A Super-Rare 1997 Chevy S10 Electric Truck Back on the Road Soon

Sales of all-electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S. hit a significant milestone last year, accounting for 20% of new car and truck sales—marking a historic moment for “green” vehicles. According to data from Motor Intelligence, over 3.2 million “electrified” vehicles were sold in the U.S. last year, including 1.9 million hybrid models, which encompass both traditional hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and 1.3 million all-electric vehicles.

While the growth in electric and hybrid sales is noteworthy, traditional gas- and diesel-powered vehicles still dominate the market, though their share fell to 79.8%—under 80% for the first time in modern automotive history.

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is now in full swing, but not all electric vehicles are created equal. Some, like the 1997 Chevy S10 EV, carry with them a rich history that predates the mainstream EV boom and offers a glimpse into the early days of electric transportation. For enthusiasts and collectors, the Chevy S10 EV is more than just a vehicle—it’s a piece of automotive history that has stood the test of time.

Ryan Dela is an EV and Renewable Energy Engineering Subject Matter Expert. EVinfo.net had the pleasure and honor of meeting Dela recently.

Dela wrote on his Linkedin account about his 1997 Chevy S10 EV, affectionately known as “Buddy,” a vehicle that has been a part of his life for 21 years. Ryan and his wife Frances have been working diligently to get their shop ready to bring Buddy back on the road. Buddy holds significant sentimental value for Ryan. The S10EV has followed him through multiple career moves—from California to South Dakota and finally back to Oregon. This will be the second time Frances has helped Ryan rebuild Buddy’s battery.

Buddy is more than just a vehicle; it has a rich history. It served as his daily driver when he was an engineer at AC Propulsion, working with pioneers of the EV industry that were directly responsible for laying the technical foundations for Tesla Motors in 2004 and 2005. In fact, it was used as a reference vehicle to teach early Tesla engineers—many of whom had no prior EV experience or knowledge of how cars worked in general, let alone how to build electric vehicles.

Buddy is one of fewer than 60 surviving Chevy S10EVs that escaped the crusher in 2004 when GM was ending the production of its EV1 and S10EV models, a moment that was famously depicted in the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? The remaining S10EVs had been sold to utilities and the U.S. government before GM recalled and crushed or permanently disabled examples for museums and universities. When Ryan picked Buddy at a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power auction, he unknowingly selected battery serial number one, a meter-reading vehicle with a depleted lead-acid battery.

Despite its age, the S10EV remains remarkably ahead of its time. Even today, its systems are comparable to those of modern electric vehicles, though without the fancy infotainment features. Built on a standard Chevy S10 chassis, it utilizes the EV1 drivetrain to power the front wheels and a standard trailer axle for the rear. While much of the design relies on parts from the stock S10, it also incorporates custom hardware taken from the EV1 to meet the needs of fleet customers.

Now, as Ryan and Frances embark on the exciting adventure of rebuilding Buddy’s battery for the third time, he feels older and wiser. Unlike previous rebuilds, no surplus batteries are available, so Ryan plans to create a custom lithium-ion battery—a project he’s been dreaming about ever since his time working in the infant EV industry for AC Propulsion and the fledgling Tesla. This new chapter promises to be another memorable one in Buddy’s long history.

The photo below shows Buddy in 2011 using a new j1772 public charging station by adapting to the old inductive charger that itself was once a public charging station.

A Brief History of the 1997 Chevy S10EV

The Chevy S10EV was part of GM’s early foray into electric vehicles. Produced in limited numbers, only about 1,000 of these electric pickups were made between 1996 and 1998. The S10EV was developed in collaboration with utilities and industrial customers who needed a zero-emissions workhorse. As one of the first all-electric production vehicles from a major automaker, the S10EV was a forward-thinking vehicle that paved the way for today’s modern electric pickups.

The 1997 Chevrolet S-10 EV was a pioneering electric vehicle that shared key components with GM’s earlier EV1 electric coupe, most notably its motor and drivetrain. Powered by an 85-kilowatt (114 horsepower) three-phase, liquid-cooled AC induction motor, the S-10 EV was designed with efficiency in mind. GM reduced the motor’s output compared to the EV1’s 100 kW motor, compensating for the added weight and drag of the truck, which could otherwise strain the vehicle’s batteries.

Unlike the traditional rear-wheel-drive configuration found in the gasoline-powered S-10, the S-10 EV utilized a front-wheel-drive layout, a characteristic it shared with the EV1. This design choice was notable, especially as its main competitor, the electric Ford Ranger EV, used a rear-wheel-drive configuration.

The S-10 EV was equipped with a lead-acid battery pack manufactured by Delco Electronics. Weighing in at 1,400 pounds (635 kg), the pack consisted of 27 cells, including one auxiliary cell. This battery pack offered 16.2 kilowatt-hours of energy for propulsion, providing a city driving range of 45.5 miles for the 1997 model. While the range was limited compared to today’s EVs, the S-10 EV was an important step in the evolution of electric vehicles, showcasing early attempts at making electric trucks practical for everyday use.

Unfortunately, like many of GM’s electric vehicle efforts of the ’90s, the S10EV was short-lived. The company’s decision to pull back on electric vehicle development in the early 2000s, along with the demise of the EV1, left many of these early electric cars to be retired, crushed, or forgotten. However, some lucky survivors were preserved, and the 1997 Chevy S10 EV became one of the most coveted gems in the world of vintage EVs.