F-250 Crew-Cab Conversion

by James Gobble
(Flagstaff AZ)

Big ole truck

I have a 1979 Ford f-250 crew-cab with a 351m engine and a four speed manual that I am wanting to convert over to electric. I only drive about 20 to 30 miles every other day. I want to keep the bed frhttp://sbi6.sitesell.com/dyn/C2/EditSubmissionee for hauling stuff.

What would be better: to use the transmission, or connect the motor directly to rear axle?

How do I size a motor and battery pack for my truck and usage? What kind of $$$ could I be looking at?

Hi, James!

While it's not impossible to convert a very heavy truck to electric, but you're probably not going to be thrilled with the results. At 6500 lbs. curb weight, your F-250 is heavier than most electric cars, and it takes a LOT of golf cart batteries to move a truck that size; )

Even the biggest AC conversion kit I'm aware of at Electro Automotive is only designed to move a 3500 lb. pickup, which is still pretty substantial.
That system is 288-336v, will give a range of about 50 miles, and will be capable of regular freeway speeds. The kit is just under 10K and does not include the cost of the batteries.

That AC kit, Electro Auto says, can be either used with the manual transmission you've already got or in a direct drive configuration. There are good arguments for either choice.

If it were me, though, I'd be looking for a lighter donor vehicle.

Regards,
Lynne