Here at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis, we have watched intently as a restored farm truck featuring our bowtie logo was on display at SEMA as well as the eCopo Camaro, which was built on an 800V architecture and a pair of motors to deliver 737 horsepower to the rear wheels. Another one of the models that Chevy will have on hand at SEMA's virtual presentation this year is a 1977 K5 Blazer known as the Blazer-E that officially previews the company's new eCrate aftermarket powertrain.
The existing 6.6-Liter V8 was swapped out for the 200-horsepower engine from the Bolt EV, which then connects to the Blazer's four-wheel-drive system with a 4-speed auto taking over for the three-speed transmission. Both the exhaust and fuel tank were ditched as well, replaced by a 60kWh lithium-ion battery pack mounted in the cargo area's free space. Chevy has now made the official statement on Arstechnica.com that we will now produce an electric crate powertrain to the aftermarket in the same fashion as crate internal combustion engines. As soon as the E-10 concept was introduced last year, the phone started ringing with many wanting to start their own unique EV projects as soon as possible.
The release and prominent display of the K5 Blazer's abilities demonstrate what can be possible for customers who are seeking to convert a vintage vehicle to a daily driver with the quality of torque and driving an EV provides. When extreme performance is sought after, the modular eCrate system will have many various applications to choose from. The Electric Connect and Cruise package goes on sale during the second half of next year and features a bolt EV motor, battery pack, DC-to-AC inverter, a DC-to-DC converter, wiring harness, controllers, and water pumps for essential heating and cooling.
There will also be a certification program available for those who want to become experts in installation, courtesy of the Corvette builders at Lingenfelter Performance Engineering in Michigan. For those who aren't fully satisfied with 200 Horsepower, Chevy has already officially claimed that Ultrium battery packs could underpin a much wider ranger of BEVs for our brands. For a larger pickup or SUV, pouches that are vertically arranged are best for the dense energy in demand. It will be exhilarating to see the homebrew hotrods that people will cook up with this new development!