AFV Truck/Commercial Vehicle topic

SAIC introduces large electric panel van in Europe: Maxus EV80

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. . . The Maxus EV80 and is available as a panel van and a chassis cab, providing practicality and extensive versatility demanded by fleet operators. The panel van features a cargo area length of 3300 mm, width of 1770 mm and height of 1710 mm, resulting in a total volume of 10.2 m3, accessible through wide-opening rear and side doors. The maximum payload capacity is 950 kg (2,100 lbs). The chassis cab is similarly competitive in its capabilities and also boasts a maximum towing mass of 750 kg (1,650 lbs).

With a range of 200 km (124 miles) and charging time of just two hours, the Maxus EV80 is expected to be suited to businesses with typical usage cycles that incorporate predominantly urban routes. Maxus offers a three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, and a battery warranty of five years or 100,000 km.

The two EV80 variants feature a competitive level of standard specification, including (depending on variant) rear parking sensors, air conditioning, and heated electrically adjustable side mirrors. . . .

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Deutsche Post DHL Group, ZF deploying test fleet of autonomous electric delivery trucks based on NVIDIA Drive PX

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. . . StreetScooter ramps up. A subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group, StreetScooter confirmed that its second manufacturing facility will be built in Düren and be capable of producing up to 10,000 e-vehicles per year. Operations at the 78,000 square meter facility, owned by the automotive supplier Neapco, will begin in the second quarter of 2018. With factories in both Aachen and Düren, StreetScooter will reach the production capacities announced this year of up to 20,000 e-vehicles per annum, with another expansion possible if the facility switches to two or even three shift operations.

With Deutsche Post DHL Group and a number of third-party customers looking to cost-effectively increase range for use in other applications, the company is now producing the currently available model also with boosted performance: Joining the current vehicle that features a range of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and a top speed of approximately 85 km/h (53 mph) will be a new model that boasts a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles) and a top speed of around 120 km/h (75 mph).

In addition, Deutsche Post is now testing several hundred StreetScooter WORK L’s equipped for the first time with fuel cell drives. These vehicles could travel more than 500 kilometers (311 miles) and Deutsche Post DHL Group is planning test runs for the next two years.

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Motiv Power Systems providing two battery-electric refuse trucks to LA

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. . . As a continuation of a demonstration project funded by the California Energy Commission, these Class-8 ERVs use the Motiv All-Electric Powertrain to drive a Crane Carrier chassis, with an automated side-loader body built by Amrep, Inc.

The trucks will be built by Amrep, Inc. in Los Angeles and are projected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2018. The City of Los Angeles Sanitation plans to run the ERVs on residential and recycling routes and expects to save as much as 6,000 gallons of fuel per year. Upon delivery, the Los Angeles ERVs bring the all-electric refuse trucks powered by Motiv to a total of three in California and four within North America.

Rather than having customized vehicles provided by a variety of vendors, Motiv’s modular design allows the same All-Electric Powertrain to be used across the full range of a city’s work trucks, from Class 4 through Class 8. The use of a single electric powertrain system for all the city’s electric work trucks simplifies the maintenance and operation of a growing municipal electric vehicle fleet, reducing the cost of spare parts and training. . . .

Similar to Motiv-powered electric refuse trucks on the road in Sacramento, the Los Angeles trucks will have a payload capacity of nine tons and 1,000 pounds per cubic yard of compaction. All Motiv ERVs are equipped with 10 battery packs, expandable to 12 packs if needed for future route expansion.

With up to 212 kWh of power, the Motiv powered ERVs supply enough electricity to efficiently move the truck and power the electric hydraulics throughout the day, supporting a range between 50-80 miles, depending upon the pack size. Using the Motiv universal high power charger (480V, 50 kW), the ERV batteries will easily reach full charge overnight. . . .

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BYD unveils North America’s largest electric bus factory; capacity for up to 1,500 vehicles annually

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. . . The BYD Coach and Bus facility also supports R&D and assembly for BYD’s battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including delivery, drayage, refuse, and yard trucks, among other product lines. These trucks incorporate the same proven core components that are used in BYD’s commercialized buses and vehicles with several hundred million service-proven miles. By the end of 2017, BYD will have delivered 70 all-electric trucks to 15 customers in North America, with orders for more than 140 trucks to-date.

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Toyota fuel-cell Class 8 prototype to start drayage routes at Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

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Unveiled earlier this year (earlier post), Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) “Project Portal” fuel-cell-powered Class 8 truck proof-of-concept has completed more than 4,000 successful development miles, while progressively pulling drayage rated cargo weight, and emitting nothing but water vapor.

