The Elminator is Ford's electric crate motor.

Ford on Thursday unveiled a crate motor designed to make EV conversions easier. The motor, dubbed the Elminator, will be unveiled at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this fall.

The automaker only showed renderings of the engine and gave no details. The name is a play on the name of the aluminator, which Ford has used in some V8 crate engine models for years.

Ford is keen to demonstrate the potential of electric vehicles, with a 1,400-horsepower Mustang Mach E and an electric Mustang built last fall with a quarter-mile time of 8.27 seconds.

Ford's electric motors will also give builders new options for retrofitting classic cars, which are becoming increasingly popular. Just as the Blue Oval's current crate engine allowed the vintage Mustang and Deuce Coupe to remain fully Ford, the Elminator will fulfill the needs of EV builders who are loyal to the brand.

At least one aftermarket company is already demonstrating an electric crate engine. California-based Electric GT unveiled it in 2019 in the form of a V8 gasoline engine mounted on a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.

Chevrolet has been experimenting with electric motors, starting with the 2018 eCOPO Camaro. This was a drag racer with an 800-volt charging system that covered the quarter mile in 9 seconds. After that, Chevrolet unveiled the C-10 electric pickup truck and the K5 Blazer at the SEMA show. The Blazer featured a bolt-on electric powertrain, most of which used Bolt EV components. When the Blazer design was unveiled (virtually) at the 2020 SEMA Show, Chevrolet said it planned to begin selling conversion kits in 2021.