Ford does sell an electric pickup, but not very many of them. We can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that if the F150 Lightning had the classic cool of [ScottenMotors] 1977 F150 SuperCab conversion they’d have better numbers.
On Reddit, [Scotten] shares the takeaways from his conversion effort, which involved a custom Tesla-cell battery pack and a new rear axle assembly to house the Tesla SDU (Small Drive Unit). A Large Drive Unit (LDU) would probably fit, but the SDU already puts out 264 HP, which compares rather favourably to the 156 HP this truck’s malaise-era V8 put out stock. The old F-bodies were great trucks in a lot of respects, but even an die-hard ICE enthusiast is probably not going to be sad to see that motor go.
Choosing to put the integrated drive unit in the rear axle complicates the build compared to other conversions that re-use the
stock transmission and differential, but saves you all the losses associated with that frankly unnecessary powertrain hardware. The takeaway there is to figure out all the mechanical work on the chassis, because the EV stuff is actually the easy part. [Scotten] had the wheels turning a full year before he got the brakes figured out, because even if they’re just the rears and even if there’s regen– you want all the brakes to work on your test drive.
With the 100kWh power pack, he’s getting about 220 miles of range. From the pictures, it looks like he’s filled up most of the hood space with that battery, but we can’t help but wonder if there’s room under the bed where the gas tank(s) lived to squeeze in more cells for those of us who need to go further.
Sadly the design isn’t open source, but [ScottenMotors] is apparently doing conversions on commission and open to selling kits; you can check that out on their website. In that, he’s following in the series-hybrid footsteps of Edison Motors.
While we respect the hustle to design an all-new rear end in this hack, you don’t even have to pull the internal combustion engine if you want to play on easy mode. You don’t need to be a nanoscience professor like [ScottenMotors] to pull off an electric truck, for the record– [Mr.G]’s high school class did a great job on a kei truck.
Thanks to [JohnU] for the tip!
I really miss my old ’85 F-250 3/4 ton pickup. Built like a tank, very… mostly… ok, sort of reliable, and really great… ok, it wasn’t horrible to drive. But I could haul anything and it actually handled ok. I would love to have one like this converted to EV, but I’m a little amazed at the prices. Over $90K.
I’m still driving my ’05 Dodge Dakota. It’s in good shape, and the insane cost, huge size, and lack of front visibility keep me from buying a new truck. I’m feeling the Dakota has another 21 years in it, by which time, if I’m still around, I probably won’t be safe behind the wheel!
Wore my 02 Dak out. Or, more accurately, it reached the point of more expense than viability. Standard transmission, V6, still with the original clutch when I sold it to a parts dealer at about 300KKm (200Kmiles) in 2017. Engine was still solid, but the rest was near the end. There is a lot I miss about it, but I don’t regret replacing it.
Gotta say my next vehicle is likely a Suzuki Carry or later Honda ACTY (Kei trucks) within the next year or so since I rarely need a road truck of my own anymore, and back that with the most economical sedan I can find if my current pickup end-of-lifes. I have maybe 20 more years of driving at most, if my eyes hold out, so these’ll likely be my last.
IMHO, Ford had lost its marbles/way making and selling affordable trucks.
BTA, Can’t wait for Fotons imported through Canada. Proper competition to introduce affordability and innovation as intended by the liberal capitalism, not by corporate communism.
As a side note, a decade ago I offered $1K cash for the empty Tesla shell into which I can implant some good compact turbo TDI. I don’t care what it looks like, this IS what I can afford and this is what I’d do given a chance. I’l also gut out pointless suicide door handles, all the uberexpensive hooha I don’t need and sell for dirt chip to the first taker. Reverse-step the wrong fork taken back into the basics, simple, reliable, maintainable … ummm … I’d say this will be a Tucker Torpedo path picked up by average Sam.
Regardless, I already have a mechanical diesel truck, stock, etc. Ford, wake the **** up and make those for under $15K, new, simple, basic, sold everywhere in the US of A. Detroit Diesel if you must, revamped and upgraded. Or go stupid and cede to the chinese truck makers. Easy choice.
The price of modern trucks is insane! They load them all up like luxury cars, and all I want is something to haul medium-sized loads around, and pull a smallish trailer. Why do I need something so huge and expensive to do that? I have an ’05 Dodge Dakota. It’s bare-bones, except for the V8 that was the only option that the original buyer got. Not even power windows or door locks. If they sold something like that nowadays, I bet sales would be good.
