Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Mazda, Green Daily
Update on teen's all-electric 1988 Mazda pickup truck
High school student Andrew Angellotti contacted AutoblogGreen last fall to tell us about his 1988 Mazda B2200 pickup truck that he converted into an electric vehicle, taking nine months to learn how to do it and getting seriously DIY on the project. Our friend at Michigan Public Radio, Dustin Dwyer, was able to spend some with with Angellotti and an update on the teen and his truck was broadcast this week. Angellotti put 20 "basically golf cart" batteries into his truck; most (16) take up lots of space in the bed. The batteries give him a 40-mile range from a 10-hour charge. Considering that the truck's heat originally came from the engine, the EV doesn't have a warm cab any more, which must make for some tough driving these days. Still, Angellotti is pretty darn happy with his homemade truck. As he told Dustin, "There were quite a few points during the project, during you know, kind of a hard part, I'd start thinking, you know, for six thousand dollars I could have a really cool car. But, you know, I woke up the next morning and I'm like, 'But nobody else is going to have an electric car. So I decided to keep going with it." We're glad he did.
Listen to the report here or read the transcript here.
UPDATE: Andrew was kind enough to send us some more pictures of his truck and, as you can see in the gallery below, he is making progress on his second conversion, a Toyota Tercel.
LATER UPDATE: Yes, he has a heater.
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
tommy 9:46PM (1/21/2008)
Nice job, don't listen to the wackos, batteries are easily recycled. Let's see, new batteries every 100K miles and recycle the old ones vs $1500 for a new timing belt and 40 or 50 oil changes for a diesel VW... tough choice! I'd buy a plug-in-electric in a minute. And so will many others - that's why the OEMs are pouring money and research into the technology.
Again, excellent work!
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Joe 10:01PM (1/21/2008)
This kid is smart...some company should finance his college education and get a commitment from him to work for them. This is 'brains combined with work ethic and commitment'.
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eddie 10:15PM (1/21/2008)
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Rose 10:21PM (1/21/2008)
If solar panels were installed on the bed cover, hood and roof it might help to extend the battery life.
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eddie 10:23PM (1/21/2008)
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Debbie 11:16PM (1/21/2008)
Andrew, Great job! The experiences and the education you have will help you in the future. Don't listen to the negative comments. They don't know what they are saying.
Give us an update on how the new electric car is coming along. Hopefully someone will help with those batteries so you can have less cost and be able to go further.
God bless! Debbie
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Erik Jaffe 11:19PM (1/21/2008)
Way to go kid! GM made a super-successful electric car that all the users fell in love with. And then they took them away. I think the oil companies were behind the recall (bribed the car company executives?), but who knows. All I know is they can work. And I heard scientist are coming up with extraordinary new batteries that can last much longer. Check them out!
E.J.
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undrgrndgirl 11:37PM (1/21/2008)
thumbs north on this one :)
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Little Big Man 11:41PM (1/21/2008)
Way to go man! GM, FORD,CHRISTLER you guys should ALL be ashamed of your selves. You've been out done buy an 18 year old boy !! Take your high breads and put them where the sun does'nt shine !!!
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Jack 11:45PM (1/21/2008)
NOW puy a trailor hitch, Buy a Generator that will chatge the batteries and you will go a LOT further than 40 Miles.
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.......... 12:04AM (1/22/2008)
[ profanity removed ]
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Bobby G 12:20AM (1/22/2008)
(Comment #34 wins "COWARD OF THE WEEK AWARD".)
Angelotti, you got my vote! Thumbs way up!
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OLPJR 12:23AM (1/22/2008)
All of you get over yourselves! This kid made an electric vehicle with a 40 mile range. While it is astounding that a kid his age had the foresight, resources, and ingenuity to accomplish the task, he did it mainly for exposure. He is not trying to save energy or anything else. You can best bet he's got a mustang, camaro, or similar car that he drives daily. 40 miles for an eighteen year old? HA! Yeah...Right!
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Ben 12:36AM (1/22/2008)
Wow! Serious inspiration. If a teenager can do this without a degree, etc, I should at least be able to do as well. Perhaps, I can give up an hour of my computer or tv time a day to try to learn and do something new.
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Chris 12:49AM (1/22/2008)
Congrats on an incredible effort, takes hard work to make it in life and this guy has a great future if he sticks with it....Now he needs to figure out how to make these batteries WITH OUT all of those toxic chemicals, leads,acids etc. Then, he can design the rest of the car out of pure,recycled product, but until then, go petro or hydrogen.
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Chris 12:49AM (1/22/2008)
To comment #34, couldn`t even leave your name lol, what does the future hold for you? Some day, maybe when you are all grown up, you`ll be sitting behind your cash register at the local thrift store and remember this day. The day that you EMBARASSED YOURSELF on the WORLD WIDE WEB, with tens of thousands of people as witnesses. Then realize that this young ambitious kid with the electric car probably is sitting behind his computer,in his office,of his corporation....sleep on it #34 and when you wake up, think of a way to appologize to this hardworking young man and to the rest of the world for your behavior. I bet you make your family proud !
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William L. Burkhardt 1:04AM (1/22/2008)
I hope GM, Ford, or Chrysler grab this kid before the Japanese get to him. They'll be smart enough to want to encourage this young boy's project. A young Thomas Edison or Bill Gates maybe. This could be real exciting.
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Bobby G 1:11AM (1/22/2008)
Comment #36: Why don't YOU get over YOURSELF. How do YOU know WHY this kid did what he did? Your hypothetical, hyper-pathetic suggestions don't fit with this story at all.
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Ron Holz 1:13AM (1/22/2008)
Hey Broncobilly, the kid did a great thing,what did you do today,besides fill up that piece of garbage Ford,LMBO
Nam Vet
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david boy 1:17AM (1/22/2008)
its a golf cart and nothing more dummys wake the f-up
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