I Saved This Rare Vehicle From The CRUSHER! World’s First Electric Truck!

[@TheQuestionableGarage]

Use code QUESTIONABLE50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3wQZbiR!

[@KPaul7]

If you ever need a MOD, let me know.

[@UnhungHero]

Ford had a similar era electric Ranger that was pure garbage

[@brandonpourmorady9485]

Just signed up!

[@aserta]

42:30 i'd put all the batteries from the pack in the truck and make it a "dual" tank with a switch to pass from one battery pack to the other, thus extending the range considerably. Essentially "reserve capacity" in a fuel tank.

[@allenl9031]

The PM of my country declared all EVs, no ICE by 2035. Were getting a stick beating us.

[@timothyperzanowski4428]

As a GM Engineer on the EV1 and S10 programs. I can add alot of info offline if you want to talk. I have a set of shop manuals for this vehicle if you are interested.

[@timothyperzanowski4428]

You can go about 36 V over the stock pack voltage without tripping the inverter overvoltage software. The motor isn't exactly EV1 it has aluminum windings instead of copper.

[@StatsFirst]

@TheQuestionableGarage

[@1978garfield]

I am just commenting for the AlGore Rhythm to try to make this show up. Hopefully he gets in touch with you.

[@TopiasSalakka]

Neat if true

[@billymasoner3735]

Boost!

[@UnfocusedRacing]

This actually answers a question I had. I work at an auto parts store on the weekends. When I pull up the S10 for specific years it asks is it RWD, 4WD or FWD. Confused the hell out of me and the customer why it would ask if it's FWD. Now I know.

[@torres633]

I drove one of those trucks as an electric meter reader for Southern California Edison! I was 19. It stranded me all the time. Really didn't like waiting for my supervisor to call a tow truck every time I used it

[@johnthompson941]

Never buy a first year (or only) GM product

[@DannyDisharoon]

Bought a 1982 s-10 . Now has over 400000 miles in 40 plus yrs of short trips driving with original and unrebuilt engine! First year isn’t always bad!

[@resistanceisfutile]

Because of the density with which the 18650 cells are packed, I think you would be much better off keeping them liquid cooled, even with a comically small radiator and fan. The issue isn't just related to current draw - it gets seriously warm in Georgia. If the vehicle heat-soaks in the sun, I would worry that you would never get the center of the pack sufficiently cooled down with just air. Liquid cooling isn't something to shy from - it's one of the reasons Tesla packs are so durable.

[@milescarter7803]

21700 or bigger now I think.

[@paulbennell3313]

I'm not an EV guy but this is gonna be absolutely fascinating! I subscribed because I want to see the issues you have with this build and the workarounds you have to employ to solve them.

[@billbong156]

Same. Not a ev guy either but never heard of this truck. Interesting

[@hansottevanger4112]

I also just subscribed to for same reason I drive and love my bi turbocharged diesel ford Ranger and have no intention of going EV but this has me interested how he is going to do this😊

[@nickdfoxy]

Why does everybody think you either have to be an "EV guy" or an "ICE guy"? Why can't you just love both for what they are? It's like guys who insist that you have to be either an American football guy or a soccer guy. I love both! And my daily driver is an example of what I'm talking about. I own a plug-in hybrid, so I'm enjoying the best of both worlds. In an average day, I never use a drop of gas, but have incredible acceleration. But if I want to take a long drive, I'm good with that too. Tribalism is soooo tiresome.

[@paulbennell3313]

@@nickdfoxy Totally agree, I'm not an EV guy because I don't have £30k+ lying about but that's not to say I'll never have one if the chance arises.

[@jerrywilcox9890]

​@nickdfoxy EVs are junk nothing good about them to like.

[@glensutherland]

I think Rich rebuilds would be a wealth of knowledge as far as electric cars and more so tesla batteries goes. I believe he probably would be interested in your project.

[@dartravensshelley6990]

definitly

[@alanprather8399]

if he wanted to convert it to gas or diesel. have you seen aging wheels? Robert is amazing with odd evs and "rigging" those odd evs to work. he does almost a reverse rich rebuilds and converts gas cars to ev. I will say both are funny. but I probably appreciate richs humor more with that damn flute and the little scenes he does.

[@snorb1tz]

I also was thinking about Zack from Jerry rig everything, with his diesel military Hummer conversion to electric

[@HeavyTanker-vx4oq]

Your smile when you talk about how Special this thing is, I can tell you are SO happy to be saving this thing.

[@volkswagon1966]

The sticker on the glove box is for when you are on the active runway. The instructions are light signals you would receive from the control tower if you were to be on the runway and they needed you get off for an inbound aircraft.

