Nissan Frontier EV Conversion: A Leaf-Powered Electric Pickup That Feels Factory Built
A Simpler, Smarter Take on EV Conversions
Most EV conversions fall into one of two categories: they’re either experimental one-off projects built to prove an idea, or they’re highly customized performance builds designed to showcase power and fabrication skill. This Nissan Frontier EV conversion sits in a different place. It’s simple, thoughtful, and surprisingly factory-feeling. The truck looks like something Nissan could have released themselves. It’s powered by a full Nissan Leaf drivetrain, and that decision is the reason the whole project works as well as it does.
Why the Nissan Frontier Was the Perfect Platform
This truck started as a clean late-90s Nissan Frontier. Instead of swapping in a different gas engine or rebuilding the stock motor, the owner Dave chose to convert it into a fully electric pickup. The goal wasn’t to make the truck futuristic. The goal was to make it useful, reliable, and familiar to drive. That’s why the Nissan Leaf was the perfect donor. The Leaf motor, inverter, and battery system are compact, proven, and widely available. And because both vehicles are Nissan platforms, their engineering philosophy matches more than people expect.
A 1998 Nissan Frontier was the perfect EV Conversion Platform.
Under the Hood of The Nissan Leaf Drivetrain Swap
Under the hood, the original combustion engine is gone. In its place sits the Leaf “stack” motor and inverter, mounted cleanly with far more open space than the truck had before. One of the best parts of this setup is how approachable it looks. Anyone who has worked on 90’s trucks knows how cramped an engine bay can feel. This conversion opens it up. The wiring, cooling lines, and mounting points are easy to follow. It doesn’t feel intimidating or improvised, it feels serviceable and sane.
Battery Placement and Packaging That Just Works
The battery system is one of the highlights of the build. The packs are mounted beneath the truck bed in custom-fit enclosures, and the bed can tilt upward to reveal the entire battery pack. This makes inspection and future service incredibly straightforward. The boxes were originally designed in CAD (read: Cardboard Aided Design), and final fitment left only an inch or so on each side. That’s a normal part of any EV swap, and solving those challenges is where craftsmanship and ingenuity shows through. The final layout is clean, protected, and well integrated.
One of the cleanest battery boxes around!
Real-World Power and Driving Experience
Performance from the Leaf motor is around 150 horsepower (110 kW), but numbers don’t tell the whole story. What transforms the Frontier is the torque delivery. Electric torque is immediate and controlled. In daily driving, the truck pulls smoothly from a stop, climbs hills easily, and never feels strained. Compared to the original gas engine, the EV drivetrain feels more confident and more relaxed. You don’t wait for a downshift. You don’t hear the engine working. You just move. Inside the cabin, almost everything remains stock. There are no flashy digital interior modifications. The original character of the truck remains.
Looking Ahead: Solar Integration for Off-Grid Charging
One of the most interesting future plans for this electric Frontier is solar integration. Dave lives part time in an off grid cabin. The idea is to mount solar panels to the truck bed cover and use them to trickle-charge the battery pack when the vehicle is parked. Once dialed in it may replace wall charging entirely when parked for a few days at a time, or it can always be charged faster from another battery backup or level 2 in town. The build becomes not just electric but a demonstration of what can be, which aligns with the lifestyle and environment where the truck is driven and the owners background as an educator.
Owner Dave lists off all his favorite parts of the build he did with Jimmy from EVSwap Conversions.
Why This EV Conversion Feels So Right
What makes this Nissan Frontier EV conversion compelling isn’t that it’s extreme. It’s that it’s calm, functional, and well considered. It respects the original truck instead of trying to overwrite it. It brings out something that feels like it was always there beneath the surface. A truck that drives smoothly. A powertrain that is easier to maintain. A layout that makes sense.
The Future of EV Conversion Culture
There are plenty of EV conversions that chase speed or spectacle. This one chases coherence. And that might be where the real future of conversion culture lives: vehicles that feel familiar, but better.
If you’re considering your own Nissan Leaf motor swap or electric pickup conversion, this project is a great example to learn from. It shows how choosing the right donor vehicle and thinking through the layout from the start can lead to a result that feels natural, even refined.
To see the full walkthrough of this build and hear directly from the builder, watch the video linked at the top. More conversions like this are coming soon.
Full Stack from the 2019 Nissan Leaf Looks OEM.