With testing and development miles completed, Project Portal will begin initial feasibility study routes, moving goods from select Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution. Toyota estimates the truck’s daily trips will total around 200 miles (322 km).

These localized, frequent route patterns are designed to test the demanding drayage duty-cycle capabilities of the fuel cell system while capturing real world performance data. As the study progresses, longer haul routes will be introduced. . . .

The Project Portal heavy-duty truck concept generates more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 lb-ft (1,797 N·m) of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery—a relatively small battery to support Class 8 load operations. (Earlier post.) The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs., and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation.

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Element 1 Corp to develop on-board hydrogen generator for fuel-cell buses in China

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Element 1 Corp (e1), a developer of hydrogen generation technology, has signed a purchase contract with Blue-G New Energy Science and Technology Corporation in Beijing to deliver an e1 hydrogen generator designed to provide up to 500 liters per minute of high-purity hydrogen on board a fuel cell bus.

The onboard hydrogen generator, based on e1’s patented technology, converts a mixture of methanol and water to hydrogen. Blue-G will integrate the hydrogen generator into fuel-cell buses, targeting customers in China. The successful delivery of the first hydrogen generator is expected to lead to a license agreement between e1 and Blue-G in 2018.

The new contract follows an earlier deal to develop a 100 kg per day hydrogen generator for China fuel cell bus refueling stations, and the formation of a joint venture to commercialize fuel cell systems for China’s telecom market. . . .

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UPS, NYSERDA project to convert UPS diesel delivery trucks to electric; UES 225 kW switched reluctance motor

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. . . UPS and Unique Electric Solutions LLC (UES LLC) will design, build, test and make the conversions. NYSERDA is providing $500,000 in funding to develop and test the conversion system. If successful, the Bronx-based project is expected to bring a production version of the converted truck to the streets of New York City by Spring 2018.

In addition to producing a new, cost-effective all-electric conversion kit, the project will deliver a blueprint for converting up to three UPS vehicles a day. This could lead to the conversion of up to 1,500 UPS delivery trucks, which is about 66% of UPS’s NYC fleet, operating in New York City by 2022. . . .

This project is part of UPS’s commitment to helping cities and states around the world reduce carbon and other tailpipe emissions as urban areas and e-commerce grow. UPS operates more than 770 electric or hybrid electric vehicles in urban settings around the world. They are part of a fleet of more than 8,500 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide.

UPS recently set a goal that by 2020 one in four vehicles purchased annually will use alternative fuels or advanced technology. The company has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally since 2009. . . .

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UPS launches delivery eBike in Pittsburgh

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UPS launched an eBike that will deliver packages in downtown Pittsburgh, Pa. The electrically-assisted tricycle will help reduce carbon emissions in addition to traffic, noise and air quality challenges in Pittsburgh. The deployment is part of UPS’s Cycle Solutions and the company’s Rolling Laboratory, which tests alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles.

The success of the eBike was first demonstrated in 2012 in Hamburg, Germany, where UPS focused on developing a new and sustainable method of delivering goods to urban areas. UPS placed four containers at central locations in the city for interim storage of packages for UPS drivers. From these points, deliveries were made on foot or with specialized electronically-assisted cargo tricycles that ease traffic congestion and reduce emissions each working day. (Earlier post.) . . .

The eBike is equipped with battery-powered electric motors that makes it possible to cover longer distances than traditional bikes, carry substantial loads and navigate hills and other terrain. Maximum energy efficiency is achieved when combining battery power and human power simultaneously. The eBike can be operated solely on battery power or pedal power.

UPS will evaluate the reliability, design, integration to the city’s infrastructure and acceptance of the vehicle. The intent is to operate the eBike in Pittsburgh as weather permits on a regular route year-round.

UPS has numerous cycle solutions deployed around the world. The company currently operates inner-city delivery projects with delivery on foot and by bike in Frankfurt, Offenbach, Hamburg, Munich, Oldenburg and Herne, Germany, as well as in Leuven and Mechelen, Belgium; Rome and Verona, Italy; Toulouse, France; and Dublin, Ireland. . . .

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Alstom to build 14 Coradia iLint fuel-cell trains for LNVG

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. . . The trains, which will convey travellers between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude from December 2021, will replace the diesel multiple units of the transport authority Elbe-Weser-Verkehrsbetriebe (evb) and will reduce the pollutant emission in daily service to zero.

