[brian_]

A really slick conversion would be to put the entire Two-Mode hybrid system from the 2008-2013 GMT900 trucks... but the transmissions would be hard to find and everything would be very expensive. A much newer equivalent would be the similar power-split hybrid transmission from the Cadillac CT6 PHEV; those must be rare.

A hybrid has a smaller battery than a battery-electric vehicle (much smaller if it isn't a plug-in hybrid), but the hybrid system is so complex that overall project cost might not be any lower.

You might try adapting a mild hybrid system.

 

[brian_]

So what would be a ball park figure on what a system like this would cost?

Many thousands. GM lost a lot of money on each 2-Mode that they sold because the components were so expensive, and almost a decade out of production those components will be expensive and hard to find. The CT6 PHEV is a low-volume variant of an expensive car with a hybrid system sharing nothing with any other model, except the battery.

 

[brian_]

PLease give me a ball park figure of going Full Electric. One company called flash drive Motors ha quoted me 75K last week. That is definitely not n my price range..

A conversion by someone else includes a lot of their expensive labour, as well as buying every component from them. It's like getting a custom car built by someone else - unless your budget is something like "it shouldn't be much more than one hundred thousand dollars", you're probably not rich enough to be a customer for that sort of nonsense.

The point of "DIY Electric Car" is doing it yourself. That is much more difficult but replaces the huge labour expense with lots of your time and effort.

 

[brian_]

I am currently researching another conversion company: EchoDrive PLEASE GROUP LOOK AT THIS AND LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS FEASIBLE. HANK
The company’s new EchoDrive bolt-on hybrid-electric system, which can reduce annual fuel costs by as much as 50-percent in some cases, consists of a Remy electric motor and a light-weight battery storage system.

In the near future EchoDrive will also be offered direct for installation on 2015 GM 2500/3500 gas-powered 2WD pickups. Installation is performed by an Echo-certified installer. Customers may choose to use a certified partner in Echo’s nationwide installation network or get training and certification for their in-house tech(s).

EchoDrive is being offered as a $12,500 upgrade. But that initial sticker shock is far less intimidating if you consider Echo Automotive has a lease program that is less than $200/month.


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That's a classic hybrid conversion approach. Azure Dynamics did that with their Balance system; the Balance descriptions were much more open about the complexity of doing this well, due to the changes to the engine controls to effectively control both engine and electric systems in a coordinated way. Like all EV conversion companies, Azure Dynamics eventually went bankrupt, too.

One hint that the EchoDrive material was out of date was the reference to a "Remy" motor, as that company became part of BorgWarner in 2015 and the Remy name is no longer used for the motors.

The actual cost would never have been that low.

 

[brian_]

I hope some company bought the tech and is developing it again.

But there wasn't any technology which was unique to them, so there wasn't anything to buy. If you like this system, you can put together a package and sell it; maybe you'll be the first to not go broke trying.

Another option might be using a Lexus GS450H transmission and inverter like @gregski is doing although the transmission looks huge compared to a S10 transmission from what I remember of the last S10 tranny I looked at close to 40 years ago.

The old GM 2-Mode, the CT6 PHEV system, and the various Lexus-branded systems in their rear wheel drive models are all fundamentally similar: a power-split transmission and hybrid drive system packaged to replace a conventional longitudinal transmission. For lower electric-only capability there are also several parallel hybrid systems that package the motor-generator in the bell housing of a conventional transmission; examples include some variations on the 8HP transmission series from ZF, the PowerBoost hybrid version of the Ford F-150, and the hybrid variant of the 2022 Toyota Tundra and related Toyota / Land Cruiser / Lexus models.

Transmission size (particularly length) is certainly a potential issue, especially with a truck as small as the S-10.

 

[brian_]

One of the technical challenges of the AZD Balance and EchoDrive approach is related to the motor speed. In these designs a motor is used with a shaft that extends out both ends; the front end is connected to the transmission output and the rear end is connected to the axle. The motor acts like a section of the drive shaft, adding power to the shaft (as a motor) or taking power from the shaft (as a generator)... but that means that the motor turns at the speed of the shaft, which is very low compared to the usual speeds of electric motors driving vehicles. That means a relatively large motor must be used.

The parallel hybrid systems in production vehicles (such as the F-150 PowerBoost and Tundra Hybrid that I mentioned earlier) put the motor-generator between the engine and the transmission, so it can turn at a more consistent speed, and at low road speed it can turn much faster than the transmission output, allowing it to be smaller yet still effective. Unfortunately, that's a much more difficult place to mount the motor as a custom modification.

 

[brian_]

Alpha wolf , Pickup truck anybody ever heard of it. Small California Companies idea of a small pickup truck. Not fully developed yet but here is a very interesting video to watch. I am a S-10 owner looks very promising for some one like me. What do all of you out there in DIY Electric LAND Think???? Please reply anybody else think this is neat or not???

A few years ago, it made some sense for startup companies to attempt to build an electric pickup, because that vehicle category was not available. Now that the major auto manufacturers are building them, there's no point - Rivian will be the only startup to successfully produce an EV as a pickup.

The existing and coming pickup EVs - Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV - are all full-size trucks, because that's what most customers want. There may be a market for a smaller truck, and it will be a while before the mainstream manufacturers get around to providing them, but I don't see a large enough niche for a company such as Alpha to have a chance. They're too late into the game.

Although it will likely never be more than an idea, I like the size and style of the Wolf. It reminds me of the first pickup that I drove (and first vehicle I towed with, and first manual transmission that I drove), which was a Mitsubishi-built Dodge D-50. On the other hand, the proposed price is too high

These are the relevant links that I collected when this truck appeared online last year:

Motor Trend: Could the Alpha Wolf Bring Small Electric Trucks Back to the Future? SoCal EV startup to offer electric ute-like pickup that's nice and small, like they used to be.​

GM Authority: Alpha Wolf EV Pickup Truck Unveiled, Reservations Now Open​

Motor Authority: The Alpha Wolf EV pickup is the electric truck we want, and The Alpha Wolf+ might be the perfect electric pickup truck​

electrek: Secretive new EV startup unveils interesting-looking $36,000 electric pickup truck​

Green Car Reports: Retro-styled Alpha Wolf electric pickup is a compact truck to LUV​

 

[brian_]

Some people still want them, only few maybe,, but then on the other hand why did the Maverick and Santa Cruz recently pop up.

The Maverick and Santa Cruz are larger than the old S-10, but they are an indication that there might be some life left in this category yet... but not likely enough to make a startup company work. Both GM and Ford went without smaller-than-fullsize trucks for years, and what they eventually introduced (Colorado-Canyon and Ranger) are huge - they're what would have been considered full-sized in the past, except for being a bit narrower.

 

[brian_]

Please let me make you aware Chevy is testing The Montana in Brazil, Ford is testing a new Courier both of these in the size range of my 2002 S-10.

Those are coupe utilities. They have been and continue to be available in much of the world for decades, but the few that were offered here (VW Rabbit Pickup based on the Golf/Rabbit, Subaru BRAT based on the Leone, Dodge Rampage based on the Omni/Horizon) are long gone, because there has been little market for them in North America.