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posted by chromas on Friday October 19 2018, @03:03AM   Printer-friendly
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.


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Unixnut on Friday October 19 2018, @09:15AM (1 child)

    by Unixnut (5779) on Friday October 19 2018, @09:15AM (#750836)

    The UK Has used BEV for residential deliveries for milk since the 1960s. Lots of stop and go deliveries, within a small area, with the benefits of silent running (because milk deliveries tended to be early in the morning).

    See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_float [wikipedia.org]

    So this BE van has potential, it might actually be one of the more sane applications of electric vehicles I have heard of so far. This isn't going to be hauling stuff between towns or out in the country, but for last mile deliveries in dense urban neighbourhoods, it might actually make sense.

    However, one thing not mentioned in TFS: is the 100 mile range when empty? or when fully laiden? If it is the range when empty, what is the range when you load up the van and use it as a van should be used? Also, what is the recharge to full time? A normal van can do a round, get a fuel refill in 10 min, and be out again on another route.

    IMO this kind of vehicle would be perfectly suited to a battery swap system, as there is likely to be a fleet of identical vans owned by a company, with hangers and maintenance crew taking care of them. They buy 2x as many batteries as vans, then they can have two rounds between having to wait for recharging. Although I can't see how it would be cheaper than the current diesel systems.

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  • (Score: 2) by DavePolaschek on Friday October 19 2018, @01:52PM

    by DavePolaschek (6129) on Friday October 19 2018, @01:52PM (#750914) Homepage Journal

    They could use it to deliver newspapers instead of having some guy driving around in a rusted out 1976 Lincoln Town Coupe!