Chevrolet’s radical retro E-10 electric pickup truck concept visualizes a zero-emission future for antique auto aficionados and old-school hotrodders alike.
Catching A Buzz
Chevrolet’s jaw-dropping E-10 concept pick-up offers new hope in an old package. The former addresses the hotrodding community’s mounting concern over a fossil-fuel-free future. The latter is a seriously refurbished 1962 Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck extensively modified by GM engineers to blow by gas pumps… and mighty quickly at that!
Electric Treat
According to GM, this creative concept vehicle acts a rolling test-bed demonstrating “electric conversion possibilities for classic vehicles, blending vintage styling and high performance with zero-emissions driving.” Bedecked in an appealing coat of metallic burnt orange paint (not available for buyers in 1962, by the way), the concept made its public on Tuesday, November 5th at this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas. “The Chevrolet E-10 electrified Connect & Cruise concept system re-imagines the performance crate engine for hotrodders,” explained Jim Campbell, Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “As General Motors continues to work toward our vision of a zero-emissions world, concepts such as this help us get there, while still supporting the enthusiasts who love to drive vintage vehicles.”
Nuts & Volts
The Connect & Cruise concept propulsion system Campbell mentioned is designed with that future in mind – a future in which dedicated auto enthusiasts will still want to “wrench” on their vehicles without needing a doctorate in electrical engineering. The E-10’s engine employs many off-the-shelf parts already used in GM vehicles such as Chevy’s Volt and Bolt… with a few tweaks and twists. Crack open the E-10’s hood and you’ll find a double stack of Chevrolet Performance concept “eCrate” electric crate motors. This engine neatly fills the void previously occupied by the truck’s original internal combustion engine and, working through an unmodified SuperMatic™ 4L75-E automatic transmission, transfers torque to the truck’s rear axle. Powering the impressive-looking motor are two production Bolt EV battery packs, each one providing 60 kWh of usable energy. The battery packs are mounted in the truck’s bed under a hard tonneau cover, leaving little if any space for cargo and leaving GM with a very large practicality issue to work on moving forward.
Wonder what happens to old cars and trucks left out in the open? Check out Trunk Driving: Tree-Colonized Abandoned Vehicles!
