GM Makes ‘eCrate’ Connect & Cruise Official for 2021 (But Here’s Why You Won’t Want One in Your Corvette Project)

With early-’80s power levels, this eCrate engine & battery combo are light on go-fast. But more power is coming!

Another year, another Chevrolet Performance all-electric build. But unlike the 2018 COPO Camaro and 2019 E-10 pickup, this year’s 1977 K5 Blazer project, dubbed the K5 Blazer-E, is much closer to the production version of a 60-kWh Electric Connect and Cruise package GM plans to sell next year.

Yup, the eCrate is officially a go for 2021.

I could go on and on (and on) about my love for the American V8 — and the potential for LS swaps, in general, to wake up your classic Corvette. But I love this. As a person who lives in a city with driving needs that face no range anxiety, the idea of having a quick, but quiet and clean cruiser holds a lot of potential.

And apparently, I’m not alone.

“Minutes after Chevrolet showed the E-10 concept, customers started calling to ask how soon they could build their EV project,” said Russ O’Blenes, Chevrolet director of engineering, Performance and Racing. “The K5 Blazer-E demonstrates what is possible for customers who want to convert their vintage truck to a daily driver with the instant torque and unique driving experience of an EV. For customers who want more extreme performance, the modular eCrate system will have virtually limitless applications.”

The Catch?

Outside debating driving a classic Chevy truck or Corvette sans the rumble of a small block under the hood, there are two reasons why this first-gen eCrate kit probably won’t end up in a lot of Corvettes (or any performance car, for that matter).

Power levels are pretty low.

And the large battery pack weighs 1,000 pounds!

Chevy Performance built the K5 Blazer-E in about 30 days, having sourced a clean K5 from the company’s internal fleet. They derived this first eCrate system mainly from the Chevy Bolt. In other words, it features an electric motor with 200 hp and 260 ft.-lbs. of torque. It’s much more akin to early 1980s Corvette power (or within spitting distance of my 1992 Buick Roadmaster wagon’s meager TBI 5.7L).

Complicating matters is the weight and size of the 60-kWh battery pack, which required removing the Blazer’s rear seats to fit, and helper springs to support, its boxy, half-tonnage.

Let’s just say I don’t see this system conforming to Corvette Enthusiast needs. Yet.

But this is only the beginning. “Chevrolet Performance is also evaluating additional eCrate packages with higher-performance options and new battery configurations to fit a wider range of aftermarket applications.”

Chevy also mentioned transitioning to the modular Ultium battery system in the future. In addition to powering the new Hummer EV, Ultium batteries are interesting because they’re more flexible in their arrangement and placement, which would be perfect for restomod project.

eCrate Components

As a proof-of-concept project, Chevy says the K5 Blazer-E features about 90% OEM Bolt components. Other bits, likely NOT part of the new Connect & Cruise system in the same way you have to buy accessories and intakes today, include “an electric power steering kit, an electric pump providing vacuum to the stock brake system, and an electronic controller to drive inputs to the vintage Blazer gauges – such as displaying the battery’s state of charge on the original fuel gauge.”

Outside of a 4L75E 4-speed transmission, also available from Chevy Performance, this K5 blazer retains its OEM transfer case, driveshaft, and axles. Just like many restomods.

Here’s what Chevrolet Performance plans to include with their system:

• 60-kWh battery pack
• 200-horsepower electric motor
• DC-to-AC power inverter to drive the electric motor
• DC-to-DC power converter to power low-voltage systems
• Wiring harnesses, controllers and water pumps for battery heating and cooling

eCrate Installer Certification Program

Due to the unique challenges and dangers of building all-electric hot rods, Chevrolet Performance also plans to ramp up Electric Connect and Cruise installer training. According to the press release, “participating Chevrolet dealers and aftermarket companies will receive the training, tools, and equipment needed to work with high-voltage systems and charging stations to service customers’ vehicles.”

Very smart.

Lingenfelter Performance Engineering in Brighton, Michigan plans to offer the first certification program. And what GM and Lingenfelter learn in the process will “inform” future certification programs.

Photos: Chevrolet Performance

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