The First Electric Corvette Was A Secret Motorola Prototype That’s Older Than You Think

Originally made by Motorola this piece of car history would set someone back by 6 digits and it won’t even run

To Stephen Rivers

3 hours ago

Electric cars may be all the rage these days, but they’ve failed many times to get here. His one such swing and miss is this 1987 Chevrolet Corvette built as a prototype by none other than Motorola. It has an outrageous story and is currently in questionable condition, but you might get it for $100,000.

Originally discovered drive, this Vet has a defunct electric drivetrain.according to list“To get this car back on the road, the batteries need to be replaced.” It doesn’t specify how many batteries are on board, and how many batteries this Corvette will run when the system is back on track. It is also unknown if it will generate electricity.

Evidence suggests that with new batteries, the car could eventually produce more than 400 horsepower (298 kW) without additional modifications. Compared to the V8, which was originally under a clamshell bonnet, this is a whopping figure. With a factory power rating of just 250 horsepower (186 kW), it would not only be faster than other electric cars of its time, but even faster than a petrol-burning Corvette.

Details: Skoda’s first electric car was a beer truck in 1939

Despite its power and performance, Motorola reportedly abandoned the project after recognizing that electric vehicle technology would take decades to fully mature.

The Corvette is now in Gurnee, Illinois, and the seller says it is in “excellent aesthetic condition with the exception of the fading of the clear coat on the hood.” It also claims that the interior is in “excellent condition for its age.” Amazing might be a strong word, but it definitely looks like everything could be restored to that state without too much effort.

Even if it wasn’t built by Chevrolet itself, there’s little doubt that this car deserves some kind of preservation, as it’s a legitimate piece of history as the first all-electric Corvette. At the same time, its defunct condition makes me wonder if he’s worth anywhere near $100,000 at the asking price. What is the price? Please let us know below.

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Electric cars might be all the rage these days but it took numerous failed attempts to get here. One such swing and a miss is this 1987 Chevrolet Corvette built by none other than Motorola as a prototype. It has a wild story, currently sits in questionable condition, and can be yours for a cool $100k."
  [1]=>
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Originally spotted by TheDrive, this Vette features a no-longer-functional electric drivetrain. According to the listing, “the batteries will need to be replaced to get this car back on the road.” How many batteries it has isn’t specified nor is how much power this Corvette makes once the system is returned to its original condition."
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Evidence suggests that with new batteries, this car could end up producing more than 400 hp (298 kW) without any additional modification. That’s a wild figure when compared to the V8 that originally sat under the clamshell hood. It was factory-rated at just 250 hp (186 kW) so this thing wouldn’t just be quick compared to other electric vehicles of the day, it would be fast compared to a gas-burning Corvette too."
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More: Skoda’s First Electric Vehicle Was A 1939 Beer Truck"
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Despite its power and capability, Motorola reportedly scrapped the project when it realized that electric vehicle technology would take decades to fully mature."
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Today, the Corvette sits in Gurnee, Illinois where the seller says that it’s in “wonderful cosmetic condition, with the exception of some clear coat fade on the hood.” They also claim that the interior is in “excellent condition for the year.” Excellent might be a strong word but there’s no doubt that everything looks like it could be restored to that condition without too much fuss."
  [6]=>
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There’s no question that this car deserves some sort of preservation due to its being a legitimate piece of history as the very first all-electric Corvette, even if it wasn’t built by Chevrolet itself. At the same time, its non-functional status makes us wonder if it’s worth anywhere near the $100,000 asking price. What would pay for it? Let us know below!"
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