To promote an electric crate motor that it has begun selling, Ford built an all-electric version of its 1978 F-100 pickup truck.

This is a one-off concept vehicle that you can't buy. But Ford brought it to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas - an annual event for aftermarket suppliers, custom builders, and hobbyists - to showcase its "Eluminator e-crate motor". Featuring 281 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, the electric motor costs $3,900. Ford's reimagined F-100 packs two of them for a total of 480hp and 634 pound-feet of torque. 

For reference, that's the same as the top-end Mustang Mach-E GT Performance.

Ford turned its classic 1978 F-100 pickup into an EV, and it's a beaut photo 1

Although it's quite clearly designed like a classic truck, there are plenty of modern conveniences in the electric F-100 on display at SEMA. There is a 15-inch portrait touchscreen on the dashboard, a 10.2-inch driver display, and a front trunk under the hood. It's a perfect blend of vintage and futuristic. 

It's unfortunate Ford has no plans to bring the truck to market, given it's very trendy right now to have your own aesthetic, from your phone to your clothes. Why not vehicles, too? We could see a huge demand for highly stylised trucks and cars, especially ones running on all-electric motors.

Right now, Ford is only willing to sell you an e-crate motor. Eventually, it hopes to offer everything you need for an EV retrofit, though, such as batteries.