Ford announced that a gas/electric hybrid and an electric F-150 trucks are coming to production in the near future. They are not available yet. We still need to wait months or years for them to arrive. If you don’t want to wait and want an electric truck right now, here is a solution from Ecotuned Automobile that you can get now. This also includes Chevy and Ram trucks.
- Electric conversion of fleet vehicles (trucks, vans, SUV)
- Conversion applies to light duty through medium-duty (Class 2 to Class 4) vehicles from Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge and Ram
- Will have the same towing capacity as original after the conversion.
- Range is 95 to 140 miles (unloaded)
- Battery capacity: 43 kWh to 86 kWh (e.g. F-150, F-450)
- Battery chemistry: Li-ion NMC (nickel manganese cobalt)
New is nice but what if you can extend the life of your current truck after the manufacturer’s 60k mile/5 year warranty expires? Ecotuned Automobile has an electric conversion solution for light duty to medium-duty trucks, vans, and SUVs from Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge/Ram. Instead of spending $45,000 on a new F-150 and the associated increases in registration fees and taxes, you can convert that same truck for two-thirds the price and reduce greenhouse gases as a bonus.
Savings is compounded further when you factor in reduction of insurance fees, a lower spend on fuel, and fewer maintenance costs.
Ecotuned Automobile will install an electric motor, battery pack and transmission in place of the old powertrain
Electric conversion, what to expect
After the conversion, the truck retains its full operability. The towing capacity remains the same, and all the electronic and safety systems stay fully functional – including all the original factory equipment. What does change is the truck’s range between refueling and its ground clearance.
A service fleet that operates within a limited area is probably the best use case for Ecotuned’s electric conversion. Municipal service trucks for a city or county, dedicated airport vehicles, and mining operations are a few examples that come to mind.
Where long range isn’t a heavy factory, a light truck installed with the 43 kWh battery is good for approximately 95 miles. Bigger vehicles configured with the larger 86 kWh battery pack can travel up to 140 miles.
A second expected change occurs with ground clearance. Since location of the larger battery pack goes underneath the truck, ground clearance will drop approximately two to three inches.
Longterm savings
The company is lobbying for government subsidies so it can target the price of conversion at $30,000. At first glance, the savings don’t seem too far off if you consider the purchase of a new truck and money returned after reselling the old one. However, these systems have a projected lifetime of one million miles and transferable to a similar truck as the fleet ages. It also supports the environmentally sound practice of reduce, reuse, and recycle.
If saving money and minimizing your impact on the environment are goals for you and your organization, then the Ecotuned Automobile electric conversion is worth considering.
Here is the latest information on another all-electric truck and SUV from Rivian.
