in November 2014, per The Hollywood Reporter. He partnered with Make-A-Wish Foundation to delight terminally ill children with his Batmobile, per the publication.