Kindred Motorworks’ Fully Electric Chevy 3100
The newest creation from the startup that’s modernizing vintage vehicles
Billed as “the electric pickup you never knew you needed,” Bay-Area startup Kindred Motorworks‘ latest creation, the fully electric Chevy 3100 pickup, is indeed a highly desirable piece of machinery. As they did with their initial classic to full EV conversion, the Kindred VW Bus, the Chevy 3100 pickup gets a tasteful custom treatment that remains faithful to the original design that made it popular in the first place.
We’ve long imagined a world where classic vehicles that are plentiful in supply and short on power, comfort and reliability would be converted to all-electric powertrains. There are outfits that have made attempts, most in very small batches and with varying degrees of success. Kindred has taken a different approach, taking their time with the development process of both their classic EV conversions and internal combustion engine resto-mod vehicles.
Like the VW Bus, the Chevy 3100 is now available for pre-order through Kindred’s website with production slated to begin in 2024. Apart from choosing from one of eight beautiful color schemes (or going with the option of a custom blend) interested parties don’t have to make any tough decisions. Like the other Kindred vehicles, the Chevy 3100 pickup is a straightforward proposition. A single direct drive electric AC motor producing 94hp by way of a 74 kWh battery is good for a 200 mile range, which—for what these are intended to be used for—seems like plenty of range.
That being said, runs to the lumberyard are just as encouraged as runs to the local cars and coffee, as the bed features modular tie-downs and marine-grade waterproof flooring. There’s even a 1000-watt 120V power inverter that feeds a bed mounted outlet, meaning you can run all sorts of fun toys off the truck whether you’re camping or at a job site. Flush mounted into the rear passenger side fender, a 6.6 kW on-board charger w/ 120v and 240v support means juicing up when you need to is convenient and quick.
A double wishbone front suspension and rack and pinion steering will deliver a dose of classic feel, but without exhausting the driver. Further contributing to a more comfortable and contemporary experience, the 3100 features keyless entry, a cushy heated bench seat with headrests trimmed in custom leather upholstery, an original style gauge cluster adapted to display EV specific info, a rotary gear selector, touchscreen infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging phone dock, three-speaker audio system with subwoofer and three-point seatbelts.
Accompanying all of that are power disc brakes at all four corners, Continental TrueContact Tour tires, power steering and an electronic parking brake for total peace of mind. Bundle all of the above with the timeless cool curb appeal of the 1947-1953 Chevrolet 3100 pickups and you’ve got one mighty attractive package. With the debut of the 3100, Kindred’s launch model lineup, consisting of the electric VW Bus, resto-mod 1969 Chevrolet Camaro and resto-mod Ford Bronco, is now complete. All models are available for pre-order now.
Images courtesy of Kindred Motorworks