[@davidkane4300]

Normally you're in radio contact with the tower and airfield management, but if they can't raise you (you're out working on something, etc.), they'll do things like turn the runway lights on and off to get your attention, you'll then look at the tower for the light signal and follow their instructions. When you're beyond the hold lines, they can't land planes.

[@stephenmoncrieff2056]

I have to admit acquiring this vehicle is very cool . Looking forward to seeing where you go with this . I think for coolant you can use the GM premixed coolant that they use in the current EVs . It's made to not conduct electricity .

[@tommywoodruff2953]

Former AF ATC tower controller here. Vehicles are required to talk to the tower controller before going on or crossing active runways. Most, if not all were equipped with radios to speak directly to the tower and ask permission. If, for some reason, radio communication cannot be established, the tower controller will use a light gun to flash those signals to the vehicles. It looks like a spotlight hanging from the ceiling in the tower cab and has different colors to create different signal patterns. That same cheat sheet was on the gun, too because it was rarely (if ever) used. As part of our daily checklist, we would check the light gun, but I can't remember ever using it. The non-radio signals were used for aircraft as well. So yes, that vehicle was most likely at an AF base or at least around an airfield. I was at Moody, a few hours south of Dobbins, in the late 90's early 2000's.

[@luislongoria6621]

On the Civilian side, there's only lines painted on the taxiways yet they definitely prefer prior military experience for daily operations

[@luislongoria6621]

From what I've heard, Operations was mostly collecting snarge. The monthly FOD walk was largely ceremonial with street sweepers doing most of work. ARFF trucks were encouraged not to leave the paved area because the mowers had trouble with ruts

[@luislongoria6621]

Being unaware of how many times something got ingested by an engine (not counting ground crew), I was of the opinion that the reflective glass beads used to paint the lines on the runway posed more of a hazard to aircraft than cracks on the apron

[@BlooMule]

This is the grassroots of EV hot rodding. Looking forward to seeing if you achieve your goals on this build!

[@Mecal00]

Been seeing a lot more of this (garage EV swaps) and it's exciting

[@roudydog3063]

Ya and your still asleep

[@nickdfoxy]

@@roudydog3063 What are you trying to say?

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Pfft, this is fake news! Everyone knows Elon "Electric Jesus" Musk invented the Electric Car 20 years ago! All hail Electric Jesus! He will deliver us from climate change through mass consumption of new cars!

[@witchcraftauto]

This isn't just an EV it's a proper part of automotive history! The documentary they did years ago called "Who killed the electric car" was a huge eye opener to me and the main reason I would never buy one especially from GM but this truck is something I have never even heard of!! Very excited for this one.

[@cadman10000]

The biggest eye opener of the difference in battery module size is that the Tesla module design that is shown is actually 15 years old.

[@alan6832]

As Scott would say on Cold War Motors, "It's rare, and nobody cares."

[@ironcross420]

Not many know about the ones before that unit. The square body S-10 that ran on CNG for DON. They just tore the last memory of the program, the Self-serve CNG Filling Station. Funny story, the tire shop we contract to pickup our used tires showed up with a Chevy box truck (think uhaul) that also used by DON, it ran both on Gas or CNG. I poped the hood to find the US Govt Property Tag, liquid filled gauges at 3,000 PSI in CNG system. After Feds were done with it, the City of San Diego obtained it and used it.

[@Rev.RatsRides]

That label in the tranny tunnel explained a lot. It stated that the truck was meant to be a 4cyl 4wd. This would explain the 4x4, aka fwd, suspension components

[@chasewilliams3949]

Love to see this video finally out! Very glad to see you of all people getting it, I think you'll do a great job with it. At some point there needs to be a S10e meetup of the 4 other people I know of that have them. Maybe some of the RAV4 and Ranger EV guys can come along to beef up the crowd lol. Solid plan with the new charger, and a spoof board for the stock BMS is currently in development (if it doesn't "see" the batteries it outright refuses to work). The truck will likely also have to be turned on to count the charge from the retrofitted system. When you dig in deeper you'll find even more hand made stuff. The PIM (the big controller front and center when you open the hood) is mounted with three bolts onto some rusty snot welded half inch square tube. Also as soon as you can go through and check all the capacitors. I had two burst on my S10e, and running it with them could mean permanent damage. For a long time various military bases, and especially airforce bases, have been trying out various EV trucks. It seems the earliest used Solectria E10s, which were 94 S10s converted by the third party company Solectria using dual AC motors in the rear, then they moved to first party S10Es like yours, then it seems later on they were messing around with Zap Zaptruck XLs. There are absolutely a couple in Arizona, I believe the utilities company down there purchased a few, and EV Bones was located down there, which was a shop which could retrofit PbA S10Es with NiMH batteries from the crushed EV1s, so quite a few landed around that area. Can't wait to see how yours turns out!

