Alpha Motor WOLF Electric Truck To Debut At Petersen Museum
The Alpha Motor Corporation WOLF is a retro-looking electric pickup. This groovy mini-truck is poised to fill a wide-open niche in the EV market–and cannot arrive soon enough. The WOLF prototype will debut at the Peterson Museum this month.
Current electric truck prototypes form an imposing lineup: The dystopian-looking Tesla Cybertruck is straight out of science fiction, Robert Bollinger’s heavy-duty toy is a square-body beast with a beastly $125,000 price tag, and the no-nonsense Atlis XT banks on a 17,000 pounds towing capacity.
The WOLF is a breath of fresh air. Alpha Motor Corporation intends to offer an electric pickup that is affordable, easy to work on, easy to maneuver, and just plain fun. The company says the WOLF is “built to perform everyday tasks and has a presence of a fun to drive adventure vehicle.”
An Electric Truck For $36,000
Alpha Motor plans to offer the standard-cab Wolf for just $36,000. (All prices are before tax incentives). Fully loaded, this base model could cost $46,000. Alpha Motor projects that the extended-cab WOLF+ will cost between $40,000 and $48,000, while the 4-door SUPERWOLF will fetch anywhere from $48,000 to $56,000.
Tesla’s Cybertruck, by comparison, starts at just $39,900. Still, with most buyers shelling out for multiple motors and self-driving technology, the Average Transaction Price (ATP) for a Cybertruck purchase is 60% higher than its base price–approximately $63,840.
A Philosophy of ‘Replaceability’
Every year, new automobiles become more challenging to repair–according to the Wall Street Journal. The Timeline website reports that the automotive industry pioneered “planned obsolescence”–designing vehicles that would soon be out of date–to fabricate demand for new cars. But a disposable car, whether powered by an ICE or an EV, is atrocious for the environment.
Alpha Motor takes the opposite approach: The company claims all the WOLF’s “advanced interior features” are “designed for replaceability.” These features include a digital speedometer and center display, ergonomic seats, multi-layered storage console, charging ports, and speakers.
The WOLF is also built on Alpha Motor’s ACE drivetrain, sharing as many mechanical components as possible with the company’s other prototypes. The WOLF reflects the company’s mission: “Move humanity with innovations in electric vehicle modularity, customization flexibility, and practicality.”
A Much-Needed Compact Electric Truck
In the neverending quest for more legroom and cargo capacity, most vehicles grow larger with each redesign. Midsize trucks are no exception; the tiny midsize truck of yesteryear–nimble, fuel-efficient, easy-to-park, and easy to climb into–is no more.
Many drivers, ranging from tradespeople to homesteaders, still crave an efficient truck that is easy to drive and park. For this reason, Ford positioned its new compact Maverick truck–with its hybrid drivetrain–below its midsize Ranger. Yet many electric truck prototypes tower over their ICE predecessors. But the WOLF bravely goes against the grain.
Starting at 188-inches long, Alpha Motor’s WOLF is longer than the other vehicles on its ACE chassis, but it is small for a truck. The standard cab WOLF is 30-inches shorter than the smallest configuration of the 2021 Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, or Chevrolet Colorado. The WOLF+ is 203-inches long, and the four-door SUPERWOLF is 214-inches long.
The WOLF is 76-inches wide, the same size as most midsize trucks. But the WOLF is just 66-inches tall: at least 4-inches shorter than 2WD midsize trucks–and shorter still when compared to 4WD ICE trucks.
Despite its small size, the WOLF has cargo space comparable to a midsize truck. Its 65-inch (5.4 foot) truck bed is 16-inches tall and 59-inches long, for 34.5 cubic feet of storage space. In addition, the WOLF features even more storage space in its lockable front trunk.
Alpha Motor Corporation claims its WOLF+ can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds and tow 6,724 pounds. The WOLF and WOLF+ will be available in a single-engine RWD configuration or with a dual-engine 4WD chassis. These chassis target a 250-275 mile range. The SUPERWOLF, with its larger battery pack, aims for a 275-300 mile range.
The Alpha Motor Wolf Electric Truck is Unique
Alpha Motor announced the WOLF in the winter of 2021 with photos of a standard-cab prototype. The truck’s style was reminiscent of the Japanese compact trucks of the 1970s, with a low roof and distinct “bulldog” nose. The prototype was finished in “SF Blue” and wore a light-bar and brush guard. The result was a vehicle unlike anything any modern manufacturer produces. The WOLF+ and SUPERWOLF prototypes featured roof racks and the other accessories of adventurous off-roaders.
Many electric truck prototypes answer the uninspired automotive industry with an in-your-face intensity. Not the Alpha Motor Corporation’s WOLF electric truck: this vehicle quietly pioneers its own path. We are excited about the debut of the prototype of this extraordinary new pickup.
Source: Inside EVs, Alpha Motor Corporation
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