I suspect why this is, is that auto manufacturers now are or have their own banks. And those banks want interest on many years long (7, 8 y) loans.
A $50k truck you put $5k down on for 72m @ 5% you pay $7k in interest. A $15k truck you’re maybe not even gonna finance.
The manufacturers always had their own banks, at least the big three did. GM for example had GMAC which was founded in 1919. It was setup to help customers finance auto purchase.
I’m pretty certain Ford did as well, but I don’t know Fords history as well as GMs
That’s the thing, $15K – $25K is what average Sam can pay in lump sum, not needing any loans.
Car makers don’t get it, and I don’t care if they don’t. There are ways around their profit strip-mining, and I intend of using these ways 150%. Smeggling from Canada, perhaps, I’ve already mentioned that the fauntinil maafias could be making Bigger Bucks smegling us affordable trucks instead.
“BTA, Can’t wait for Fotons imported through Canada.”
Yes, I agree, we’re not dangerously dependent ENOUGH on a high tech police/surveillance state on capitalist steroids unlike the USSR that was always doomed to fail due to its economic system. To save a few bucks we should export ALL industrial production there.
Short term profit seeking in China without long term foresight by western capitalists has led to China becoming a highly technologically advanced military adversary. That matches the prediction made in an old communist adage heard in various forms being the basic message of a much longer Vladimir Lenin quote, “A capitalist will sell you the rope you hang him with” to which I will add, “when BOUGHT governments prevent them from doing so.”
DON’T prevent them from doing so.
China would always have developed – you can’t prevent a nation with that much manpower, land and considerable resources from catching up pretty darn quickly. Just look how fast Japan changed before WWII without really having any of those advantages… So while excessive de-industrialisation at home for pure profit seeking is short sighted that is the real problem, not outsourcing as a hard rule.
It isn’t a problem to have some degree of it as the centralisation of an industry globally is both inevitably more efficient and makes your nation dependent on everyone else’s to a reasonable degree, which keeps everyone having vested interests in playing nice.
No point in even trying to match then exceed the R&D and specialist knowledge to push the cutting edge of your TSMC silicon fabricator or AML lithography machine producers they use when you can just work with them 99% of the time. You can still have your own version at home if you feel the need either focusing on specific niches – maybe make really good camera sensors, radiation hardened chips, etc or just producing those easier cheaper 555 up to Pico sort of level microchips for the local markets and a few sensitive ones you don’t want to risk sharing the specs for your military etc. But you don’t even really need true independence in that, by all means use the same machine, it is a dependency only if nobody at home understands how it works well enough to maintain it or with a little R&D time produce your own version if you have to.
TSMC is in Taiwan, not China. Taiwan, S Korea, and Japan are success stories of US involvement for the democratic style of governance.
Chinese economy on it own from the establishment of PRC after WWII till the late 1970s was a mess, wrecked by insane policies driven by Mao’s cult of personality. Chinese economy did not start to take off until it open up to the Western world in the 80’s and 90’s. The democratic world thought free trade with China will bring about a freer world, and in hindsight that was a mistake.
Indeed, but not relevant to that point any more than where the lithography machines come from – the point is efficiency of co-operation and not trying to climb that huge mountain just to catch up to where the current leaders wherever they are based were at a decade ago when you don’t have to… Time and a place to throw money and effort at the problem because it matters to your nation/companies future prospects, as China for instance has done over the last few decades trying to catch up in compact and high performance jet engines. But generally pick a different specialisation and be the master of that for the world is the winning move economically!
Not sure you can call it or allowing all of Hong Kong to be absorbed a real mistake, though also not a flawless success yet – China has become a much more stable, reliable, and so far peaceful member of the international community, with so many of their people educated in the west – for the leadership slitting your own wrists by starting something sacrificing those global economic ties, likely causing a brain drain (as seen in the USA right now) etc is a price not worth paying. And as long as the pressure is kept up it is a price that may never be worth paying. So caution and preparation but also making it so that playing nicer with others works better…
Without those ties to the rest of the world a despot in charge interested only in self aggrandisement it would happen. As the First Felon of the USA is rather proving despite supposedly being the ‘leader of the free world’ right now, and in a nation that is supposed to have checks and balances the stupidity wasn’t prevented.
