Despite electric vehicles only recently beginning to grow in popularity, automakers have been experimenting with battery-electric power as far back as the late 19th century. In the 1990s, spurred by impending emissions legislation in places like California, several major manufacturers attempted low-volume EV releases. The most well-known example is the doomed GM EV1 coupe—less known is the fact that GM adapted that powertrain to create the world's first electric pickup truck in the 1997 Chevrolet S-10 Electric, some of which are still on the road today. In 1990, GM showed the world a concept for an electric car called the Impact that would later go on sale as the well-documented EV1. When the EV1 launched in 1996, GM's engineers were inspired by its newly developed modular electric powertrain and plopped a modified version into the Chevrolet S-10 midsize pickup, beginning production of the so-called S-10 Electric in 1997.

GM

GM started with a base, regular cab S-10 with a six-foot bed and placed an array of lead-acid batteries between the truck's frame rails, similar to the method recently patented by Ford. From the outside, it was nearly indistinguishable from any other S-10 from the era unless you noticed the different front splitter, small "Electric" badging along the the rocker panel, or took a peek at the undercarriage. (The positioning of the batteries dropped ground clearance to five inches.) Inside, it was also identical to the normal truck with the exception of a new (and still analog) gauge cluster that featured a remaining charge display and a "power use" ammeter that swung around during acceleration and regen braking.

In total, the 1,400-pound batteries supplied 16.2 kilowatt-hours of power, meaning the finished truck weighed well over two tons—an equivalent gas-powered 1997 Chevy S-10 weighed around 3,000 pounds. Just like the EV1, later models offered a lighter (1,043 pounds), more energy-dense nickel-metal hydride battery as an option. To put the power to the road, GM placed a toned-down version of the EV1's AC induction motor under the hood which resulted in 114 horsepower flowing to the front wheels—another difference from the regular truck. Engineers believed the less-powerful setup was more suited to handle the truck's increased weight and drag compared to the slippery EV1 without stressing the batteries. Remember, this was still 1997.