Quirky Kurbwatt electric postal van from 1980s surfaces on eBay

Here's a tough sell on eBay: an old electric postal delivery van that only gets eight miles of range. It could go up to 40 miles on a charge, but that would cost about $1,600 for a new battery on top of the $2,400 asking price.

The vehicle up for discussion is a Kurbwatt electric van, which runs on 14 six-volt, deep-cycle batteries that take all night to recharge at 220 volts. Its top speed is 55 miles per hour. Oh, and there's one more thing to consider: steering is on the right side and shifting is done with the left hand.

The seller's sons used to use the Kurbwatt to commute to high school – an 11-mile drive each way. They made this trip every day for years and found it to be reliable and required little maintenance. The kids also used the van to haul their rock and roll band gear – drums, amps, keyboards and guitars. The van also features an ancient swappable battery pack, which should make upgrading the pack easier than if it was all built in.

Originally built by Grumman, this Kurbwatt is one of 50 electric vans sold to the US Postal Service in Cupertino, CA, during the 1980s. There are three days left to bid, if a project car like this is up your alley.