[@joshrepik]

Hope Jared sees this and connects with you! Sounds like you know your way around these guys. Folks should bump this comment to the top

[@AzureRaven2]

This is such a cool project! The sheer obscurity of it makes it so interesting to see. Very curious to see how you manage all the hurdles this presents.

[@TheQuestionableGarage]

Thank you!

[@7eis]

It warms my heart how you collab with Ryan, he's the sweetest EV diy guy around. In the light of... Past events.. this is a wonderful way to keep on moving on from unfortunate past characters you've both worked with. Leave 'em in the dust

[@richardnottelmann58]

This has to be the most amazing automotive find in years. For me, this will be a more interesting series to follow. Then even Freddy's P1 restoration.

[@lukelegg9915]

Yep! That S10 lived at Dobbins AFB. It was given to the man you talked about as a retirement gift!

[@dan725]

Man I LOVE when Robert comes on and chimes in! I LOVE both channels! That was an incredible knowledge drop, and the editing here is so pro-level tier! This was almost documentary-like, and up there with the best productions on Motor Trend channels. Just BRAVO to y’all!

[@ProlificInvention]

If you get a 999cc 27kw generator, you could design pass through charging and not only extend your batteries range almost unlimited, but basically operate on gasoline on demand as it only takes about 20kw to move that truck 65mph continuously (overcoming wind and wheel resistance) For reference *Warped Perception* here on YT ran a tesla on about an equivalent diesel generator. The 999cc 27kw generators are relatively new, but I think ideal for this purpose of making a diy EREV type vehicle versus just a BEV

[@fordtruckman80]

You really stumbled on something for sure. I knew about the limited Ford Ranger EVs, and the GM EV 2 seaters, but I never knew they had made electric S10's. It's even crazier that this one avoided the crusher, since EVs were generally leased in the early days and crushed by the manufacturers after the lease ended.

[@rollingstocks]

This is going to be collectible for sure. What a great find! The nice thing is, you can fix up most of the truck with fairly generic S10 parts!

[@202motors6]

I was just thinking that. Lowered with zq8 suspension/wheels, airbags in rear to help level the load when/if you tow/haul stuff etc. this will be a cool build!!

[@rollingstocks]

Active suspension would be the perfect upgrade for this truck.

[@rjs2005]

I'm very intrigued to see if you and Robert can bring this pioneering 90's tech into the modern EV era. I love that the S-10 in question is basically a stripped version- I miss honest, no-frills pickup trucks. I do love that you added another dig on Carolina Squatted trucks!!

[@tjnucnuc]

I remember years ago I watched who I believe was Chris Young update the battery tech to lithium. Was pretty cool to see! I’ve always liked these.

[@psycopaintball22]

As an air force maintainer, as unique and rare as that truck is, I'm amazed at how good the condition is for a flightline vehicle (this is why we can't have nice things)... The light gun signal placard is a definite, but also it may have been set up with a radio and a roof beacon light

[@resurWRECKtiongarage]

THIS is why I’m subscribed AND a member!!! As a true enthusiast myself, I can find something to love about every car.. no matter how ugly or weird.

[@Aqualung1981]

Totally agree!

[@DachsAutos]

This is going to be a great series! I'm a lover across the board of all things with 4 wheels too. Just finished restoring a '38 plymouth, and getting back to the '72 Challenger with a 440 stuffed in it!

[@samfiles]

from 2013 to 2015 there was one rolling around on Arkansas Tech University's campus. I had an '01 S10 that had the 4.3 vortec in it, was the same color as the electric one, and I would see him driving around every now and then. Didn't know the history behind the truck and didn't know him, but ran into him in a parking lot once and asked about it, said it was electric from the factory. Never gave it any thought past that until this video!

[@seanmick7737]

That s10 was used as a flightline vehicle for the USAF.

[@joshuataylor4256]

That’s a sweet little truck. I’m not an EV enthusiast but I do appreciate their torque! And with hybrids making cars and trucks more fun to drive I could own a hybrid… but you’re 1000% right about letting the market decide and not forcing the decision on us all

[@froggy0162]

The “market” doesn’t exist. It’s all a manufactured system built by corporations to tell us what we want. It’s the “market” that got us into this little thing called climate change. We can’t rely on profit driven corporations and clueless consumers to make good decisions…

[@keithdaniels1994]

This is way cool for a couple reasons. It is very rare that I see a vehicle I have never heard of. The potential for upgrading is way up there too. No I'm not an EV guy either, but I can see the usefulness of this. With a modern battery pack and maybe a an APU in the bed it would be cool. I really like the fact it's a truck.

