Pickup truck - Which year model "body" is ideal, to convert to EV Edison pickup ?

[cw4Bray]

Pickup truck - Which year model "body" is ideal, to convert to EV Edison pickup ?

Edison Pickup Kit | Edison Motors

www.edisonmotors.ca

I'd like a newer body with heated seats and better sound proofing. Could a 1/4 ton frame like a Tacoma handle the 500 Hp - 4x4 - 8,800 ft-lb torque ? I'm assuming the kit comes with axles AND bigger brakes ?

 

[crane operator]

• Depending on options, the kit will ideally retail for a third to half the cost of a new pickup.

And they stated that it has to be a solid axle truck for conversion.

If its half the cost of a new pickup, I guess I'd just as soon have a new pickup....

 

[CM1995]

1/2 the cost of an XL gas burner or Platinum turbo diesel? Big difference there.

 

[terex herder]

Without an engine/transmission, and the associated powertrain computers, how will the rest of the 'puters function?

Will it need to be a legacy machine without 'puters?

 

[Mobiltech]

The kits are specific to each truck they go in so the software will work with each body module. I think you can only put the kit in a 3/4 or 1 ton chassis at this point.
I would want a ford body I think because they have some of the best interior and cab setups and they also put out a lot of crappy power trains in the 6.0 and 6.4 that would be cheap to buy. That being said they are getting a little long in the tooth.
I’m not sure how silky smooth that cat 4 cylinder will be when it fires up and runs at 1800 rpm but I guess we will see.

 

[cw4Bray]

I've got a 2023 pickup with electric parking brake and I Hate it ! It's already been recalled for a 'puter firmware update on the parking brake. Next year when the warranty expires, I will be disconnecting the radio receiver for the parking brake.

 

[cw4Bray]

The kits are specific to each truck they go in so the software will work with each body module. I think you can only put the kit in a 3/4 or 1 ton chassis at this point.
I would want a ford body I think because they have some of the best interior and cab setups and they also put out a lot of crappy power trains in the 6.0 and 6.4 that would be cheap to buy. That being said they are getting a little long in the tooth.
I’m not sure how silky smooth that cat 4 cylinder will be when it fires up and runs at 1800 rpm but I guess we will see.

They may not have to use 1800 rpm if their converting it AC / DC. It wouldn't have to be like a 60 cycle generator inverter. They may need more horse power out of that tiny engine, by cranking up the rpm.

 

[Mobiltech]

The big truck uses a 9 l generator. I think the pickup kits are just a smaller version.

 

[Mobiltech]

 

[cfherrman]

2008 - 2010 f250-f350

Plenty of good trucks around with bad engines

I think it's a 3L, something like 130 HP

It's dc only, and runs at 0 or 1800 so it's super smooth

 

[CM1995]

Is that the Perkins/Cat 3.6 that's in the backhoes?

 

[OzDozer]

So ... let me get this right. They're dropping a Cat genset in a light duty pickup, adding a big electric motor to drive the pickup, then adding a pile of electrics to make it all work.

How much is all this going to weigh, when it's fully operational and on the road? I've yet to find even a small genset that I can lift one end of.
This thing is going to need a whole new upgraded braking system to stop it from highway speeds.

The CANBUS system has been in operation for over 25 years. That has to be taken into account when you pull out the complete drivetrain from a standard pickup, and remove a big pile of sensors and ECU's.

There's a whole lot more to a diesel-electric conversion for a pickup than just pulling out the old power plant, and dropping in a new genset.

 

[cfherrman]

It's probably a DC motor used to generate electricity, not a ac generator. A 205 watt DC motor that's probably suitable weighs 55 kg. The diesel engine probably weighs the same or up to half. The batteries are for peak load so your not talking about a lot, but I imagine peak load on a pickup will be used more than in a heavy truck so more batteries will be needed when compared to a heavy truck. I can't remember how much batteries weigh but I'll toss out a number of 500#. You can just use two of the same DC motors for 410 watts so that's 110 kg.

It's going to be heavier but nothing new, I used to drive around a 1 ton srw pickup at 12,000# and then hooked on a 14,000# trailer every once in awhile.

Building on the merits of ev's are going to make some exceptional vehicles, until these guys there has only been companies just trying to make money off of investors.

The only downside to a hybrid ev is low use in cold conditions that I can see, will be using diesel to keep the batteries warm while it's sitting.

 

[cw4Bray]

What will my insurance company say about it ?

​

U.S. number of vehicles involved in traffic crashes 2020
Published by
Mathilde Carlier,
Dec 19, 2023
In 2020, nearly 4.7 million passenger cars were involved in U.S. traffic crashes, accounting for 52 percent of the overall total. Second highest in number are light trucks, being involved in 3.8 million car crashes and accounting for 42 percent of the total. Motor vehicle crashes are among the leading causes of death among those under the age of 55 in the United States.

Could an older vehicle be easier to "total" ?

In 2022, sales of light trucks accounted for about 79.2 percent of the approximately 13.75 million light vehicles sold in the United States.
Almost 80 % of all light vehicles are pickups and account for 10% fewer accidents, this might be the law of gross tonnage, that the heavier vehicle has the right of way. Or that pickup drivers are smarter, more mechanically inclined ?

 

[CM1995]

Well if you charge an EV in your garage your home owners insurance may not cover it without a rider. Golf carts can fall into a similar category as well.

 

[cfherrman]

If your old truck gets into a wreck it's value is less so it's easier to total and become a salvage.

It's best to find out ahead of time and ask your insurance if you can declare the value so it's harder to total in a wreck and you get your money back. If they do t do that then you need to change insurance.

This already happens with people fixing up old cars and trucks, a fellow on a forum had 30k in her truck and got in a wreck, she didn't get much as it was a 2000 f250 and the yard that it got towed to bent the fuel tank and cracked the newly rebuilt transmission case. Her insurance would cover pricing for things installed under a year, it was over a year on the trans.

 

[cw4Bray]

Now you are ready to drive your electric pickup.