GM will provide a new electric crate motor kit to make switching ICE vehicles to electric easier for consumers.
Chevrolet VP Scott Bell told the Detroit Free Press that GM sees it as a "future commercial potential." The same team that builds the brand's crate engines will run the program.
“We've done great with 'crate' engines in ancient cars, putting modern V8 engines in them to make them more reliable and perform better,” Bell remarked. "That same group is making EV conversion kits for antique autos."
GM has tested electric conversions for auto shows. The company had planned to release electric crate motors in 2021, but COVID and supply chain interruptions delayed it. GM spokesman Mark Lubin says the business is still developing the idea.
Chevrolet Performance will offer the technology soon. This proposal is part of GM's bigger goal to deliver EV component sets to non-GM sectors and applications.
Lubin said the kit will be a comprehensive collection of the components needed for an electric conversion, which might be valuable
Ford already sells an electric crate motor. The automaker has sold all Eluminators and is planning future actions. According to electric conversion experts, the bundle isn't comprehensive.
Although Ford's offering includes a motor, Marc Davis, president of Greenshield Conversions in Florida, said an EV conversion requires around $20,000 in additional parts.
“Look at what Ford accomplished with the 1978 F-100... it's a brand-new, customized drive unit,” Davis added. "It's fantastic, but it's beyond what a garage can do."
Once the eCrate launches, Chevrolet dealers and aftermarket partners will receive training, tools, and equipment for high-voltage systems and charging stations. More people could convert to EVs.