[@Lawdachris]

Currently running a 530e, had a 330e for 3.5 years before that. Both knocking on 300hp, 0-60 sub 6 seconds. Hybrid is definitely a fun workable solution. Looking forward to seeing what you can do with this project.

[@cubcadet2182]

You killed a Tesla to bring back a S10, Awesome!!!! I love it.

[@ronaldflorenski3070]

I work in gas and oil, I have been preaching hybrid technology for a while, the sideways looks and anger have been amazing. You have the raw power on tap but once your cruising along fuel efficiency is there, cutting emissions but still having instant gratification.

[@jmonsted]

I just replaced the brakes on my Golf GTE (PHEV version of the GTI). They were barely used over the last eight years because it regen brakes, so they were too rusty to pass inspections. I'm super happy with the Golf in the nearly eight years i've owned it, but my next will be pure electric.

[@mattperry2491]

The "Battery Box" speech is dead on! It's nice to see some logical explanations brought up about the forced switch and its issues. On a side note, you can probably finance your build with the scrap value of those LA batteries!

[@ForgeSpace]

Love that you are choosing to resurrect this truck! Thanks for saving it.

[@pkonneker]

"late night marketplace scrolling" This is why I don't do that. 😂 Jokes aside, that is a really cool find. Nice one, Jared

[@jameshinz1559]

Had no idea about the S10 Electric or the Electro-Vair. This should be a fun series to watch. It would be cool to see the S10 electric up against a S10 Extreme in some sort of endurance challenge. What the heck put it against Trihard too. P.s. for all the adamant insistence that this is not an EV channel, we still remember Tesla Bot dancing into the woods!😅

[@NatureOkie]

Hey Robert! Why can't you Series connect the individual packs to the right voltage, and parallel all the Rest, to increase overall capacity/range?

[@onyxpartitian]

When GM says "Dynamic Braking" in their sales video, I'd be interested to know if they're referring to their Electromotive division's use of braking in locomotives and just converting electrical energy to heat in big resistor banks, rather than recharging the battery.

[@joshrepik]

Ooooooo I used to drive an EMD GP9 and a GP10…. That was about 8 years ago now. My brakes were air 😂

[@onyxpartitian]

@@joshrepik Yeah lots of them came without DB or like in CN's case they removed DB on them because they were rebuilt for Yard work, so it wasn't needed. Dynamic Braking is always a secondary braking system to Air.

[@joshrepik]

@@onyxpartitian yard work is what I had them for

[@notman05]

So, I have an associates degree in electronics because of the EV1. I saw the GM concept vehicle at the NAIAS in the early 90s and decided I wanted to be part of it. Unfortunately, they ended the program before i completed my degree. I did eventually work at GM for a while, and my boss had been on the EV1 program. He was able to acquire one for a day and let us drive it around the tech center. That thing was fun and only reinforced my love for EVs. Sure, it doesn't make the vroom sounds, but the speed/acceleration is unmatched. I did not hear of this s10, even while working there. Looking forward to how this progresses. The jump in battery tech is why i dont worry about battery replacement right now. I'll lease for now, and I'll buy once the battery tech settles on better systems

[@ccoder4953]

