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from the don't-look-a-workhorse-in-the-grille dept.
Submitted via IRC for Bytram
New 100-mile electric van matches diesel vans on price, Workhorse says
Electric-vehicle maker Workhorse announced today that it has begun initial production of a 100-mile range electric delivery truck called the NGEN-1000. The truck is meant to replace diesel-powered delivery trucks, but this vehicle weighs less than half of what a comparable internal combustion van usually weighs.
In a press release, Workhorse said that it "believes this weight reduction, coupled with the 100-mile range, will have cost-savings implications that will make the EV alternative to traditional fleet delivery vehicles all the more appealing."
Workhorse CEO Stephen S. Burns added that the van would have "an off-the-lot cost on par with traditional fuel delivery vehicles, and substantial savings from there."
The truck will come in four sizes, up to a maximum of 1,000 cubic feet of storage. It also has all-wheel-drive and a 6,000-pound carrying capacity.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @06:12AM (6 children)
Daily average is all fine and good except for the days when you go over the average. In college, I would drive my vehicle maybe 30 miles per week, but twice a year I would need it to go 1000 miles. A gasoline car could handle both use cases, a100 mile range electric probably wouldn't have gotten me to the next gas station when crossing through Nevada.
You don't buy a car for just the average use case.
These appear to be cargo van, though. I'm not sure what their use case is. Maybe 100 mile range is sufficient for the some users needs and, if so, this may be a good option for them. If so, good for them and good for the manufacturer. However, I suspect 100 mile limit won't satisfy the worst case needs for many of the users and is therefore a show stopper for them.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by pe1rxq on Friday October 19 2018, @08:34AM (3 children)
So rent a car for two days per year?
(Score: 4, Informative) by choose another one on Friday October 19 2018, @03:03PM (2 children)
> So rent a car for two days per year?
Yeah, that works - for two days a year. But when it's three or four week-long trips per year with kids (so in school holiday times) and you need seven seats plus roofbox plus bike rack, then the rental costs are huge and soon add up to more than the annual cost of keeping the car on the road - I know because I've got the quotes and done the maths several times over the life of the car, it's never been worth switching to rental.
That means, of course, that for the rest of the year when we don't need a seven seater capable of long trips, we have one that's effectively already paid for - just add fuel - result is the seven seater spends most of its time (but not most of its miles) doing short runs with one of two people in it. if we bought an electric two-seater for the short runs then yes we'd save the fuel costs but that would never save enough to buy and run the electric (or any other car).
This is the fallacy of comparing things based on "does 90% of the job" - separate provision of the remaining 10% may cost as much (or more), and in fact frequently does (call it 80/20 rule, 90/10, whatever). There is a further fallacy in green/electric car debates, the "90% of trips" is _not_ even "90% of the job, based on mileage. Sure, maybe 90% of trips can be done by electric car, but (a) that doesn't mean 90% of cars can be electric (see above) and (b) it doesn't mean that 90% of car _mileage_ can be done by electric - my 7 seater probably does 90% of trips less than 15miles, but _most_ of its _mileage_ is in journeys over 100 miles, and a significant percentage is in journeys over 300 miles.
(Score: 3, Touché) by pe1rxq on Friday October 19 2018, @03:37PM
There is an even bigger fallacy in your post:
Using your personal use-cases like trips with kids when discussing the range of a delivery van.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @04:47PM
No wonder you're so negative -- you torture yourself.
(Score: 5, Touché) by hemocyanin on Friday October 19 2018, @12:21PM (1 child)
Once every ten years on average I rent a giant Uhaul to move my household goods. I should probably just buy a cargo truck for my daily driver.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @07:23PM
My father in law bought a giant diesel truck and a 11 passenger van. The former is "in case [the wife and I] decide to move closer to them" and the latter is "for the grandkids." Now, the wife and I have zero plans to move now, let alone 3 years ago when he got the truck. And as for the grandkids, they have one and no more on the way, barring more accidents, as all their sources of grandchildren are either sterile, on long-term birth control, or celibate due to their religion.
The best part is that whenever we got together, he had the audacity to bitch about how much gas those vehicles guzzle despite "only taking them to the store." Well, he used to until I replied, "Well, that is what you get for making a stupid decision," and then followed his rebuttal with, "like I said, 'stupid decision.'" And they wonder why all their children, except the mooching baby of the family, seem to actively avoid them.