Just take a look at this Nissan Sunny Pickup EV Conversion. The Nissan/Datsun racing colors do make you think this car was pulled straight from Suzuka International Racing Course, but there is something else going on here….
Before you continue, do check what day it is today, because if you want to see it in person; go to SEMA 2022, since it will be presented there!
The Sunny Pickup B120
Using the B110 passenger car chassis as its foundation, the B120 commercial truck made its début in February 1971. The Datsun 1200 sedans, coupés, and wagon versions shared the same wheelbase and drivetrain with the B120. The rectangular instruments from the Standard model B110s and the same stainless steel grille as the 1200 sedan were first used.
There were standard (B120) and long-bed (GB120) variants available. The B120 continued after the 1200 car series’ manufacture finished. The B120 was actually branded as the “120Y” and offered as a part of the revised 120Y line in several regions, like South Africa. [20] In the 1980s, it was produced locally and sold in New Zealand in the “RoadStar” and “SportStar” trims. It has a 49 mpg-US rating (4.8 L/100 km; 59mpg)
Nissan Leaf
The truck was made by Tommy Pike Customs in South Carolina. This Nissan Sunny Pickup EV Conversion uses a base Leaf S’s 40 kWh lithium-ion battery pack in conjunction with a single motor that produces 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. That might not sound like much, but considering the Sunny’s compact size, the electric motor produces around twice as much power and three times as much torque as the gas engine did.
Nissan may be teasing the possibility of a crate electric motor by offering the Sunny pickup, which is powered by a Leaf, in the near future. Such a product is already available from Ford and Chevrolet, and there are also many different motor options from smaller businesses like EV West or Swindon Powertrain that often focus on EV swaps.
Not only Nissan came up with something new… Did you also check the latest Extreme EV by Renault?
Sources: https://www.caranddriver.com & https://insideevs.com
