75 Year Old Michigan Man Converts Pickup to All Electric

In brief: Jack Daane, 75, of Sandstone Township, Michigan has converted his 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck to run all-electric.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Converted Chevy S-10
Manufacturer: Jack Daane

The word

Daane is a retired electrician who got the S-10 last year and wanted to convert it to all-electric drive. After removing the gasoline parts and replacing it with an electric motor, which he says was the hardest part, he then set to work on the "technical work."

He replaced much of the mechanical parts, such as the dashboard speedometer and fuel gauges, with electric versions and mounted 20 6V batteries in the bed of the truck.

His wife suggested he add little red lightning bolts around the body to show off it's EV drive and then the Daanes were on the road.

The truck has about a 40 mile range, takes around 8 hours to recharge, and its top speed is unknown. Jack Daane, 75, isn't a race car driver and is happy to have a commuter.

He estimates that they spent about 200 man hours working on the truck to convert it and says it was a great project and fun hobby.

And so ...

One thing not included in the new version is power steering, which Daane says he didn't add because it would use more power than it would be worth to him.

"Not too bad for two amateurs," his wife LuAnna says.

Photo credits: MLive

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