GM announces electric conversion kit

Starting in the second half of 2021, General Motors plans to sell an electric drive kit for hobbyists with components of the Chevy Bolt, which will enable them to convert conventional cars into electric cars.

These include a 147 kW electric motor and a 60 kWh battery, as well as an AC-DC inverter, DC-DC converter, wiring harness and components for the battery air conditioning. The solution was actually supposed to be presented at the tuning fair Sema, but the announcement was now made digitally, just like the fair itself.

To demonstrate the capabilities of the kit, General Motors installed the engine in a 1977 Chevrolet Blazer. With this, the American company chose a particularly thirsty model for electrification: The Blazer K5 offers only two seats, but with its 6.6-litre V8, it hardly gets less than 20 liters/100 km. Nice side effect: With the kit, the top performance of the Blazer is higher. The V8 of the year of manufacture 1977 came only on 130 kW.

By focusing on hobbyists and tinkerers, General Motors does not mean screwing in the garage at home; the work should be carried out by certified specialist companies, not just because of the high-voltage training, but also because of the conversion of safety-relevant parts. For example, the brake system with the hydraulics must be converted to an electric system with a vacuum pump or electric actuator, and the same applies to hydraulic power steering.

Smaller companies that otherwise carry out other tuning modifications on combustion engines can also qualify as such companies. In fact, the kit offers potential for more beautiful solutions than in the Blazer, as the 60 kWh battery was mounted quite clumsily on the charging area in the demonstrator.

Despite these conditions or restrictions via the certified specialist companies, General Motors deems the ‘Electric Connect and Cruise package’ commercially worthwhile. The demand for such a system is high enough, they said, and it also involves components that are being phased out in new cars. However, the new Ultium batteries and electric motors from the ‘Ultium Drive’ kit are not offered in the retrofit solution.

Such retrofit solutions are not new; companies such as Karabag or eClassics (with approval from Volkswagen) already offer such solutions and retrofit existing vehicles and classic cars. However, it is unusual for a car manufacturer to offer such a retrofit kit for sale.

