Since the concept of the 2019 E-10 pickup truck, Chevrolet has been teasing a complete electric powertrain conversion kit for classic cars. It’s called the Connect and Cruise eCrate, it promises a lot and it has been used in various forms with subsequent concepts. Finally, it looks like the system is approaching reality with this latest concept, the 1972 Chevy “eL Camino,” which was spotted by Engine Swap Depot.
There are two important notes about this concept. One is that this conversion was not built in-house by GM. Instead, GM’s partner, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, put it together. Last year it was announced that the aftermarket company known for its powerful internal combustion Chevy models would be one of the first to be a certified eCrate installer. According to information from the display at the Performance Racing Industry show shared on Lingenfelter’s Facebook page, construction was an important part of developing installation procedures for future installers.
The eL Camino is very similar to last year’s K5 Blazer concept built. According to Engine Swap Depot, it uses the same kind of 200-horsepower Chevy Bolt engine hooked up to a 4L60E four-speed automatic transmission. The 66 kWh battery pack is mounted in the bed, while the engine, cooling systems and other electronics are housed under the hood.
The other important part of this concept is that we have a revised launch window for the retail kit. According to Lingenfelter, the eCrate system will go on sale in the first half of 2022, slightly later than the previous estimate of the second half of 2021. We contacted Lingenfelter to see if they had any details on pricing or kit components, but they couldn’t give us one at the moment. A General Motors representative told us more details will be forthcoming next year, including pricing, included parts and powertrain applications. Chevrolet has previously said it will sell the eCrate kit through DIY dealers and certified installers such as Lingenfelter.
Update: General Motors noted that more details on the eCrate are coming next year.
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