The Chevy S10 EV pickups that were made a little over a decade ago had AC motors and fairly compact controllers. Although it might not be as much fun, finding one of those would save you a lot of time. Also, because the motor was designed as a traction motor, it is relatively light. Ditto for the controller, which might have been 30 lb or so.
The EVDL Forum could offer help -- there are loads of S10s and Ford Ranger pickup conversions out there.
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