According to Charged EVs, the company used a Toyota Corolla from 2009-2013 to make a functional electric car, with 150 kilometers of range and a price of 35.000 USD.

While the car has a fairly low range, which is mostly suited for city driving, Upcycle officials announced that they will be making a more expensive model that will pack in more batteries for better range.

It took the team two years to build two electric pickup prototypes and the company targets a production of 100 vehicles per year, which should be bumped to 200 vehicles after that.

Mechanical Engineer Natal Antonini said that "we have a lot of these small pickup trucks in Brazil, but here in North America, it’s hard to find one, so we think there is a good niche market for this kind of vehicle."

He considers that the small pickup can be used by professionals that travel for short distances, such as plumbers, but not only.

The company enjoys the support from the federal and provincial government, while also having the School of Sustainable Design Engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island as a partner.

Currently, two graduates from that very university work for Upcycle, one of them being Russell Peden, who said that "we’re taking cars that otherwise may go to a scrapyard, and giving them a brand-new life. We’re thinking it’s going to almost double the lifespan of these cars."

Photo source: Upcycle Green Technology