There’s a rumor going around that the 2021 edition of the SEMA Show was the first to be officially sponsored by NV Energy, with a new long-term sponsorship deal of the aftermarket specialty show seemingly imminent. It’s easy enough to believe, as SEMA 2021 has been marked by an explosion of modified and custom-built electric vehicles on display from both major automakers and specialty shops. And if the Ford F-100 Eluminator electric muscle truck tickled you in all the right places, then just wait until you get a look at this electric 1985 Chevrolet C10 Square Body pickup that’s now packing the heart of a Tesla Model S.
Coming out of Boca Raton, Florida, the crew down at Salvage to Savage procured themselves a pair of drive motors from a wrecked Tesla Model S, and then juiced it with the battery pack from a Model 3. The whole package is supposed to deliver 800 horsepower and like 4,000 lb-ft of torque when full deployment is engaged.
Like the F-100 Eluminator build, the electric Chevy truck’s cab sits atop a custom ladder frame chassis built around the Tesla Model S battery pack. The wishbone front suspension was designed in-house and looks to be using Corvette knuckles, spindles, and control arms. Stopping services are provided by six-piston Wilwood brakes biting on ridiculous 18-inch rotors.
The rear of the Tesla-swapped Chevrolet C10 also features a multi-link suspension design with ultra-aggressive custom-made suspension perches integrated into the chassis. KW adjustable coil-overs meant for a C5 Corvette spring the thing front and back.
Aesthetically, the Tesla-swapped Chevy C10 electric pickup truck SEMA Show vehicle is painted in matte-satin army green, with an infinity light box in the tailgate that makes you feel like you’re on acid and mushrooms at the same time. A set of hand-laid carbon fiber widebody fenders cover up the electric Square Body’s wider stance. Of minor note, it’s absurd those fenders are attached using a series of countersunk Allen head machine screws instead of just dzusing it like they should have.
The completely custom interior includes a huge Tesla-style touchscreen for accessing and monitoring various systems, along with a set of Status Racing bucket seats with camo inserts. Apparently, this truck has some kind of a transmission because there’s a clutch in it, along with a Sikky hydraulic handbrake.
Get used to it now, because this scene isn’t going away. But don’t worry, we still have big blocks.
