16-year-old converts 1988 Mazda pickup truck to all-electric power
Say you're a high school kid, working as a lifeguard, and you've saved up around $6,000. What do you do with your money? If you're Andrew Angellotti, you build an all-electric truck.Angellotti describes his project this way:
I've always had an interest in vehicles of any kind. I also have a "do more with less" attitude, and a concern for what the petroleum industry is doing to our society and our environment. I want to show how easy it is to convert to electric, and how practical these vehicles are for everyday driving.
As you can see from the pictures (including high-res gallery below), Angellotti, from Lapeer, Michigan, chose a 1988 Mazda B2200 pickup truck for the conversion. Starting over a year ago, in August 2006, he taught himself the skills he needed to perform the conversion from books and the Internet. Now, he's added his own techniques and stories to the online EV community through his blog. If you're looking to make a 55 mph truck with a 40-mile range off of an overnight charge, this site will get you started.
Last month, Angellotti cruised through Woodward and attracted a lot of attention (it's easy to notice lime green letters on red, isn't it?). It's great what Angellotti's been able to accomplish, now all he needs is to give his truck a cool name, like White Zombie or the Buckeye Bullet. Any suggestions?
Gallery: All-electric 1988 Mazda B2200 truck
Related:
[Source: Andrew Angellotti]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rodney Giovanatti 12:42PM (4/11/2008)
I think it is time we stop waiting for the big auto companies and start mass producing our own vehicles. As shareholders people could invest in the company from the gound up and own it themselves.
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Don 2:36PM (9/07/2007)
Geeze. Someone hire that kid.
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Sebastian Blanco 3:55PM (9/07/2007)
Don -
Kind of long for a truck nickname :)
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Domenick 9:13PM (9/07/2007)
55mph with a 40 mile range? That's perfect. I need a truck like this.
*goes to check out kid's blog.
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