Cheap Electric Mini Truck

[RPM 26338]

I actually own a Suzuki Carry 4x4 that has a 660cc 3 banger, it's rated at 1/2 ton and the bed is just big enough for 1 pallet (when I remove the stripper pole). Mine is a LOT faster than this. But for around $7K that's a pretty cool off road work vehicle.

I actually bought a cheap electric pickup truck from Alibaba. Here’s what showed up.

How much did it cost, all in?
You often see these things listed at $2,000 or so on Alibaba and other Chinese shopping sites. The true cost is actually much higher. As I mentioned, right off the bat I had to add $1,000 for the big battery, $500 for the upgrades I chose, and $2,200 for sea shipping.

On the US side, I had to add in another $1,000 or so in duties and broker fees, plus some arrival charges. Ultimately I wound up north of $7,000 for the whole kit and caboodle. That’s definitely more than I was anticipating spending. Back when I made the order I had hoped to get away with $6,000 in damage.

While some people might call the final price a rip-off, consider the alternative. A crappy golf cart with flooded lead acid batteries starts at around $6,000 today. A halfway decent one is $8k. The really nice ones land in the $10-12k range. And even then, all you have is a golf cart. It’s not enclosed, meaning you get rained on. There’s no air conditioning. No wipers. No locking doors. No windows (electric or otherwise). No adjustable bucket seats. No infotainment system. No sun roof. No truck bed with hydraulic dump, etc.

[52-80 19224]

wot

[Hawndoh 2386]

Have they started making electric side-by-sides yet?

How viable are electric UTVs? Are the batteries too heavy/large for them or could they work? I don't really know.

If I had some property to fart around on an all electric 4x4 Gator or RZR with a bed would be pretty cool.

[UTPhil2006 3809]

Not a bad price all in

[Snake Diggity 4627]

Looks awesome for the price except looking at the quality of weld etc that thing won’t last 2 years before it starts needing constant repair.

[CooterBrown 18022]

Look these up on YouTube. There’s several channels dedicated to ordering them from alibaba and then putting through the ringer.

[Incredulity 11682]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

Looks awesome for the price except looking at the quality of weld etc that thing won’t last 2 years before it starts needing constant repair.

Plus there is a 0.0 chance you can get a part for it.

So unless you have access/connections with a very creative machine shop you will be the proud owner of a electric boat anchor.

[Bigbend1812 12927]

[davidg 4038]

9 hours ago, Hawndoh said:

Have they started making electric side-by-sides yet?

There a company in RR that is making electric motorcycles and is designing electric UTVs.  Very pricy. 

 

https://www.volcon.com/beast-explore

 

 

[woohorn 1131]

Are they street legal? Looks awesome!

[atomheartbevo 89775]

2 hours ago, woohorn said:

Are they street legal? Looks awesome!

I'm curious how you'd get a title for them - I'm assuming they aren't crash-tested or anything, and aren't street legal.

Because if you could just order any little vehicle and pay a few thousand to have it shipped over and start driving it around, there's a bunch of small Japanese vehicles I'd love to consider.

Plus, didn't Bill Gates have some insane Porsche or something that was not street legal because it hadn't been crash-tested and put through whatever the safety standards are?

Edited October 30, 2021 by atomheartbevo

[conVINCEd 21469]

59 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

I'm curious how you'd get a title for them - I'm assuming they aren't crash-tested or anything, and aren't street legal.

Because if you could just order any little vehicle and pay a few thousand to have it shipped over and start driving it around, there's a bunch of small Japanese vehicles I'd love to consider.

Plus, didn't Bill Gates have some insane Porsche or something that was not street legal because it hadn't been crash-tested and put through whatever the safety standards are?

959.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_959

[atomheartbevo 89775]

19 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

959.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_959

He had to wait 13 years for that car.

And yet it was probably worth it.

[Steel Shank 9430]

I believe I'd rather lay pipe.

[conVINCEd 21469]

40 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

He had to wait 13 years for that car.

And yet it was probably worth it.

I’m quite certain it was, despite Steel Shank’s objection.

[Horns99 155]

Have they started making electric side-by-sides yet?
How viable are electric UTVs? Are the batteries too heavy/large for them or could they work? I don't really know.
If I had some property to fart around on an all electric 4x4 Gator or RZR with a bed would be pretty cool.

Polaris makes an electric Ranger that gets pretty good reviews. It’s a regular full sized Ranger


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[elfenix 34331]

6 hours ago, woohorn said:

Are they street legal? Looks awesome!

per the article, nope.  no DOT parts in the thing. 

[BabaYaga 15304]

Hmmmm, must be what I saw last night driving around the neighborhood while kids were going door to door?

Looks like a hell of a night time varmint hunting rig?

 

[hullabelew 3724]

I read that article when it came out.  Also added in to the cost of that is all of the time he had to put in to it.  I can't imagine the cluster-fuck of phone calls to and from China, then trying to locate it after it shipped, then arrangement more shipping to get it close to you.