In China’s case with all those people to throw at the problem it would even be successful in the end, at least at its first few obvious targets near home – Size isn’t everything, but unlike Russia vs Ukraine where it is pretty trivial for support to flow into Ukraine from like minded nations even during an active war China and the targets it might pick are just too far away from the nations with resources that might wish to oppose them, and even more outmatches in population those target nations. The best the western world would really be able to do is make such an adventure costly, but as seen in Vietnam or Iran right now even with significant technical advantages you can’t use a few thousand people with decent hardware to actually prevent a huge nation you are attacking from mobilising hardware for asymmetric warfare basically indefinitely.
Which country are you talking about here? In 2026 this could be anyone.
Not Ford. CAFE, which is partly or fully abolished? If so we will be able to get great vehicles again. A modern version of a Datsun pickup would be a huge deal. Or a Hilux. CAFE has horsepower (mileage) limitations based on wheel base that forced you to build huge trucks in order to have enough engine to make a truck worth owning. If you make a little truck you have to get 60MPG, etc. Not possible unless you carry no passengers or cargo and stay under 20mph. Insane, unless you just want people to quit driving. Hmmmm…….
Yes! Datsun trucks and Subaru Brat kind of deal, meaning the Holden Utes market.
I’d say out of all my friends I’ve known for 30+ years, no less than 10 would buy either one IF it comes with the proportionally smaller price. $10K. Cash. They’ll add all the hoohaz they need by themselves, no need to charge ten prices when resold by the car stealerships. “Hoohaz” like turbos, entertainment systems (bleh, average cell phone now has more power and capacity to work as its own entertainment system), stiffened back axle (for hauling heavier things), etc.
Regardless, I’ve known one particular dude who’s hobby (not main job) was rebuilding engines, tweaking Ford Mustangs (mostly for fun), occasional motorcycle frame design/wielding, etc. Those at the people who should be paid CEO salaries, they know their s**t. He worked as a manager, but he hated all the manager jobs he had, even though they paid him darn well. There, the demographic, too, ignored by Ford.
Ford Mustangs you say? He owned two, second one was wrecked – it was boosted beyond what the engine could reliably handle, and I suspect it shot rods, because I remember being a passenger in it, while he was pushing it to its maximum, trying to see what it can do. Good car, btw, but not the original one, the feeble 1980s offspring “regulated” into meh, he un-meh-ed it back to good muscle car kind, and he said that was nothing impressive, anyone could do that. What was impressive to him was tweaking amazing compact Porsche engines. Ah, that’s a story for a different night in the museum of the US car building history altogether : -]
The manufacturers are waiting to see if the other side re-establishes the regulations next term, which would be a very expensive risk for them if they got started immediately.
People made it illegal to build sane, small trucks. You are not allowed to build or import a decent truck in the US… Or at least you weren’t until very recently. I doubt any of the auto companies want to take the risk, because likely all that deregulation will be immediately undone.
Give me a V8 any day
Is that supposed to be “100kWh power pack” (note the ‘h’)?
Also “brakes”…
The automakers won’t make a good work truck like this because it’s not luxury enough to be a mall crusher pavement princess “truck” used by all the suburban buyers who want to larp as rural.
Plus, they can sell way more expensive-7-year-loan “trucks” to users whose only off-road experience is if they accidentally rip up their own lawn.
People just want big cars.
I wonder if they could get away with re-introducing the coach style cars, as an alternative to “truck” which the modern trucks aren’t. If it’s a cab over frame, it could still be classed as a truck to get around the regulations which are the reason why everything is a “truck” in the first place and why we can’t have nice cars.
https://www.ruotevecchie.org/hispano-suiza-double-berline-20180903/
I mean a “Body-on-frame”, cab over frame is a truck thing as well but different.
If only we had an economic system that didn’t just give degenerates the things they want. People in leadership positions need to learn how to say “no”.
Yeah, everyone should just stop liking what I don’t.
Basically, yeah. Don’t be a coward, impose your will on the world. Why bother with anything else?
Most of ‘the world’ are worthless chumps that aren’t worth influencing.
Even if you took control, they’d still be worthless.
Minding you own business is much easier.
Power grubbers don’t lead happy lives.
Often not long ones either, telling me ‘no’ could be hazardous.
As far as other economic systems go, consider the USSR. The point of “You don’t need a big car.” turned into “You don’t need a car.”, because it’s the same argument. Under the labor theory of value, everything is worth the socially necessary labor to produce it, which means the people should be given only enough to keep them working. Producing goods beyond the need to continue production would be making unnecessary luxury and wasting resources. It would be unjustifiable because working more to make nice things rather than necessary things consumes the common pool of resources belonging to the people, not to you or anyone as an individual.