As far as EV adoption goes, I'd agree that we're not ready to go full EVs tomorrow. But none of the plans call for that. Most of the plans I've seen have EVs getting phased in over the next decade or so. Some of them are probably a little over aggressive, but that can get tweaked as we get closer if it's not clear the goal is obtainable. Right now EVs are what I'd call late early adopter/early mainstream phase. They're not quite ready yet to be rolled out across entire product lines, but they're definitely not just a toy for enthusiasts either. That'll gradually shift towards mainstream adoption as the tech gets cheaper and better and as the problems get resolved. One thing to remember about cars vs horse and buggy - the car didn't take over from the horse and buggy overnight either. It took decades for the car to be clearly superior. Early cars were expensive, hard to start, hard to drive, unreliable, etc, etc. Where the horse and buggy just worked, was familiar, versatile (your horse could plow your fields and be used for transportation), and you could refuel just by letting your horse graze in your field. The next decade should be an exciting one for EV development. Rough guess is that if batteries can double in density, they'll be roughly the same weight as a gas engine. They just recently dropped below the $100/kWhr threshold that's been said to be the break even point between EVs and gas engines. And they should only get cheaper as the technology improves. One thing most people don't realize is that Lithium Ion batteries have very little lithium in them. Most of it is other stuff - anodes, cathodes, separators, electrodes, etc. Double the density and the cost of all that other stuff goes down. Even if lithium prices stay about the same as where they are today (and they might very well drop as new mines come online), that makes the overall packs cheaper. And, based on our historical battery development progress, we're on track to easily double the density within the next decade. We might even be there with the next generation stuff (solid state and silicon) that seems to be imminent. The mining concerns and all that are pretty short term stuff. New lithium mines are coming online, both here in the US and around the world and massive new reserves keep getting discovered. New battery chemistries (like sodium ion) have a good chance of reducing or eliminating problematic minerals. A good example is lithium iron phosphate, which is becoming quite popular in lower end EVs, eliminates cobalt, a very problematic "conflict mineral". As we get better and better at mining the stuff, we'll figure out new methods of doing mining that allow us to mine new sources and do so more cleanly. For example, new mining techniques are coming online that allow lithium to be mined with much lower water usage. And how do I know we can do this? The oil industry is a prime example. We now extract oil from oil fields that were previously thought unusable and we do so without covering the landscape in oil wells, like in times past. It's why the US is now the world's leading oil producer. As far as the electrical grid, the impact is shockingly low. One group did a study that said we need about 30% more generation over the next 20 years to go all electric. That's a pretty achievable thing. Basically just a bit more increase in grid capacity growth over what we already need to do - a bit more than 1%/year. One thing that's really important is we don't want to get left behind. It's clear the future of cars is EVs. It's really the only direction that makes any sense, once you take all the factors into consideration. If we wait to start adopting them until the tech is fully "ready", pretty good chance that either the tech will never develop as well as it should or that other countries (like China) will have taken such a massive lead that catching up will be near impossible. That sort of thing happened in the electronics business and clawing that market share back now is really tough, might even be impossible because that industry has so thoroughly entrenched itself into China. You just end up with these ecosystems that make it really easy and cheap to do things there and hard to do similar things elsewhere. I don't think we want that for cars, but it means we have to invest as the tech is developing to have any hope of being competitive once its mature.

[@GenericAnimeBoy]

The PT Cruiser is an objectively unpleasant car to drive, it's not particularly efficient in terms of the use of space in the cargo area, and I don't even particularly love the retro styling it helped bring back. But dang if there aren't still a lot of them on the road providing transportation for high school kids and other people making a new start at life. Edit: As a degreed and licensed EE, I am excited to watch you do this swap! Edit 2: As an EV owner, I can tell you that the experience of silent, smooth, on-demand power delivery was a bigger part of the reason I went for an EV (VW ID.4) than even the environmental stuff. It really is just an amazingly comfortable place to be if you just want a machine that will get you to your destination safely and in comfort.

[@MrCybergladiator]

I hate ad transitions, but jumping out of the TV pausing the other youtube video was fantastic. Good work!

[@EVguru]

I drove one and an EV1, back in 1996. I was helping to run a Porsche 914 EV race car in the EVTC (electric vehicle technology competition) races at the Firebird circuit in Arizona and GM had a row of demonstrators.

[@SpeedyGeneralMotorsINC]

I’m glad you saved the s10 Jered really cool car don’t let it be destroyed!!

[@Moosecop32]

Get it Jared! I love when people reach out to save the weird and rare stuff. EVs aren't my thing but I will definitely be following this build.

[@christophers.4007]

everything you said about EVs and hybrids is accurate. hybrids should be the future not full EVs. i work for a very important and large electrical company...we are NOT ready for all EVs.

[@J.B-is8fb]

I do agree with Jared that all types of vehicles have their place. The ICE car will not be completely replaced even if it’s just an enthusiast vehicle in the future. One aspect he did not mention is the aspect of Solar Powered EV vehicles such as the upcoming Aptera solar car. 40 miles of range just by parking your vehicle in the sun? And getting 120 miles out of a 120 volt plug in overnight and still utilizing the charging infrastructure? Yes please! Vehicles in general have made huge leaps of improvement and EVs, Hybrids will be no different. It’ll be interesting to see what’s normal on the roads in just a decade from now.

[@JockMctavish-l2t]

Its got a motor and wheels, thats what I'm into. Looking forward to seeing this project.

[@RoadWarrior77]

This would be a great project to work with Alex from Legit Street Cars with because of his space van, which is EV and gasoline powered. He might learn something from the S10, and you might learn something from the issues he's had with the van.

