Expert Scours The Country For Chevrolet's Long-Lost Debut Electric Pickup. Then He Gets His Hands On One
“This is an all-electric Chevy S10, and it was GM’s first attempt at a mass-market EV pickup."
After an automotive TikToker encountered an uncommon electric vehicle from Chevy, viewers questioned what makes it so special.
On Oct. 9, an automotive expert (@battles.digital) posted a TikTok documenting his run-in with Chevy’s rare EV from the 1990s. The video, which has amassed more than 30,000 views as of Sunday, spotlights the Chevrolet S-10 Electric, an early experiment in electrified pickup trucks that predates GM’s modern EV lineup by decades.
What Makes The Chevrolet S-10 Electric So Special?
“This is an all-electric Chevy S10, and it was GM’s first attempt at a mass-market EV pickup,” the creator explains in the video. Originally introduced for the 1997 and 1998 model years, the S-10 Electric was based on the compact S-10 truck platform but replaced the gas engine with a fully electric powertrain derived from the GM EV1, the company’s pioneering electric coupe.
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“Under the hood is an all-electric drivetrain that was essentially ripped from GM’s EV1 that was being produced around the same time,” the TikToker says. The truck used a 114-horsepower electric motor and relied on lead-acid batteries stored in a heavy box mounted in the bed. “Keep in mind this was the ’90s, so EV technology was brand new,” he adds. “This thing was an 85-kilowatt motor under the hood… and it only had a range of about 40 to 60 miles on a full charge.”
What Was The Price Range?
When new, the S-10 Electric wasn’t exactly cheap. With a starting price around $33,000 in 1997—equivalent to roughly $65,000 today when adjusted for inflation—it cost significantly more than its gas-powered counterpart.
The high price and limited practicality meant very few were sold, and GM built fewer than 500 units total, most of which were leased to fleets or government agencies rather than private customers.
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Can You Still Purchase A Chevrolet S-10 Electric?
Most surviving models today have been modified or restored by enthusiasts. “Now at this point, the lead-acid batteries are long gone and have been replaced with modern-day marine batteries wired up here in the bed of the pickup,” the creator explains, pointing to the truck’s updated setup. These modifications often make the vehicles more drivable but can further limit authenticity, as original parts are nearly impossible to source.
Because of its limited production and the fragility of its original batteries, surviving S-10 Electrics are exceedingly rare. “GM only ever made less than 500 of these things in total, only 40 of which are still known to exist,” he says. “And of that 40, only about five or so still run today. You’re looking at one of them.”
Today, collectors and EV enthusiasts occasionally pay $25,000 to $40,000 for a functioning example—if they can even find one. What was once a commercial flop is now a coveted piece of EV history, symbolizing a moment when GM briefly imagined an electric future decades ahead of its time.
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