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YouTuber and engineer Michael Pick converted a damaged BMW i3 range-extender model into a compact pickup with a custom cargo bed. The Drive reports that the build came in a few thousand dollars below Pick’s $10,000 budget goal; its roadworthiness, long-term durability and practical capacity have not been independently established in the supplied material.
Engineer and YouTuber Michael Pick has turned an auction-purchased BMW i3 range-extender car into a compact pickup, cutting away its rear bodywork and adding an open cargo bed. The Drive reports that the home-built project cost a few thousand dollars under Pick’s $10,000 target, offering one example of a low-cost electric-truck conversion while the Slate truck mentioned in the report was still awaiting its launch.
Pick bought a damaged BMW i3 REx at auction without seeing it first, according to The Drive’s account of his YouTube project. The i3 REx pairs an electric drivetrain with a small gasoline engine that acts as a range extender. Pick removed the car’s rear section to create cargo space, replacing it with a custom bed rather than attempting to build a new vehicle from scratch.
The new structure uses a steel frame to connect the bed to the remaining car. The bed is made from plywood, sealed with epoxy and finished with bedliner, The Drive reports. Since the range-extender engine sits beneath the area where the rear seats would normally be, the cargo bed was designed to be removable to allow access for servicing. The conversion also involved waterproofing the seams and sealing exposed carbon-fiber material where the original body structure had been cut.
Much of the i3’s original equipment was retained. The report says the car’s electronics made it more practical to preserve components such as the locks and taillights than to alter the vehicle’s software to account for their removal. Pick’s reported costs included some smaller replacement items, including a larger-display head unit and a new windshield. The supplied report does not provide a full itemized budget or independent testing of the finished truck.
A DIY Route to Electric Hauling
The project shows how an existing electric car can be repurposed for light cargo use without designing an electric truck from the ground up. Pick’s reported spending below $10,000 is the project’s clearest appeal, especially for readers interested in used electric vehicles and hands-on fabrication. That figure is specific to this build, however; it is not evidence that a similar conversion would cost the same for another vehicle or builder.
The truck also illustrates the compromises behind such a conversion. The i3’s unusual carbon-fiber body and integrated electronics required structural work, careful sealing and retention of original components. The removable bed addresses access to the range-extender engine, but the report does not establish how the modified vehicle performs under load, how it handles in daily use, or whether its construction has been validated for long-term safety. It is a reported individual build, not a ready-made pickup option or a tested alternative to a production truck.
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Why the i3 Needed Custom Work
The BMW i3 is a compact electric hatchback whose body structure uses a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic passenger cell. The Drive describes that construction as unusual for a mainstream car when the i3 arrived in 2014 and still uncommon. Cutting into the rear of that structure meant the conversion was not simply a matter of removing seats and fitting a flat platform: exposed material needed sealing, while a separate frame had to connect the new bed to the remaining vehicle.
Pick’s choice of the REx version added a packaging constraint. Its gasoline range-extender engine is positioned beneath the rear-seat area, so the bed could not permanently block access needed for service. The Drive compares the finished i3 pickup with the Slate, an upcoming truck referenced in the original report, but provides no direct testing or detailed specification comparison between the two. The comparison is best understood as the article’s framing, not proof that the converted i3 is more capable.
“He wanted a cheap electric truck for himself.”
— Michael Pick, as described in The Drive’s report
What the Build Has Not Proved
The source material does not state when the conversion was completed, provide an independent inspection, or confirm the truck’s registration and roadworthiness status. It also gives no measured payload, range after modification, towing capacity, crash performance or long-term durability data. Those limits matter because removing part of a vehicle’s body structure can affect how it behaves, and the article’s description is not a substitute for engineering or safety testing.
The reported budget is not itemized in the material provided, so it is unclear which labor costs, tools, taxes or later maintenance expenses were counted. Nor is there a verified side-by-side comparison with the Slate on price, equipment, utility or safety. The project demonstrates what Pick built; the claims that it is more affordable or better equipped than a future production truck remain comparisons made in the report, not independently measured findings.
Testing and Road Use Still Matter
The next meaningful developments would be evidence of the converted i3’s use on public roads, independent assessment of the modified structure and more detail on how the build performs with cargo. Further documentation of its final costs could also clarify what the reported budget includes. The supplied report does not identify a scheduled test, certification or follow-up milestone.
For now, readers can treat the vehicle as a documented custom project rather than a production-ready conversion recipe. Any owner considering a similar structural modification would need to address local vehicle rules and have safety-critical work reviewed by qualified professionals; the source does not say that Pick’s build has received such an assessment.
Key Questions
Who built the BMW i3 pickup?
Michael Pick, an engineer and YouTuber, built the conversion, according to The Drive’s report.
How much did the project cost?
The report says Pick aimed to stay below $10,000 and finished a few thousand dollars under that target. It does not provide a complete itemized budget.
What is the pickup bed made from?
The Drive reports that the bed uses plywood, sealed with epoxy and finished with bedliner. A steel frame connects it to the remaining car.
Why is the bed removable?
The vehicle is an i3 REx, whose gasoline range-extender engine is beneath the rear-seat area. The removable bed allows access for servicing, the report says.
Has the converted i3 been independently tested?
The supplied report does not provide independent testing or verified figures for payload, roadworthiness, crash performance, range after conversion or durability.
Source: thedrive.com