[@deaks25]

That is a very cool find, not because it's an EV, but because it's rare and something of a landmark. I can't wait to see it up and running, especially as it sounds like you have a well-sorted plan.

[@tommink2577]

Back in January 2001 I went to a get-together at a friend's house. This friend happened to work at the California Air Resources board and had a loaner EV1 Gen II in her driveway. Unbelievably, she asked me if I wanted to drive it. So of course I said yes, and I got to take a 10 or 15 mile spin in the EV1, which was my first time driving an EV. Looking back, it's pretty damned cool to think I got to drive something of which there are maybe 2 or 3 operational examples left in the world. Definitely the rarest thing I've ever driven!

[@usmichiganboyz1314]

This is awesome. Honesty it is more impressive than a traditional ev one. Looking forward to seeing this come to life! Good luck!

[@travisgoss7165]

I currently own a hybrid car. I have shockingly found out how much my car insurance has gone up since buying this car. Insurance company told me it's because the car cost a lot to fix. I am not a young kid with high insurance. I am in my mid 40's married with no car accidents or speeding tickets. I bought the car used with low miles. My car insurance went up 100.00 a month for the same amount of coverage. So I have found out what I save in gas is literally being payed to the insurance company !! I just kinda find it odd that nobody is talking about the insurance cost for any hybrid car or full electric cars. Curious to anybody else thoughts on this ! Love your videos.

[@joephillips3989]

Looking forward to seeing this. Hopefully this one doesn't get shelved!

[@LiveFreeOrDieDH]

"if it's Carolina squats... we'll try to get you help." 🔥🔥🔥🤣

[@CLCIII]

Wow! New one for me! Neat! Glad you got it and looking forward to seeing how it "goes". As Always, May God Bless you and yours! 😇

[@xero256]

I agree with you on this one, Jared. Enjoy the cars. Drive them. Build them. That rare little pickup is great.

[@user-tn1hk6zm2freedom]

The Constitution states the people have a freedom of choice. They have no right to force the people to drive an electric car.

[@bigesmotorpool]

I randomly came across this video, but your assumption with the stickers is solid. I have a 1999 Chevy Tahoe, US Gov model CUCV II (Gas version not a diesel) and it served on an AF Base as a Security Forces vehicle (even came with the full vehicle inventory from the last patrol). It has those same stickers, plus some others on the dash.

[@DGK86]

Can't wait to see this build progress!

[@jjstein1976able]

Back in about 2008 I was working as a civilian security officer on Eglin AFB in Florida. I remember one of the squadrons had 2 if these. I don't remember which squadron but I remember seeing them running around the base.

[@chiefbigpooh]

Dude. Thats insane. To actually own a ev1 motor is crazy. I can’t wait to see what you guys do with it

[@isaakscheuenstuhl519]

The motors were good. Lots of folks tried really hard to purchase their EV1s once their leases ran out but I think only a very few successfully managed to do so.

[@WoodStoveEnthusiast]

I'm pretty sure the few that are in private hands are technically stolen.

[@montymatth2409]

Jared. Adding a cooling system to the battery pack would be a good way to go. Rich rebuilds had a Tesla battery in a project he called project daisy and I think he was charging the battery when it had a thermal runaway. I’d have to watch the video again but it might be good to use a cooling system to be on the safe side. The batteries were designed to have coolant pass thru them unlike the Nissan leaf batteries.

[@nicholasdaly7355]

Something to look forward to thanks jered

[@PathosBedlam]

As a car enthusiast I am glad to see you are not anti EV. I'm glad you are saving this rare specimen of automotive history. I really can't recommend enough though to install active cooling into the batteries. This will allow you to guarantee their temps, and maybe even let you fast charge with the right setup. They already have it built in, you may as well use it. Ask Jerry Rig about his EV Hummer conversion he did with the same batteries and I'm sure he'd love to do a collab and get you sorted. It was a lot of work but it turned out great.

[@nomadic_shadow]

I love these rare finds!!

[@casselts1]

That was very clearly a USAF truck used on the flightline. 7,000 miles might not seem like a lot of miles, but that’s 7,000 miles at 15 mph or less driving around in circles near aircraft. The shop I work in now has an ‘03 Express with 15,000 miles mostly below 15 mph. And hours upon hours of idle time. I’m totally looking forward to seeing this revived, though!!!

[@Brandon-C.]

Im sensing... a truck... maybe that EV S10 everyones talking about?

[@TNitroH]

Syclone? Huh....

[@Brandon-C.]