The hydrogen for the trains will be provided by the Linde Group. The companies also signed a 30-year maintenance agreement. The Coradia iLint can cover up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) with one tank fill, and can reach a maximum speed of up to 140 km/h (87 mph).

A Coradia iLint prototype will begin pilot operation in the evb network in spring 2018 together with a second vehicle. . . .

The Linde Group will erect and operate the first hydrogen filling station for trains in Bremervörde. The necessary investment costs will be estimated at around €10 million (US$11.6 million) funded by the Federal Government. LNVG will rent the premises for the filling station from evb and will make it available to Linde AG, which will also be responsible for the operation and construction permit. The on-site production of hydrogen by electrolysis and by means of wind energy will be planned in a later phase of the project.

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Nikola Motor names Bosch and PowerCell AB as key suppliers for fuel-cell Class-8 truck; field testing in Fall 2018

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. . . PowerCell Sweden AB will be the primary supplier of fuel cell stacks for Nikola’s pre-production testing vehicles. The PowerCell S3 (100 kW) is a fuel cell stack with best-in-class power density and is primarily designed for automotive application. The full Nikola fuel cell system is anticipated to output more than 300 kW continuously. The truck’s powertrain will deliver more than 1,000 hp (746 kW) and 2,000 lb-ft (2,712 N·m) of torque. . . .

The fuel cell system will recharge the 320 kWh battery pack, which in turn will power the drive motors. The hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered day-cab is slated to have a range of 800 to 1,200 miles, with a 15-minute refill time. . . .

It has been designed to handle the entire lease period of one million miles per truck. . . .

The fully operational, pre-production Nikola Two day-cab will begin testing in Fall of 2018. Following its release, the Nikola Two will undergo a 12-month testing period in extreme climates. This testing period will give the company valuable data in preparation for full production in 2021.

The first 5,000 trucks will be built at Fitzgerald Gliders in Tennessee while Nikola builds its own manufacturing facility. The location of the Nikola manufacturing facility will be named in early 2018.

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LTLFTcomposite said:

Surprised this thread isn't lit up with speculation over Tesla's semi truck announcement on Thursday. I guess everyone is busy figuring out ways to shield their skulls from the explosive force.

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GetOffYourGas said:

LTLFTcomposite said:

Surprised this thread isn't lit up with speculation over Tesla's semi truck announcement on Thursday. I guess everyone is busy figuring out ways to shield their skulls from the explosive force.

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:lol:

The arrogance of Musk's statement is the only thing about to make my head explode...

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Ballard and Siemens sign $9M multi-year development agreement for fuel cell system to power Mireo light rail train; deployment in 2021

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. . . Under the terms of the Development Agreement, Ballard will develop a 200 kW fuel cell system for integration into Siemens' new Mireo train platform. Mireo is a modular commuter train platform designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph). With its lightweight design, energy-efficient components and intelligent onboard network management, the Mireo will consume up to 25% less energy than trains with similar passenger capacity. Initial deployments of the fuel cell-powered Mireo train are planned for 2021. . . .

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Shell and bio-bean partner to produce B20 biodiesel using waste coffee; fuel for London buses

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. . . .The average Londoner drinks 2.3 cups of coffee a day, resulting in more than 200,000 tonnes of waste a year, much of which would otherwise end in landfill with the potential to emit 126 million kg of CO2, according to bio-bean. bio-bean works to collect some of these waste coffee grounds from high street chains and factories.

The grounds are dried and processed before coffee oil is extracted. bio-bean works with its fuel partner Argent Energy to process this oil into a blended B20 biofuel. 6,000 liters of coffee oil has been produced, which if used as a pure-blend for the bio component and mixed with mineral diesel to form a B20, could help power the equivalent of one London bus for a year.

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CMB launching dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel ship

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. . . The shuttle will be mainly used as a platform to test hydrogen technology for commercial sea-going vessels. In a first phase, the Hydroville will transport people from Kruibeke to Antwerp during the rush hour.

The 14-meter Hydroville can carry 16 passengers plus 2 crew, and is powered by two hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines with a total shaft power of 441 kW. The ship has 12 hydrogen tanks (205 liters @ 200 bar) and two diesel fuel tanks (2x265 liters) for pilot/backup fuel.

Maximum speed is 27 knots; cruise speed is 22 knots.

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Chautauqua County deploys Orange EV battery-electric terminal truck

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Orange EV and Chautauqua County announced the deployment of an Orange EV T-Series pure-electric terminal truck at the North County Transfer Station in Fredonia, NY. Replacing a 15+-year-old diesel truck with 100% electric completely eliminates yard truck emissions and diesel fuel consumption while advancing efforts to meet the energy, environmental, and economic goals established in the Chautauqua County 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. . . .

