chevrolet has teamed up with general motors to unveil a new electric pickup concept based on the bolt EV. the E-10 takes off from the 1962 C-10 pickup truck and is powered by an electric connect & cruise concept crate propulsion package that imagines a retro-vintage future for hot rodding. the concept made its debut in last vegas on tuesday (november 5 2019) at this year’s SEMA show.
‘the chevrolet e-10 electrified connect & cruise concept system reimagines the performance crate engine for hot rodders,’ said 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.’
the E-10’s connect & cruise concept propulsion system is composed of a double stack of chevrolet performance concept electric crate motors (eCrate), two 400-volt batteries and a conventional supermatic 4l75-e automatic transmission. the double-stack eCrate motor replaces the truck’s original gas engine under the hood and is connected to the automatic transmission, which transfers torque to the rear axle.
power to the drive stack comes from the pair of independent chevrolet bolt EV power electronics and two production bolt EV battery packs. mounted in the truck’s bed, each offers 60 kWh of usable energy under a hard tonneau cover.
‘general motors has the in-house talent required to create a concept like the E-10,’ campbell adds. ‘with the innovative thinking and expertise our performance team, electrification team and many others at GM bring, this project went from concept to running vehicle in 18 weeks to demonstrate what the future of an eCrate propulsion system and hot rodding could look like.’
it has an estimated 450 horsepower to the rear wheels, and uses a concept electric propulsion system to deliver 0-60 mph in approximately 5 seconds and quarter-mile times in the high 13-second range.
the E-10 has a sound emulator complete with three speakers to simulate an induction sound in the front and two banks of a v8 engine in the back of the vehicle. the driver can select one of five modes on the emulator, including: ls7 z28 track tuning, ls7 z28 touring turning, a v8 engine, a futuristic sound or silent – and the sounds will automatically adjust to the changing of the gears, mimicking an internal combustion engine.
the e-10 concept builds on the experience and momentum generated by last year’s ecopo concept, taking the idea of a ‘crate’ electric propulsion system further by leveraging actual production components,’ says russ o’blenes, director of performance variants, parts & motorsports. ‘it’s all still in the testing stage, but this concept brings the electric option for hot rodders much closer to reality.’
blending vintage style with modern technologies, the zero-emission e-10 concept wraps everything up in a classic silhouette, with a pronounced hood and forward-leaning a-pillars. contemporary enhancements include an illuminated bowtie emblem in the grille, led headlamps and taillamps, and a lowered stance accented with 20 x 9-inch front and 22 x 10-inch rear wheels.
the original instrument panel has also been updated with digital displays for the electric propulsion system. the rest of the cabin is restored and features leather-trimmed seats.