VIA Motors receives $20M contract to supply extended-range electric pickups and vans to >50 fleets
08 October 2013
VIA Motors, a electric vehicle development and manufacturing company, signed a contract worth $20 million to build and to deliver extended-range electric pick-up trucks and vans to more than 50 participating fleets. In addition, VIA will install proprietary technology into each vehicle that will record and transmit real-time data to allow the US Department of Energy (DOE) to quantify improvements in fuel economy and emissions.
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| VIA Motors’ extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) powertrain. Click to enlarge. |
The contract is administered by the California South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) acting as project manager. The California Energy Commission is also participating the program. The DOE plans to publish the data for use by government agencies, participating fleets and the general public to use to help quantify the benefits of operating plug-in electric vehicles.
VIA’s electrified pickup trucks have already demonstrated the potential to reduce gas consumption and emissions by up to 80% on average in early beta testing with large fleet customers.
Technology installed in each vehicle that will record and transmit data to the Idaho National Lab (INL) for analysis by the DOE and EPRI.
VIA integrates its proprietary V-DRIVE power train into new OEM vehicles, then sells directly to fleets under the VTRUX brand name. VIA VTRUX deliver up to 40-mile battery range and unlimited extended range, averaging more than 100 mpg in typical daily driving.
Why similar PHEVs utility vehicles (with much smaller ICE) are not built by major manufacturers?
Multiplied by xx million, reduction in liquid fuel consumption and GHG could be important.
Posted by: HarveyD | 08 October 2013 at 07:57 AM
Please, take a look on their web site (Via Motors) and see the price tag.
Posted by: CarCrazy | 10 October 2013 at 03:31 PM