When I say, “Electric Pickup,” you no doubt think of either the Ssangyong Actyon Sports-derived Phoenix SUT or one of those toy-like, Chinese-built neighborhood electric vehicles. What you may not think of is a bright green 1958 Chevy Apache owed by Canada’s Steam Whistle Brewery and recharged via wind power.
No, this isn’t a late April Fool’s Day joke: this is serious. And being green is serious business for Steam Whistle, which – among other things – uses renewable energy, recycles damn-near everything and supports various environmental causes as a sideline to its beer brewing enterprise.
Brewery manager Mike Kiraly came up with the idea of electrifying the ol’ girl and even uses it as his daily driver. He explains his brainwave: “What if we could take a sexy vintage ride, save it from the metal scrap heap and outfit it with a zero-tailpipe-emissions engine. Old-school style combined with a modern conscience.”
In place of the Apache’s original inline-six or V8 engine (we’re not sure which) is an AC motor cranking out 465 lb. ft. of torque. That’s more than twice what a Tesla Roadster puts out, though obviously the Apache is considerably heavier. The result is a vehicle that’s both environmentally friendly and looks spectacular.
And it’s not the only vintage workhorse in Steam Whistle’s fleet: check out some of their other acquisitions including a 1949 International Stake truck and Scooby Doo-inspired 1967 Ford Econoline Heavy Duty. It truly is a great collection of old school autos and good news for the environment to boot.
By Tristan Hankins
Photos courtesy Steam Whistle Brewery
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