@@TNitroH Jared made a post with a "GM EV battery pack" under a hood... I belive

[@Ned-p1y]

We had one at the utility company I worked for took it to a few car shows . Got towed back more times than I could count

[@RyuFlynn]

I whole heartedly agree. Our grid cant support it not to mention hybrids would be a perfect mediator when swapping to electric over a long period of time while electric cars improve in technology.

[@Anaerin]

Those PbA cells look like they're standard size, and indeed there are a bunch of pre-made Lithium-ion 100 and 200Ah 12v packs with built-in BMS and the like. So you could buy a set and just drop them in in place of the lead-acid ones and be up and running in minutes.

[@luislongoria6621]

🛥

[@RonCurrie-dq3wx]

Thanks Jarod, that brought back some memories. I was one of the few test drivers in the test group for the EV's out at the GM Desert Proving Grounds. We had one S10 under test. 33 miles? haha no, just no. Granted we were under hot weather testing but even when it was cool that pickup took more than 12 hours to charge and we did not get 20 miles out of it, ever. It was an interesting group to be in though since we could not be assigned to one car for an entire shift since the sedans could not make more than 40 miles either. Many shifts were spent sitting around in the Engineering South lounge, reading while we waited for a car to charge.

[@TheQuestionableGarage]

I love the number of engineers and other project testers that have come out! I look forward to getting this truck running again

[@RonCurrie-dq3wx]

@@TheQuestionableGarage btw. not all of the test vehicles had lead acid batteries. We had a couple with nickel metal hydride (nimh) batteries and they did a bit better.

[@kevehdur]

I remember seeing a Ranger from that era full electric with crazy decals. It had a 4x4 frame filled with lead acid batteries and went 30-40 miles on a charge

[@ivanlandry3830]

Yeah. There was one of those Rangers in service here. I thought it was a production vehicle. Later learned when I saw it and the charger being loaded on a semi that it was going back to FORD and was just being used here like a proving ground thing.

[@steveg5122]

yep, those stickers are usaf stickers.

[@marksmithson1414]

Jared I have to say that this is a very unique vehicle. Can't wait to see what you do with it. I agree with you about those who are doing the Carolina Squats needing help.

[@mjjr1000]

41:39 you should have two battery packs on a switch to use one at a time then use an alternator style unit driven from the rear wheels to charge the battery pack not in use. 44:27 also use solar and small wind turbines to charge in sun or while driving.

[@simond7582]

dude, just no.

[@mjjr1000]

@@simond7582 why ….. if you’re gunna try reviving something with modern equivalent then at least try and make it self charging. So…. Just yes.

[@simond7582]

@@mjjr1000 you are proposing a free energy device, it doesn't work. Energy out cannot be greater than energy in.

[@misturchips]

Consider grabbing dome Valence U-Charge batteries to plop in place in your pack. They replace 12V acid / SLA units nicely, and can be found surplus from hospital cards for under a C-note each. Yeah, they don't crank out as many amps, so your acceleration is likely limited, but they have built-in BMS's w/ CANBUS connections.

[@amylu4346]

As an enthusiastic owner of a PT Cruiser GT (Questionable Choice) and frequent driver of a hybrid, I find this project quite interesting. Thank you for saving this truck!

[@GenderSkins]

I have built electric bikes. All of which are 48 volt using lithium ion batteries 18650 to create a 48 volt battery usually around 22amp hours, but the amp hours can be changed up or down while keeping the voltage the same. That 48 volt battery I have weighs a whopping 11 pounds and is 22 amp hours, you might find using 18650 batteries may make for an easier build for your battery pack's Jarred. Thing about using an e-bike battery is you can build them to the de-mentions you need, since Tesla batteries are basically built from the same 18650 Lithium Ion Batteries, should make for an easier voltage match to just build your own Lithium battery pack using 18650 batteries.

[@mikenodine6713]

Dobbins is NOT the only thing at Dobbins AFB. The Bell Bomber Air Force Plant #6 came first there in 1942 to build B-29's for WWII. Lockheed took over the Bell Bomber plant in the 1950's and is still there today. The main Lockheed building "B1" is 55 acres under one roof and has a three story office building inside. When I worked there in the 1980's, we drove gas powered S10 pickup trucks inside the main building on the streets inside the plant. I say all of this to say that your Electric S10 may have lived its entire life inside the heated and cooled main plant for Air Force brass to ride around in overseeing the production of aircraft there. If so, that would explain why the diesel heater engine was never needed to run.

[@raphiseth6942]

13:35 you and Robert fit so good together. You both love rare not so valuable cars😂

[@chriswf]

To the electric grid instability statement. A lot of people don't know that the grid is constantly improving, even in Texas lol. When AC/HVAC became mainstream in homes, the grid couldn't support those either if everyone got one over night. No, we didn't always have air conditioning in homes. But HVAC systems have been the sole strain on the grid for a long time. Linemen are the real heroes. Hats off to you guys. Gas cars will be around a long time. Even if they stopped making them today, they'll be around long after we're dead.

