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Engineer and YouTuber Michael Pick converted an auction-purchased BMW i3 REx into a pickup by cutting away its rear and fabricating a cargo bed. The Drive reports Pick aimed to keep the project under $10,000 and finished a few thousand dollars below that target; the truck is a one-off build, not a production alternative to Slate’s planned vehicle.
Engineer and YouTuber Michael Pick has turned an auction-purchased BMW i3 REx into a small pickup, cutting away the car’s rear and building an open cargo bed. The Drive reports that Pick completed the one-off project for a few thousand dollars below his $10,000 target, offering a personal, low-cost take on an electric utility vehicle while Slate’s planned truck remains a separate, unreleased product.
Pick bought the i3 at auction, sight unseen, according to The Drive’s report, and set out to make an inexpensive electric truck for himself rather than wait for Slate’s eventual launch. The conversion removed the rear seating area and bodywork to create an open bed. A custom steel frame connects that bed to the remaining car, while the bed itself is made from plywood sealed with epoxy and finished with bedliner.
The donor car is an i3 REx, which has a gasoline engine used as a range extender beneath the rear-seat area. Since the conversion occupies that space, the bed was designed to be removable for engine servicing. The report also describes waterproofing sealant applied along seams and epoxy used on exposed sections of the carbon-fiber structure cut during the work.
Pick retained much of the original i3, The Drive says, in part because of the complexity of the car’s electronics. Altering software to accommodate missing components such as locks and taillights could have been more laborious than preserving them, according to the report. Pick’s stated budget ceiling was $10,000; The Drive says the final cost was comfortably a couple of thousand dollars below it, though it does not provide a full itemized bill.
A Personal Route to an Electric Truck
The build illustrates one way a mechanically skilled owner can repurpose an existing electric car instead of buying a purpose-built truck. Its reported cost gives the project an attention-grabbing comparison with Slate’s planned vehicle, but it is not a like-for-like price comparison: Pick’s figure covers a single conversion using an auction car, while the source does not supply a comparable Slate price or equivalent equipment list.
It also shows the practical limits behind a seemingly simple body conversion. The i3’s carbon-fiber structure, electrical systems and range-extender engine all shaped the work. Pick’s truck may be useful to its builder, but a one-off vehicle does not establish that the design is suitable for mass production, routine commercial use or buyers without fabrication experience.
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Why the i3 Needed Extensive Changes
The BMW i3 hatchback arrived in 2014 with a carbon-fiber-reinforced passenger cell, an unusual construction choice for a mainstream car at the time. The model was not a major sales success in North America, where small cars have faced a challenging market, according to The Drive. Pick’s project uses that compact electric platform for a different purpose: carrying cargo in an open bed.
The title’s reference to Slate frames the conversion as a challenge to the planned Slate truck, but the source describes Pick’s work as a personal build, not a commercial launch or a verified comparison test. The conversion also retains the i3’s original electronics and, in this case, its range-extender engine, making it distinct from a newly designed electric pickup.
“He wanted a cheap electric truck for himself.”
— Michael Pick, as described by The Drive
Cost, Capability and Road Use
The Drive does not provide an itemized accounting of the build, independent verification of the reported total, or a detailed assessment of the truck’s payload, range, handling or long-term durability. The source describes construction choices but does not establish how the modified carbon-fiber structure performs in a crash or under repeated heavy loads. It is also unclear whether the vehicle has undergone any specific inspection or certification after the conversion.
The comparison with Slate is rhetorical rather than a documented product test. The report does not establish a final Slate price, delivery schedule or directly comparable specifications, so readers cannot use Pick’s spending as a reliable measure of what a production truck would cost.
No Production Plans Reported
The source presents the i3 pickup as Pick’s completed personal project and does not report plans to sell conversion kits, build more vehicles or seek production approval. No further milestone for the truck is specified. For now, the next relevant developments would be any additional updates from Pick on how the vehicle performs in use, alongside confirmed specifications and pricing for Slate’s planned truck.
Key Questions
What did Michael Pick build?
He converted a BMW i3 REx into a pickup by removing the rear portion and adding a custom cargo bed.
How much did the project cost?
The Drive reports that Pick aimed to stay below $10,000 and finished a few thousand dollars under that target. It does not provide an itemized total.
How was the pickup bed made?
The bed uses plywood sealed with epoxy and finished with bedliner. A steel frame connects it to the remaining car, and the bed can be removed to allow access to the range-extender engine.
Does the build prove it is cheaper than Slate’s truck?
No. It is a one-off conversion, and the report does not provide a directly comparable Slate price or specification list.
Is the modified i3’s performance or road approval confirmed?
The report does not give tested payload, range, durability or crash-performance figures, and it does not specify inspection or certification details.
Source: thedrive.com