Chautauqua’s new electric yard truck, which is shuttling trailers at the North County Transfer Station, is expected to work through a full shift on a single charge. Chautauqua is planning to order a second Orange EV yard truck in January 2018 to be deployed at the South County Transfer Station. . . .

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Prototype Mack heavy-duty plug-in hybrid truck part of e-Highway demo near Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles
9 December 2017

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A prototype Mack Pinnacle axle back model equipped with a proprietary plug-in hybrid electric driveline recently participated in a zero-emission eHighway demonstration in Carson, California. (Earlier post.)

The demo was conducted near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as part of a project with Siemens and sponsored by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The goal of the project is to reduce air pollution at freight-intensive locations, such as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the two largest ports in the US.

Siemens installed the eHighway infrastructure, which covers one mile of select lanes of a highway with a catenary system similar to those used to power trolleys or streetcars. . . .

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SunLine orders five New Flyer fuel cell buses

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SunLine Transit Agency in California has awarded New Flyer of America—the US subsidiary of New Flyer Industries—with a contract for five Xcelsior fuel cell-electric forty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses. The new order, which was supported by the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Low Carbon Transportation and Air Quality Improvement Program, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No-Emission (Low-No) fund (earlier post), supports fleet expansion aligned to SunLine’s mandate to provide safe and environmentally conscious public transportation and alternative fuel solutions in the Coachella Valley.

Sunline already has five fuel cell buses in its operations. SunLine will also be upgrading its on-site hydrogen generation fuel infrastructure as part of this new project.

In its partnership with CARB, SunLine will be testing one full year of revenue service, measuring environmental impact and sustainability of the fuel cell powered heavy-duty transit buses.

SunLine Transit Agency provides public bus service in the Coachella Valley and Riverside-Downtown areas of California, and moves more than 3.5 million passengers per year. . . .

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Workhorse Group applies for $250M loan from DOE Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program

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Workhorse Group Inc., the developer of a plug-in electric pickup truck (earlier post), has applied for a $250-million loan from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program. The company also announced that DOE has deemed its application to be substantially complete for purposes of DOE beginning its preliminary evaluation of the technical, financial, legal and other aspects of the application.

There are a significant number of additional milestones Workhorse will need to achieve in order to progress its application towards a conditional commitment and any final loan agreement.

Workhorse is pursuing the ATVM loan, as well as other sources of financing, in order to equip its manufacturing plant in Union City, Indiana, for the production of the W-15 four-wheel drive plug-in electric pickup truck. Workhorse CEO and President Stephen Burns said that the company has received letters of intent to purchase more than 5,000 W-15s. . . .

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Daimler trucks delivers first FUSO eCanter all-electric trucks to customers in Europe

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Daimler Trucks is delivering the first units of its all-electric FUSO eCanter (earlier post) to European customers: DHL, DB Schenker, Rhenus and Dachser. The customers are all in the logistics business, but the trucks’ areas of operation are diverse. The customers obtain their vehicles via a 24-month rental from CharterWay, Daimler’s own rental and leasing expert in the commercial vehicle business.

• Deutsche Post DHL will use its six vehicles in two business divisions: two vehicles will perform inner city delivery runs of business and private customers of DHL Freight’s Berlin branch, for heavy individual cargo, such as electrical or large household appliances. DHL Paket will use four vehicles for the delivery of goods to businesses and corporate clients. For this, the electric trucks will be fully integrated in existing business processes and will replace the vehicles with conventional drivetrains which were used so far.
  
  DB Schenker will test its series production electric vehicle sfor inner city logistics under real-life production conditions. Among other tasks, one of the three trucks will deliver and collect general cargo in the inner city of Berlin.
  
  Rhenus Group will use its three FUSO eCanter within its home delivery unit. From the central warehouse in Hoppegarten, the all-electric trucks will deliver furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and heavy sport equipment to the inner city of Berlin.
  
  Two more FUSO eCanter will be driving for the transport company Dachser. Their job will be the general goods transportation core business on the last mile, meaning pallets with industrial goods either at micro-hubs or goods that are delivered directly to the customer, as well as collecting goods and delivering them to the Dachser-branches. At these branches, the eCanters will recharge overnight using a high-voltage loading station. . . .