[@charlottelanvin7095]

when I was a kid in 70's England, we had daily early-morning doorstep milk deliveries. The milkman would drive his lead-acid battery powered milk float on his round. they were cheap to run, quiet, perfect for the range and cycles required. fresh milk was delivered in glass bottles and empties collected. nostalgia

[@kiwijonowilson]

Awesome! Love this. Well worth saving and really like your approach. I don't have experience working on an EV but I do have electronics background and also working with lithium batteries in model aircraft. FWIW, a couple of thoughts I have is: 1. While level 2 charging is less stress on the battery, you still need some good battery management to ensure the long life of the battery. In particular is critical that the BMS maintains the balance of voltage between the cells as otherwise you will eventually kill the pack and potentially cause a fire! Likewise the BMS must prevent over voltage (to prevent damage and fire) or under voltage (to prevent damage). This is true whether charging from a level 2 charger or from regen from the motor. 2. You may be able to maximise the result if you are able to pre-test each of the Tesla modules and select the strongest modules. Ideally consider capacity and leakage. 3. You are probably already aware of this, but starting with each module equally charged before assembly means you start with a balanced pack to start with and avoid problems that take some time to iron out.

[@dwightsmith5174]

Old guy here. I love ICE, electrics, steam, odd engines, power houses, diesels, solar, all fun to learn and play with!!

[@cloudyview]

I know nothing, but Rich and electrified garage might be a good colab for the project 😁

[@paigerowntree7712]

That's wild, there is one of these right up the road from me. I always assumed it was a custom project since it seemed like such a weird thing for GM to have produced. The one here has a custom solar panel array over the truck bed and a sweet lighting bolt paint job. I will see if I can find it again and snag some pictures!

[@Subgunman]

I do hope you documented the wiring of the battery pack. It’s a part of history. It’s a pity that Chiltons May never have printed a service manual for this gem. I would hold on to these batteries as historical reference, you might need to create a micro museum so you can show how the evolution of old technology against todays systems. That rear axel reminds me of what was on the Chrysler K series cars.

[@greggsvintageworkshop8974]

It was cool watching the truck bed raise a little with each battery removed! This will be interesting for sure.

[@MarchHare59]

A key advantage of the S10 EV is the batteries are under the truck bed with the cab separate and apart from the rear section which will help protect the passenger compartment if the Tesla battery packs catch fire.

[@ericgrimsby5256]

I'm not going to lie the hybrid vehicles are pretty awesome. We have the plug in hybrid jeep wrangler 4xe and we absolutely love it. My wife drives maybe 15 miles a day and it's all on electric. If we do a long drive then yes the gas motor kicks in. The only downside if your not at a level 2 charger it takes for ever to get a full charge. So if your commute allows you to have electric or plug in hybrid then I'd say get one. As an enthusiasts as well I think every vehicle has a purpose in life from the grocery getting car to the big trucks everyone has different needs.

[@Rev22-21]

There used to be an electric S10 running around in Waco Texas a few years back. The owner put a portable generator in the bed when needed to extend his range and it said if and when the battery discharged to that point, the generator would give him up to 40 mph preventing him being stranded. 😊

[@keithdillman78]

I have 3 of these trucks and a few spare parts. I have one dialed in on the 12v side but have never been able to find a suitable replacement battery that didn't involve hacking the truck up until a week ago. Trajectory EV in California is building and testing LiFePO4 modules now specifically for the EV S10 as drop in replacements. Billy C. said that he spoke with you about them. I'm so excited to watch this revival of an extremely rare and unique truck. The only chevy truck more rare than a factory EV S10 is a factory EV S10 that drives. I have all the shop manuals and a bit of experience with these trucks if you need any help.

[@TheQuestionableGarage]

There is a ton to learn still! The goal is making everything able to be undone as much as possible in the Tesla battery conversion! Need to track down a charger and gm tech 2!

[@stevenkistler5063]

As a former product engineer for a lithium battery company (forklift batteries, not automotive), the basic explanation is correct. Granted safety should always be taken when working with even small voltages. Those things hold a lot of energy (Watts) even when at low voltages. High capacity and direct shorts between cells can definitely hurt (burn) and cause vision issues. Dry human skin has a dielectric resistance up to about 60VDC, though I have been shocked at as low as 36VDC nominal with sweaty hands. Stay safe when working with this stuff.