This extended to all consumer goods: why do you need a bicycle if you can walk? Why do you need a wrist watch? A washing machine for your clothes when you can wash by hand? If you’re getting by as it is, why do you need more? If you could do with less, you’re stealing from everyone else.
The question comes down to what’s the point of living if all you’re doing is maximizing the number of people you can sustain on the available resources. Combine that with the modern ideas of “degrowth” and self-imposed limits on society’s use of energy and technology to “keep within our means” without further innovation and expansion of the resource pool. It’s not going anywhere, it’s just existing for the sake of existing, like living inside a sealed bottle – endlessly repeating the same thing in a human terrarium.
Who cares about what’s good for society? I’m talking about what’s good for me. I don’t like seeing ten foot tall plastic trucks on the road, so I’d ban them if I got the chance. I’m just advocating for myself and my own power; I’m walking a mile in my own shoes. Also, degrowth on its own sucks, but combined with depopulation it could be pretty rad. A hundred acres for every man, for free, forever. Let’s do it!
And that’s the reason why every system that claims to solve everyone’s problems ends up solving the problems of just whoever claims the power.
Who cares about a hundred acres for every man, when you could have it all to yourself? Sure, the men who you let live might be working those acres, but since you’re in charge, they’re all working for you. That redistribution of wealth thing was after all just window dressing.
@Dude
Yeah, that’s why I have ideas in my head, to solve my own problems. I never claimed to solve anyone else’s. How’d you get it in your head that I’m a communist, just because I want to ban big ugly trucks? I’m a me-ist. I want to ban the trucks because I dislike them. I don’t want a million acres, because that’s a lot of work.
That’s why you’d have other people working the fields – duh. The point is, every time anyone sets up a system to solve social problems, it gets taken over by people who don’t actually care about other people.
That’s why you don’t want an economic system that would do what you want. Unless of course you get to be in charge of it.
@Dude
Not really, it’d still be better than what we have now: a system that doesn’t even attempt to do what I want, yet still exploits me. I’d rather be exploited by something that shares my vision, you know?
“With the 100kW power” come on Hackaday.
Keith Penney says:
March 13, 2026 at 9:52 pm
“Is that supposed to be “100kWh power pack” (note the ‘h’)?”
So sorry, the pedantic editor award for that mistake has already been awarded. Please try again
But the pedantic editor didn’t catch the “breaks” in the previous sentence, so that one’s still open.
Yep, you want “brakes” on your vehicle, not “breaks”. Oddly, this is right after mentioning “brakes”.
You think these typos and homophone substitutions are errors, but in reality they are a fingerprint to demonstrate this was written by a real human being. Totally a feature, not a bug. Totally.
I’ll keep my ’97 RAM thank you. The little maintenance cost I have to do once in awhile is worth it compared to cost of a new truck. As above, all I want in a truck is to get me from here to there, and back. Whether the back country or around town. Get rid of all the electronic do-dads and lower cost, then we may talk. Alas, there isn’t a KISS truck out there now, so no new truck for me, and never EV.
How did you fix the broken dash?
Mine remains broken.
It’s my second largest V8…after the 383.
All good. But Im thinking thst picture is of a 1979 ford , not 1977.
I can’t say I know the differences on sight, so you may well be right. [ScottenMotors] may have made a typo in their original reddit post, but since they refer to it as a 1977, we’re following their lead.
Just want to chime in–it’s a ’77 with a ’79’s headlight treatment. Keen eye, though!
This is a 1979. Not ’77. But a good look for electric. I like the V-8s.
Ford announced they were stopping production of the Lightning a couple months ago
but what will my friends think of me if i don’t have one of those massive hoods that block my view of toddlers and dogs strolling in front of my huge proxy manhood?
How much abuse can that evmotor handle, mounted like that?
Dont see the required lust, my 87 ranger was all electric a month before Musks first conversion started.
I love it! The 1970s Ford trucks “I” believe are thee most badass.. Always loved all the 70s style..
Well and FORD trucks are most badass of all trucks anyway. That goes without saying! Just saying!
Hi everyone–owner of Scotten Motors here, Scott Niezgoda. Thanks for the good conversation and comments, and thanks HACKADAY for the writeup (this was not commissioned by us). If anyone is interested in any of our products, curious about a full in-house build like the one shown above, or if anyone needs advice about a project they have of their own, we’re more than happy to chat. You can get in touch via our website or on instagram. We just starting out with sales and builds after 3 years of development, so we love the conversation regardless of its nature.
