Merely an example to counter your nonsensical argument about electric cars. Here you go another example to counter your last 'skateboard' argument!
Hot! Electric Ford F-150 Pickup
by Todd Kaho
12/01/2008
A full-size, crew cab pickup truck measuring over 20 feet long is probably not the first vehicle that comes to mind when talk turns to electric vehicles. But thats precisely the point that British company PML Flightlink wanted to make with its latest clean
power conversion: electric vehicles dont necessarily have to be small to suit a mission. In this case, the mission was accomplished by converting the worlds best selling pickup truck to electric power with four Hi-Pa Drive in-wheel motors.
PML, the company responsible for the in-wheel motors in the Volvo ReCharge C30 concept
car, revealed its Hi-Pa Drive F-150 pickup at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The companys aim is to clearly illustrate not only to automakers, but also aftermarket suppliers and innovators the potential of electric drive conversions using the Hi-Pa Drive system.
DST Industries and PML built the Hi-Pa Drive F-150 in collaboration with Ford Motor Company. Due to its generous size and weight carrying capacity, packaging the electric conversion in the F-150 was in some ways easier than doing so in a smaller vehicle. Removing the big gasoline V-8 engine, transmission, driveline, axles, and fuel system left considerable room to work with, not to mention eliminating a great deal of weight. The Hi-Pa Drive F-150 conversion is all neatly contained under the hood and beneath the truck without encroaching on interior space or cargo room.
Power and performance are obvious concerns in a vehicle that must earn its keep as a workhorse. The factory V-8 offers 320 horsepower and plenty of torque. Although weighing just 66 pounds each, PMLs in-wheel motors are capable of delivering 150 horsepower at each wheel, offering a combined total of 600 horsepower and instant torque thats off the charts. With four independent motors each driving a wheel, true all-wheel-drive capability can be tailored by computer control to suit specific applications.
Energy is stored in a powerful 40 kW battery mounted between the frame rails in the space formerly occupied by the gas tank, transmission, and driveshaft. The battery has enough capacity for 100 miles of driving on a single charge. The four in-wheel motors also aggressively recapture regenerative braking energy to recharge the battery pack. PML estimates that if the truck was configured as a series plug-in hybrid with a small internal combustion engine, range could be extended more than five fold.
The beauty of the in-wheel motor system is that it isnt limited to one size or type of vehicle. Hi-Pa Drive points out in-wheel motors can be used on everything from tractors to trailers and perhaps offer the most flexibility for plug-in series electric cars. The small, lightweight motors can also be used for other
power generation applications like integrated starter-generators, windmills, and gas turbines.
Keeping with the aftermarket custom flair thats a hallmark of the SEMA Show, the Hi-Pa Drive F-150 was treated to an eye-catching green and black paint treatment with bold graphics to let the world know this is no ordinary hauler. Custom thin-spoke billet aluminum wheels were also installed to provide a good view of the in-wheel motors, which have been painted bright green to complement the exterior color scheme. The interior was also updated with plush leather seats stitched with the Hi-Pa Drive logo. Shifting between forward, neutral, and reverse is handled by a control mounted on the center console. The trucks standard instrument cluster was replaced by LCD displays that graphically depict system status, speed, range, and charge.
The glitz and glamour of the SEMA Show is enough to quickly overload the senses. Still, amid the sea of octane, chrome, and custom paint, the all-electric Hi-Pa Drive F-150 was a big draw that got people thinking about advanced pickups and their place on the highways of the future.
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