Don’t want to wait around for a big OEM to make an electric pickup? You don’t have to.
We found two rare, factory original all-electric Ford and Chevy pickups for sale in Southern California, though both need some work.
An electric 1997 Chevy S-10 is selling for $2,500 at evfinder.com. While it’s hard to say exactly how many of these unicorns avoided the crusher, one report we’ve read states that roughly 60 examples survived after GM nixed the fleet-focused truck.
“Straight with some clear coat peeling,” writes Eric, the truck’s owner. “Truck was parked when batteries died but ran strong and well before then.”
Not many electric S-10s escaped the crusher. This one did.The front-wheel drive pickup has an 85kw synchronous AC motor that was once powered by a Panasonic sealed lead acid battery. It’s located in Temecula, Calif. where rust is the least of your worries.
About 60 miles northwest in Los Angeles an electric 1999 Ford Ranger lists for $8,500 OBO. The odometer reads only 31,395 miles.
The truck, which was also built for fleets, is believed to be only one of about 200 such pickups that escaped the crusher thanks to some ardent supporters.
“Most were crushed in 2004, sparking protests and the ‘Don’t crush’ campaign, which became Plug-in-America,” writes owner Steve. “I am its first owner after Ford stopped the crushing. This bit of history has appeared in many Plug-In America events, Drive Electric Week parades, local environment and energy events and participated in PV and EVSE installations as a workhorse in the growth of our current EV generation.”
The truck was running nicely until 2017 when the original NiMH battery died. Steve says that the truck is ready for a lithium battery conversion, though you have to wonder if it may be better off in an auto museum.
“I am looking for a buyer to carry on the remarkable story of this truck,” Steve writes.
A lead acid battery once powered this original electric S10
