Utah man puts a Tesla Model 3 motor in his 1980s Toyota truck and is left in awe of it

A Utah man decided his aging Toyota truck needed a radical upgrade, so he installed a Tesla Model 3 motor and quickly realized he had created something special.

It began as a garage project, but it quickly turned into something best described as a rolling science experiment.

The build was documented by the YouTube channel Electric Supercar, which specializes in electrifying unlikely vehicles.

And once this truck finally moved under its own power, the reaction said it all.

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Getting the Tesla Model 3 motor to work wasn’t easy

The vehicle in question is a 1987 Toyota Hilux, a pickup legendary for durability, but never accused of being especially fast.

Over several months, the Electric Supercar crew stripped out the internal combustion hardware, and replaced it with a Tesla Model 3 drive unit, custom battery packs, and modern EV electronics.

Along the way, they added electric power steering, an onboard charger, a DC-to-DC converter, and a fully custom cooling system to keep everything operating safely.

Getting the motor to spin, however, was anything but straightforward.

Early test attempts were met with silence, error codes, and a series of loud pops that suggested something had gone very wrong.

After digging into wiring diagrams and CAN communication data, the team finally discovered where they went wrong.

They were using a Tesla Model S accelerator pedal, which is not compatible with a Model 3 motor.

Swapping to the correct pedal and fixing a bad ground finally unlocked progress.

When the truck moved for the first time, disbelief filled the garage.

The truck rolled forward smoothly, quietly, and far more eagerly than anyone expected.

Even with a temporary 3D-printed accelerator bracket, the electric Hilux felt quick, responsive, and borderline shocking for a boxy old pickup.

Regenerative braking kicked in hard, cabin heat came on almost instantly, and the drivetrain ran cleanly without throwing faults.

Seeing the old Toyota truck with instant torque is pretty wild

Charging the truck marked another milestone.

After sorting out safety logic to prevent driving while plugged in, the system successfully charged overnight and shut itself down properly once full.

Cooling systems for both the motor and battery were carefully fabricated, and tucked neatly behind the factory grille, preserving the truck’s classic look.

While a few quirks remain, including occasional power limiting under hard acceleration, the transformation is already a success.

This once-humble Toyota truck now delivers instant torque, which is pretty wild.

Of course, Toyota itself is actually about to launch an all-electric Hilux in 2026, so this is just a teaser for what you can expect.

The Electric Supercar team is also open to ideas for new EV builds, so if there’s something you’ve always wanted to see, you can leave a comment on the video.

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