> I think this would be a fun project for a vehicle hobbyist but I can't even fathom doing this for $14k and a $2k rebate is not much of an incentive in my opinion.
The point to the rebate, FWIW, is to increase uptake at the margins. The assumption is that there is a population of users desiring the change for some external reason, and that a significant number of those are "on the edge" because of cost. So for comparably little public expenditure you can get an amplified signal. Think of the rebate spending as the base current in a transistor.
Given that you're already in a population (truck owners) who are heavily anticorrelated with the target population (people who want an EV), you aren't likely to be well served.
If the government wanted to get everyone to drive an EV from first principles, they'd just buy you a Rivian.
I have never driven a work truck more than 100 miles in a day. I recognize that some people need to but if I can get 100 miles of range out of a Chevy Silverado with an EV drive train that could be very appealing to a small business. The EV premium just has to be less than the expected lifetime fuel costs.
The point to the rebate, FWIW, is to increase uptake at the margins. The assumption is that there is a population of users desiring the change for some external reason, and that a significant number of those are "on the edge" because of cost. So for comparably little public expenditure you can get an amplified signal. Think of the rebate spending as the base current in a transistor.
Given that you're already in a population (truck owners) who are heavily anticorrelated with the target population (people who want an EV), you aren't likely to be well served.
If the government wanted to get everyone to drive an EV from first principles, they'd just buy you a Rivian.