FUSO eCanter. Depending on body and field of application the eCanter has a load-bearing capacity of up to 4.5 tons. The vehicle’s electric power train contains six high-voltage lithium-ion batteries with each 420 V and 13.8 kWh. An electric drivetrain with a strong permanent-magnet-motor delivers 129 kW (180 hp) via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle; continuous torque is 285 N·m. The maximum speed of the eCanter is limited to 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph). The batteries with a total weight of approximately 600 kilograms allow a range of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles).

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Startup Thor Trucks announces its ET-One electric Class 8 tractor prototype

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Los Angeles-based startup Thor Trucks announced its electric Class 8 tractor “semi-prototype” ET-One, with 80,000 pound carrying capacity. ET-One is targeted at short-haul markets where daily miles traveled rarely exceed 250.

Thor plans to offer modular battery packs, with up to 1 MWh in battery storage to support ranges of up to 300 miles of range . . . Thor Trucks says it will price the ET-One from $150,000 to $250,000, depending upon the vehicle configuration.

Thor currently uses a cylindrical lithium-ion cell format . . . The company says it is looking forward to new battery technologies that have potential to allow for rapid charging or longer ranges and is ready to adapt to new technologies as they are commercially viable.

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Renault Teams With Delanchy For Refrigerated Electric Truck

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Renault Trucks has delivered a very special truck for the Delanchy Transport Group in Lyon, France. It’s not only all-electric, but is equipped with a refrigerated box powered by traction battery.
The experimental 13-ton, 100% electric Renault Trucks D will deliver fresh produce to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse (France’s largest covered food market) silently and without tailpipe emissions. This is the first electric venture for Delanchy and will join its current fleet of 700 trucks.
. . .

“Today, in relation to electromobility, they have jointly developed this 100% electric experimental vehicle. It is equipped with a Chereau temperature-controlled box and a Carrier refrigeration unit, fully powered by the vehicle’s traction batteries: a first on this type of truck. . . .

On a daily basis, the 100% electric Renault Trucks D will leave Groupe Delanchy’s distribution hub in Corbas, in the suburbs of Lyon, to deliver seafood and fresh produce from Lorient to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse.

This zero-emission truck is the ideal solution for maintaining air quality and reducing congestion in the city centre, because it allows noise-free deliveries to be made during anti-social hours, maintaining peace and quiet for residents. Because it produces no polluting emissions, this vehicle also helps maintain the area in which the operatives are working, the unloading dock at the Halles de Lyon, which is a confined space in the basement.”. . .

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VARD to build electric ferry for Boreal

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The new car- and passenger ferry is specially designed for environmentally friendly operations in the Norwegian fjords. The ferry, designed by Multi Maritime, will measure 74 meters in length with a beam of 14.20 meters, and will have a total capacity of up to 60 cars and 199 passengers and crew.

The hull of the vessel will be built by Vard Braila in Romania. Delivery of the ferry is scheduled from Vard Brevik in Norway in 3Q 2019. The ferry will commence operations in Norway from January 2020, crossing Kvanndal-Utne at the west-coast of Norway, where Boreal has been awarded a nine-year contract with the Norwegian government. . . .

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Kenworth T680 fuel cell tractor on display at CES

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A zero-emission Kenworth Class 8 T680 day cab tractor equipped with a Ballard hydrogen fuel cell (earlier post) is on display at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). . . .

The vehicle is part of the Zero Emission Cargo Transport (ZECT) (earlier post) demonstration project managed through Southern California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The Kenworth T680 day cab’s fuel cell produces electricity to power the dual-rotor electric motor to move the truck, or it can recharge the lithium-ion batteries for use later. . . .

• Kenworth’s hydrogen fuel-cell T680 is a reality. The T680 has been running trials in the Seattle area and performing very well. The next step is real-world testing with Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI) at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California.
  
  —Stephan Olsen, Kenworth director of product planning

According to Olsen, the hydrogen fuel-cell based Kenworth T680 will have an initial range of 150 miles (241 km), which makes it suited for short haul and port operations. With a dual-rotor traction motor output of 565 horsepower, the truck is capable of carrying the legal gross combination weight of a Class 8 vehicle.

• Our testing shows that this truck performs equally as well, if not better than, current diesel trucks on the market. There is a lot of promise, and we see the day where Kenworth’s zero and near-zero emission trucks could be a common sight in regional operations.Kenworth is heavily focused on the evaluation and development of both zero and near-zero emission solutions for the trucking industry.
  
  —Stephan Olsen

The market is being driven by states such as California where clean air is the mandate. To develop the hydrogen-based T680, Kenworth is supported by $2.8 million in funding under a larger grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), with Southern California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) being the prime applicant. . . .

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