10 Discontinued Vehicles We NEED to See Revived as EVs!
These cars and trucks may be gone, but they remain faves with a devoted fanbase. So what would happen if they returned… as EVs?
A wise man once said on the topic of changes: “Turn and face the strange.” And these are definitely strange days in the automotive world. As the once-nebulous vision of electric mobility becomes reality, many drivers still don’t know what this future will really look like. Automakers also have to evolve and navigate the changing and unfamiliar terrain of electrification. But this seismic industry shift is made a little easier when the electric cars and trucks are already relatable and familiar. Better still if they are choice rides. Ford’s upcoming all-electric F-150 Lightning is an excellent example of an automaker taking a discontinued model and bringing it back as a new EV.
It is an incredibly shrewd move. What better way to pique interest in a new electric car than by giving it a noted and beloved nameplate with a built-in fanbase? Ford utilized the heritage and archetypal pony car nameplate for the Mustang Mach-E, to great success. And in years of covering the auto industry, the F-150 SVT Lightning has achieved cult status. Love it or hate it, the Lightning got people fired up.
Plus, there are few things as effective and compelling as nostalgia. Done well, nostalgia can tap into drivers on an emotional level. Especially when that nostalgia is impelled by positive memories of said vehicle’s exceptional performance.
On a more practical note, it is more cost-efficient to revive an established name than to develop an entirely new vehicle. Yes, it is high-risk remaking an icon. Literally, no one wants to be remembered for botching a lauded and iconic car–it is tantamount to painting googly eyes and a mustache on the Mona Lisa. But history (and recent sales figures) has proven it is high-reward. As is often the case, the talented and innovative teams roll up their sleeves and guided by grit and guile they rise to meet the challenge.
The technology is ready, as are the drivers. Ideally, the road of the future should be exciting and diverse. We still want to love the drive. So, with that in mind, we chose ten discontinued cars and trucks that we want revived as electric vehicles.
10. GMC Syclone
We have to start out with the obvious answer to the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning: a direct hit from their top competitor. General Motors clearly needs to follow Ford’s example and bring back their hi-performance GMC Syclone pickup truck. GM introduced the GMC Syclone and Typhoon with a turbocharged, intercooled 4.3-liter V6 that was a brute. It made 280 horsepower, 350 lb-ft of torque, and do a 0-60 mph sprint in 4.3 seconds. While it only lasted from 1991-1992, the Syclone was weird in all the right ways. Ridiculously fast, but with solid pickup truck capability.
Both the Syclone and Typhoon could easily run on GM’s modular propulsion system and Ultium platform. GM has a Hummer EV, and an all-electric Silverado is a comin’. But that leaves a gap that the more performance-oriented Syclone would nicely fill. Syclone might not be as well-known a model, but it doesn’t need to be. Give it the right amount of oomph and deliver a clean ride that drives likes a truck should. GMC Syclone was offered in a sinister black (except for special editions) and it was a badass, muscular truck that could go to work, or smoke a Ferrari on the track. Come on, Chevy–if you really want to come for Ford you have to go with a menacing hi-po truck, not a Bolt.