chevrolet.com, engadget.com, electrek.co

50 Comments

about „GM announces electric conversion kit“
Dieter Lettner
07.01.2021 um 19:17
The Blazer was one of my favourite cars when I was in the twenties but, this conversion is not acceptable. I don't want to see the battery taking the rear bench out and make it a 2-seater. A quite simple and rather stupid conversion!
Tom
22.01.2022 um 13:14
Why not? Speak for yourself…. This concept is innovative. They’re taking an old POS combustion engine and turning the SUV into something spectacular.
Tim
14.08.2022 um 18:42
POS? It's lasted 40 years, find me a single extreme duty electric motor that has lasted anywhere near...
gordon mcgregor
21.09.2021 um 05:27
I imagine that I could convert my 1939 Oldsmobile!!?
Viet Nguyen
08.07.2021 um 07:35
I have a 1950 Chevy 3100 on a 1998 Chevy S10 frame with and want to convert to electric.
Douglas Pilgrim
27.09.2021 um 22:55
I feel that the S10 / Sonoma truck would be the perfect vehicle to retrofit. There are a ton of are out there. GM already danced around with the Z10: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_S-10_EVEven a Colorado kit would work. The bed of these small pickups is just crying for a battery pack.
Roger
09.04.2021 um 09:49
Look again. In the article they started with a short frame two seat K5 Blazer. It would probably fit the longer, 4 seat Blazer without removing the back seat.
Brian
13.06.2022 um 21:31
There wasn't a longer K5 Blazer. They came only configured to seat 5 with front bucket seats and a rear bench or minus the back seat but the same length vehicle. If you wanted a longer one you had to move to a Suburban.
Jeremy
01.12.2021 um 22:03
There’s only one length full size blazer from each generation.
Scott Jensen
04.10.2021 um 15:16
The K5 Blazer has a full bench seat in the back. It was removed for the batteries. The longer "Blazer" is called a Suburban.I understand this conversion was done for proof of concept, but they should not have removed the rear seat.
Andy Drapkin
18.07.2021 um 18:31
I would think once the exhaust system and gas tank are removes there should be ample room for battery packs underneath and maybe sacrifice a few inches and create a false floor in the cargo ares foe a second pack
Ken
19.01.2023 um 09:07
Hi, i am very interesting about EV Convertion about chevy pickup truck Please let me know detail infomationThanksKen
John E Finley
23.12.2021 um 21:30
This vehicle had a narrow frame. It's curse was that the fuel tanks were outside of the frame rails. It does have a fair amount of rear cargo space, as well as the spare tire area below the deck. There are quite a few places to install batteries.
nathan friend
19.03.2022 um 16:49
fuel tank is NOT outside the rail on k5 blazer, it is centered between rails just behind rear axle. i have a 76 and 79 k5
Scott Kolaya
04.08.2021 um 18:27
If you make a custom battery pack for every undercarriage, you have a decent amount of room. but this offering is just a stock Chevy Bolt battery pack stuck in the back of a truck/SUV. There's a lot that goes into cooling/heating in the battery pack, so it's more complicated than just sticking battery cells where they fit. In the example above, they even left the 8 foam blocks on top of the pack that normally sits between the battery and the Bolt's floorboard. That's how unchanged it is.
Hammond You Idiot
23.03.2021 um 03:28
Perhaps a battery pack that could be mounted in between the frame rails?
José Morillo
17.10.2021 um 16:18
I am sure this battry pack was mounted for exhibition purpose only. As you say, it could be installed using the space ocupped by fuel tank, transmission, etc and will keep the gravity center lower than this
Rafael Burgos
11.01.2021 um 15:00
I have a cadillac escalade like yo convert to electric
Wally Gonzalez
10.02.2021 um 10:08
I have a 2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT that I would like to convert.
Gary D. Oliver
24.02.2021 um 00:05
I have a beautiful 1966 Chevrolet pickup, old school custom, I would like to convert if someone would like to electrify for the media. Please contact me.
George
04.03.2021 um 13:33
I'd be interested in electric motor conversion kit for my stock 2000 Chevrolet K2500 454 4dr 6ft 4x4 8600 gvw, be cheaper on gas ?
David Buell
31.05.2021 um 20:04
I have a 1999 K1500 Suburban with a 5.7 I would like to know about converting over to electric
Tate P. Dripping Springs, TX
01.04.2021 um 12:32
I got a 03 Tacoma working class hero edition. As an Electrician It would be so rad to have an electric truck but also a huge conversation starter with all these oil heavy other tradesman and good ole boys I am around. I hope programs and initiatives like continue to flourish :)
Drescher Herby
02.04.2021 um 03:55
I have a 1980 Cadilac coupe deVille 6 liter mint condition and I totally want it electric
thomas galley
18.04.2021 um 22:02
when will the come to the market place and how much
george sturges
01.05.2021 um 15:42
I have an 1987 Allante Convertible. Would it not be awesome to convert. I think the batterypack is to big though
Stephanie Cowan
07.05.2021 um 15:22