Cheers–
Cool side hustle.
I had to chuckle though. It really sounds like a setup for a joke: “So, what do you do with a Ph.D. in nanoscience from Vanderbilt?” :-)
Just want to be clear that this is not a side hustle. I do have a PhD from Vandy in nano, but I’m also following my own path after leaving a tenured professorship and spending years building this business–I’m all in. Thanks for the comments and kind words, cheers
I thought Ford was selling Box Electric Engines for just this thing. They only required you to source the battery. I figured that would be the future of conversions, which would be the future of mechanics. Seems the market pushed back. Only time will tell what wins.
Ford kind of messed up with that. The motor they were offering was based on the front motor of their mustang emach. Unfortunately that motor was originally designed for intermittent use and proved to be insufficiently cooled for continuous use as a primary drive EV conversion. Ford has done nothing to address its shortcomings, or reform their image with EV conversion communities.
also they were just offering a motor, you needed inverter/controller as well as battery, charging, cables, etc.
Not if you become an experienced beekeeper. Tradesmen don’t come cheap these days.
For an european, it’s hard to understand why/if so many americans need a F150.
Why do people need BMWs? Why doesnt everyone just drive a Citroën?
Some people need a pickup truck. Some people just want a pickup truck.
I find it hard to understand why people care what and why other people choose to drive whatever they do.
People needs BMW because are more reliable than Harley Davidson. The CE04, it’s a very interesting BMW model, it’s electric but with a 42 HP peak motor and top speed of 130 km/h can be driven in motorways, while still driveable with an A2 driving license. And has also a quite distinctive bodywork, even if not as cool as the R18. I could see that some people could prefer that model for they commuting needs.
The BMW as a rule is just a slightly ‘nicer’ but practical and normal scale vehicle. The American pickups of recent years are practically HGV in dimensions, completely overkill in just about the most wasteful ways imaginable to ferry 1 guy to work in an office and back…
Yes Europeans do have some similar tendency toward the more stupidly unnecessary and usually rather impractical for all the bling luxury SUV, but those are still very much the same sort of ballpark in scale, fuel economy etc as any other European car really. Way closer to the normal cheaper brand cars just usually rather nicer inside.
I think the distinction is that in Europe, quality / luxury is a separate metric whereas in America there’s a prevailing culture of bigger === better to the point of almost absurdity.
When I visit America I notice that for example a Range Rover – which in Europe is a BIG SUV – is usually dwarfed by half the vehicles around it.
There’s small BMW’s and Mercedes that are nevertheless nicer than other cars in their class – hell the A-Class is/was also the Peugeot 30x platform and doubtless a multitude of other Stellantis tedium, but Mercedes/AMG will put more cows in the interior and more horses under the hood for you if your chequebook will stretch to it.
I restore cars as a hobby. I usually restore 1-2 cars a year. I sell 1-2 cars a year. I buy 3-6 cars a year, I harvest the parts I need/want, sell off the parts that are worth selling, and dispose of the rest. I have a big truck, and a trailer big enough to transport 2 cars.
I have an enclosed trailer I use to transport my completed cars to their new homes and I also use it to haul anything too large for my trucks bed, or too heavy to bother hoisting up that high.
Ive got a 25 foot tritoon boat that I tow a state away once a year for a 2 week trip to go shrimping, crabbing, and crawfishing.
I also have a 28 foot airstream trailer that I take on cross country roadtrips once or twice a year.
And finally, I have a livestock trailer, because Ive got cows, sheep, and pigs that need a ride from time to time.
I mostly use my truck for truck stuff.
However. My truck comfortably seats 5. So sometimes Im just hauling asses because my boxster, that lives at my warehouse most of the time, only seats 2 comfortably,
My house is half a mile off the pavement and during certain times of the year requires me to drive across a creek, so while I dont go “mudding” and generally keep my truck pristine and clean, I very much need the 4wd and ground clearance.
But If you saw me you would probably think Im a cubicle guy with no need for a big truck. Ive heard the “compensating for something” jokes.
If I lived in a tiny house with a tiny yard on a tiny street in a dense urban environment, my truck would probably be impractical. But where and how I live, its a perfect fit for 75% of my life.
Im curious, as AN American, why do you say AN European when the EU forms a consonant Y sound. We always say A European. Is AN European how your people typically refer to yourselves?
Many thanks to the peanut gallery