Last fall, Ford began parading around a fully electric 1978 F-100 pickup truck that could accelerate 0–60 mph in around three seconds. The company brought it to YouTubers, automotive trade shows, Jay Leno, and even us. And we all agreed: we want this truck in our own garages.
But for Ford, this car was far more than a pretty old new truck — it was a way to show off its new electric crate motor, the M-9000-MACHE, or the same electric motor that is in Ford’s all-electric Mustang Mach-E GT.
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A crate motor is an engine sold separately from a vehicle. They have predominately served as a way for car enthusiasts and hobbyists to modify their cars, and they are incredibly common. But almost all of these crate motors run on some sort of fuel, which is why Ford’s e-crate motor is worth parading around. Now while they aren’t the only company selling an e-crate motor, they certainly are the first major automotive brand to bring one to market and, more impressively, keeping it under $5,000.
In my latest video, I went to Electrified Garage in Ocala, Florida, an electric vehicle repair shop known for repairing Teslas at lower rates than Tesla itself, and spoke to iFixit.com, one of the leading forces in the right to repair movement, to figure out why this is so important and how far we really are from being able to fix electric vehicles for ourself. Let me know what you think, bud!