GM announced last fall that it will sell an electrified version of its popular “crate engine” for shade-tree mechanics who want to get an EV boost out of their old vehicles.

For its first conversion, ECD Automotive Design took a 1995 Range Rover Classic and replaced the powertrain with a 450-hp motor and a Tesla 100-kW battery pack sourced from Electric Classic Cars in the U.K.

The automaker is investing in tooling that will double planned output of the new battery-powered truck in its first full year. Ford says it has 150,000 orders for the Lightning, with that number rising daily.

Tuesday’s production launch represents a significant win over rivals including Tesla, General Motors and Ford for Rivian, which can now claim it is the first company to build a battery-electric pickup for customers.

Volta Trucks says Austria’s Steyr Automotive was chosen to build its Volta Zero BEVs based on its experience in commercial vehicle manufacturing, existing manufacturing infrastructure and potential speed to market.

Porsche design director Michael Mauer hints at similarities in styling between the new race car and the next-generation 718 Cayman due in 2022 and planned to be sold with the choice of either a combustion engine or battery-electric powertrain.

“The transport sector must be decarbonized quickly without harming the global economy,” Volkswagen Group Chairman Herbert Diess says. However, he stresses the importance of providing personal transport solutions for the individual.

Rugged electric-powered Concept EQG previews similarly styled production model due out in 2024.

In North America alone, GM, Ford and Stellantis build about 9 million engines and transmissions a year. Merging their powertrain units would eliminate duplication and slash costs dramatically.

The report by DNV states reductions in the use of fossil fuels have been remarkably quick, yet these sources, and especially gas, will still constitute 50% of the global energy mix by 2050.