I have 4 Astro vans (a 1990,1993,1994, and a 2001) I would love to convert to electric. Cause the Astro vans are the only thing I will own and drive. GM really needs to bring these vans back. So many people need them.
THOM HUBER
16.05.2021 um 15:18
How about an HHR conversion? Seems feasible, and maybe fun also!!!!
Andrew Delwin Edwards
19.05.2021 um 18:37
Interested in application for 1953 Chevy Pick-up.
RC Paulsen
20.05.2021 um 16:04
I have seen some conversions where the entire trunk was filled with batteries, but they had a big empty space where the fuel tank used to be. It just made no sense not to use that space for a battery compartment. Does the Blazer have batteries under the floor?
MikeNNRV
21.05.2021 um 16:38
I would like to have access to the list of certified shops to convert a 2013 Suburban 2500
Alan P
07.07.2021 um 18:58
I have a 1931 chev 4 door sedan with a 1993 v6 chev s10 brazier engine and drive train that i am considering converting to EV.what are my options
John
27.07.2021 um 17:52
I think the biggest problem is what people have discussed, fitting the batteries in a more convenient place. Possibly building smaller battery packs that can be mounted in place of fuel tanks, evap components etc. I doubt there will be a one size fits all solution but by making”building block” battery packs and a bit of refabrication I think this could work. At least it would be better than shoe horning a full Bolt battery into a vehicle
Archie
03.08.2021 um 18:34
I would change my 2018 Silverado over electric . If price is reasonable.
Emmanuel Makombo
11.08.2021 um 13:29
Hello my name is Emmanuel Makombo from Africa (Botswana), a young man running a vehicle rebuilding shop called Mc'K Wheels right here in Botswana. My next goal/project is to convert an ICE into an electric car and introduce these types of cars in my country since we do not have any at the moment. Average weight of cars that I will be converting is 2 tons and the target outcome speed is 120km/hr or more. What I want is a supplier to supply me with an electric car conversion kit, build a relationship with and help me archive this at a reasonable price.Thank you
Roger Spilman
22.08.2021 um 23:51
Do you have a pic to talk to i am looking to convert a 87 pontiac fearo.
Banapur gnana prakash
25.08.2021 um 11:10
Sir let me have deatails about electric conversion kits dealership in india Karnataka pl
Makentosh
29.08.2021 um 20:54
i wana too this conversion kit for my Dodge Ram 1500 2012 4WD! Hi from Kazakhstan!
Bryan Crothers
20.09.2021 um 01:48
I have a much bigger vehicle I want to convert a 1977 bluebird wanderlodge
James Lindsay
06.10.2021 um 03:12
I have a 1977 GMC Sierra Grandi K15 Short Bed. How much would cost me for the purchase and install?
jake
22.12.2021 um 23:00
how many miles between charges. in chevy truck
Paul Reginato
27.12.2021 um 21:26
Would it be possible to convert my 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali 6.2L (AWD/4X4) while keeping the gas motor to switch between? This would be ideal as we have a travel trailer.
Ron Cossette
01.03.2022 um 18:28
I got a 2004 GMC 2500 4wheel drive is their electric conversion kit for the truck and a battery pack that will fit where my gas tank was
Chad Whitehead
04.03.2022 um 01:34
I want to bolt hub motors to the front end of my rear wheel drive pickup and have it charge from the alenator or upgraded alternator . It should engage with moderate throttle/rear wheel traction loss.. essentially turning my 2x4 gasoline pickup into an all wheel drive hybrid...make that kit make it simple to install affordable and people will buy them
matt
10.03.2022 um 17:34
I have a 1971 amc javelin sst This car is very light I would love to convert to electric. If any one wants a project starting with a nice looking car.
nathan friend
19.03.2022 um 16:59
i would love to covert k5 to 4 hub motors, thus still 4wd, and loose engine, transmission, transfer case, exhaust, fuel tank. loosing about 1,400 pounds, then with 4 hub motors (looking at 200 ft/pds per motor) then using engine space for battery packs. with added motors , battery, controlers, ect. would be around 750 pounds lighter and 800 torque. that would be insane acceleration, and talking about offroading with each tire having so much torque, any tire with traction would pull you through. was thinking for trips or camping, small generator for over night recharge or solar panels while camping.
JOSEPH
10.04.2022 um 00:16
Where can I buy this kit to convert a pickup 1500
Jt cas
10.06.2022 um 05:26
Can i get an electric motor for 2014 tahoe 5.3 4x4 sport utility? Is it available for this vehicle and can i tow with it
James
17.07.2022 um 23:45
I have a 2005 Buick Le Sabre, figuring that the 2024 Wild Cat is soon to be driven, I'd like to make the 2005 Le Sabre Electric
Jimmy john
26.07.2022 um 22:02
Yeah Tesla makes a retro kit for that they put him in a lot of those Range Rovers and stuff but they have one that would match the 454 it's a big motor but it would give you a 0 to 16 about 4 seconds as automatic 4 wheel drive button you just push the button in you and automatic core will drive you can climb up any hill you could imagine anyways made by Tesla they're out now I just Google it

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