Electric restomods seem to be the flavour of the year, with serious cash being spent on classic cars with modern motors.

The latest offering comes courtesy of renowned General Motors tuners Lingenfelter Performance Engineering – usually gurus of the LS, the American modders decided to bolt the GM Connect and Cruise eCrate motor onto an El Camino.

Dubbed the eLcamino EV Restomod, the 1972 model has been converted to electric power with behind-the-scenes support from Chevrolet, with Lingenfelter becoming the first company to independently fit the electric crate motor into a vehicle.

No details have been provided about how much power and torque the motor produces, nor how much it costs, but the company said it had logged “hundreds of test miles” since it was completed in the middle of America’s summer.

“This OEM and aftermarket collaboration opens exciting new opportunities for the performance community and will draw a new demographic of enthusiasts,” said Mark Rapson, COO/VP of Operations at Lingenfelter.

“The project not only validated the concept, but demonstrated the excitement EV performance offers. That, and the fun factor of driving the car, has impressed everyone who has had the opportunity behind the wheel.”

The Connect and Cruiser eCrate motor first made its debut at SEMA in 2019, with Chevrolet fitting it into its “E-10” concept truck, hinting at the time it could eventually find its way into the GM catalogue of off-the-shelf motors.

Lingenfelter has said the eCrate package program will launch in the first half of next year, although it’s unclear as to whether it will be sold just as the motor or whether batteries will be included.

GM isn’t the only manufacturer getting into the EV conversion game as Ford responded with its own electric F-100 at SEMA this year, featuring its new Eluminator crate motor – which sold out just days after the concept was unveiled.