Chevy helps convert a 1957 Chevy to electric power for SEMA

For the third year in a row, Chevrolet has put together an electric-converted classic car to show off what will be possible with its upcoming eCrate Connect and Cruise system. This year's project was a 1957 Chevy done in collaboration with Cagnazzi Racing and Hot Rod magazine, and the specs are interesting.

Besides what's under the hood, this car has some interesting history. The bright yellow car is named "Project X," and it was purchased by Hot Rod way back in 1965 with the idea of using it to try out all kinds of different developing power technologies. Before this electric conversion, it was powered by a supercharged Chevy LS V8.

Now, Project X has a single electric motor under the hood making 340 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. It's definitely not the Chevy Bolt EV motor previously seen in the Chevy K5 Blazer build from last year. In fact, the horsepower and torque are nearly identical to that of the Cadillac Lyriq. Chevy didn't confirm it, but we suspect that it is basically the Cadillac motor. The motor is also connected to a single-speed transmission, rather than the traditional automatic transmissions featured in the E-10 and Blazer builds. At the back is a quick-change differential so that it can be easily switched from a fast-accelerating short ratio to a more range-friendly tall ratio.

Providing power is a 30-kWh, 400-volt modular battery pack. That's half what was used in the K5 Blazer. According to a representative, this was a conscious decision based on size and the use case for the car. The amount of battery should be good for cruising or the odd trip to the drag strip. Also, its size means that it fits in the trunk of the car. In contrast, the 60-kWh pack in the Blazer took up basically the whole length of the much larger cargo area of that truck.

As for the availability of these parts as part of an eCrate Connect and Cruise kit, they're currently under evaluation. The battery in particular is highlighted since, being modular, it would be relatively easy to add additional capacity for different vehicle types and use cases. The higher-output motor is also up in the air, but it would be nice to have the option for more than the 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque of the Bolt motor.

Update (11/01/21 11:18 a.m.): Information added about transmission and differential.

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