The hype for the Tesla Cybertruck pickup is real. Alas, the production version of the electric truck still isn’t. On the other hand, the classic Volkswagen Type 2 Pick-Up is a fully realized truck that’s available today on the used-car market. Ignore, for the moment, that the VW is powered by a weak gas-fed flat-four cylinder and not a sophisticated, modern electric powertrain—and imagine that the Type 2’s air-cooled engine were replaced by actual Tesla running gear.
A Tesla-powered Type 2 exists, and while it’s less Cybertruck than, say, Retrotruck, who cares? It hauls ass. The folks at Electric Classic Cars in the United Kingdom created the electric VW using a right-hand-drive 1969 Type 2 Pick-Up, ditching its gas-sipping engine for a 450-hp electric motor from a Tesla Model S sedan. No surprise, this little Volkswagen goes from a slow tortoise to a profoundly quick hare, as evidenced by the massive burnout in this video of the vehicle published to YouTube by user Petrol Ped.
Fortunately, a 100-kWh battery pack pulled from a Tesla Model X ensures this 51-year-old, formerly gas-fed truck’s range is as impressive as its straight-line performance. In spite of the brick-like Volkswagen’s sub-Tesla aerodynamics, the little pickup still likely manages to travel more than 200 miles on a full charge. For reference, the most efficient 2020 Model X SUV sports 328 miles of driving range, according to EPA estimates.
The Volkswagen pickup hides its modern running gear beneath decidedly reserved, almost scruffy-lookin’ bodywork. Only its rich green paint, blacked-out bumpers and trim pieces, Porsche wheels, and “Voltswagen” badging give this Type 2 away as something beyond a normal VW pickup. Likewise, the interior is decidedly low-key, and the most noteworthy change is a small touchscreen in the dashboard that allows the driver to engage drive, reverse, and neutral. Those with particularly sharp eyes will also notice the truck’s missing gearshift lever and clutch pedal, while anyone with ears will notice the absence of the truck’s signature, blatty exhaust.
No doubt, this Voltswagen Type 2 is a quick and environmentally conscious way to haul big and bulky items. That said, its cool factor surely comes at a cost much higher than that of the Cybertruck’s promised sub-$40,000 starting price. It’s hard to put a price on cool, though, and this VW is here and now.
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