My primary method of transportation is a 1998 Chevrolet S10E electric truck, configuredwith an Ovonic NiMH battery pack. 
The S10E is based entirely on the Gen1 EV1 drivetrain, and it is very practical for local (75miles or less) driving requirements. 

Although GM has removed all the EV1's from public use following their lease expirations, some of the Chevrolet S10E trucks were sold to local
electric power utilities and various state governments in 97-99 as fleet vehicles.  A small number of them were eventually retired from service and
offered for sale or auction to individuals. There are approximately 50 (estimated) privately titled S-10E trucks now in use today. Most having PbA 
(lead acid) battery packs, and a rare few escaped destruction with NiMH batteries.   Not surprisingly, these trucks will usually fetch over $20,000
when privately resold later on. Aside from the equally popular Toyota RAV-4 EV, there are few production EV's still in daily use on our highways.
 

The Chevrolet S-10EV truck may appear almost identical to it's gasoline powered sibling. But it is radically different beneath the external skin.
For starters; the S10E is front wheel drive, versus the rear wheel drive of the normal S10. Torsion bar suspension supports the front end,
while extra heavy duty leaf springs carry the rear. The toughened suspension components are needed in order to support a 4300lb mid-size
truck containing a battery payload nearing 1800lbs for the PbA verison, and 1600lbs for the NiMH version.

GM designed the battery box to mount under the frame, beneath the bed, allowing full use for cargo purposes.   The low center of gravity
makes for excellent handling characteristics too.    There are 26 85Ah NiMH batteries in the box, with half being stacked to reduce the size.
Nominal battery pack voltage is 400 VDC. And when fully charged, the pack contains 29KWh of energy. Roughly equivalent to 1/2 gallon of gas.

As mentioned earlier, the S10E uses the EV1 drive components. The motor is an AC 3 phase drive, delivering 137 hp via the 100kw drive
Inverter. The Inverter converts the high voltage DC into high current AC to power the motor. An image of the Inverter module is shown here
In spite of the considerable weight, these electric trucks can easily out-accelerate the average SUV from a stop (but at a direct penalty to range). 
The EV1 AC drive system can deliver nearly all of the rated horsepower at zero RPM, whereas a gasoline engine requires high engine RPM to
achieve it's rated horsepower. The S-10E top speed is electronically limited to a little over 70 MPH to conserve battery power and overall range.

The S10E includes all of the usual features you would normally expect. Power steering is driven by a small 3 phase AC motor, as is the heating
and cooling system.   It is actually a heat pump, similar to what you might have in your home, but on a smaller scale. An electric vacuum pump
powers the brake system. GM maintained the vacuum brake approach to eliminate the need in redesigning their four wheel ABS braking system.

Charging is accomplished by an inductive paddle via the Magnecharger charging system.  Ours is a wall mount appliance placed on the garage wall,
and powered by 220V single phase AC. The charger can deliver 6kW of energy to the battery pack, providing a full charge in only a few hours time.

There are a few of these rare Chevrolet S-10EV trucks available for sale from EV Bones LLC. Click on the name to be directed to their web site.
 

Return to the Nixie Clock and Nixie Wristwatch site