The Chevrolet Blazer K5 It is one of the icons of the SUV world. In fact, it’s one of the first SUVs of all time, built on a frame of spars and crossmembers, with real 4×4 capabilities and lowering, but in truth, aimed at a suburban middle-class audience. That’s a story for another day, in any case. Today we come to talk about one unit that has been recently restored by Chevrolet Performance. And although it may not seem like it, this precious unit from 1977 hides a true sacrilege. TRUE?
This absolutely classic two-door Blazer it’s an electric car. Take a deep breath, you can do it. Instead of a small-block carburettor and 350 cubic inches of displacement – or a swap to some high-displacement engine from the modern LS family – we find the drive train… of a Chevrolet Bolt. A 100% electric propulsion scheme that Chevrolet Performance plans to sell as kits starting in 2021. The goal is to be able to convert any classic car into electricand this Blazer K5 is its business card.
Conversions from classics to electric cars are becoming more and more popular.
In truth, it does not seem like bad news to us. The brand continues to offer heat engine kits for the restoration of classics – ITV in the US are anecdotal, and they don’t care about swaps – and the electric side can be a very interesting alternative. Can you imagine a beautiful Chevrolet Corvair powered by an efficient electric motor, instead of an anemic six-cylinder six-cylinder? It is not a kit for all audiences, but we celebrate its launch. Let’s go to the nougat: What does the Chevrolet Performance kit offer us?
First of all, the 200 hp electric motor and 360 Nm of torque from the Chevrolet Bolt. This electric drivetrain is linked to an electronically controlled four-speed automatic gearbox, which in turn is linked to the original Blazer undercarriage, which has been restored. That is to say, It still has its gearbox, with a connectable all-wheel drive system and with its extremely hard rigid axles. The driving experience will remain primitive and very analog, only the power source used in it will change.
It has been necessary to install an electric pump for the braking system and an electric power steering.
At the rear of the Blazer, behind the seats and above the cargo space, has been mounted the 60 kWh capacity battery that normally powers a Bolt. Instead of an actual range close to 250 miles, we’re guessing the Blazer’s zero aerodynamics and weight will easily halve that number. The propulsion system uses the Bolt’s on-board charger, as well as its inverter, its thermal management system and the same control electronics. The eCrate Connect and Cruise system is literally a plug&play system.
The price has not been announced yet, but the brand says it will sell it during the first half of 2021, at a price that could be quite competitive. In the future, Ultium motors and batteries, like those that power the anabolic GMC Hummer EV, will also be included in the eCrate system.
