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Via Motors. Interesting Concept?

4/30/2012

3 Comments

 
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I am wondering how law enforcement, fire, ems, towing & utility companies could utilize this vehicle. My opinion is that it is a great concept, a generator could only help all of these first responder groups. Read the background & let me know what you think. Thank you!


Just because pickup trucks aren't taking center stage at the 2012 Detroit auto show doesn't mean there aren't enterprising companies looking to bring a better idea to the huge work truck market.

The people at Via Motors — which converts trucks into extended-range electric vehicles — believe they have a better idea, one that could become very important to the big U.S. truck makers and anyone else who might be considering a new truck in the future. 

"We're going to start by staying focused on fleets and utility companies first, but who knows where this will go," said Kent Williams, founder and key player at Via Motors. "Basically, we've spent several years researching what the utility companies need from their vehicles ... and we think we have a pretty good package for them."

Via Motors, which is a newcomer to the North American International Auto Show, says its idea makes sense for fleets for now, but it could have implications for consumers in the future.

Via's booth housed three GM vehicles: one full-size heavy-duty van, one Chevy Silverado 1500 and one 2500 Suburban. Each was equipped with the eREV powertrain, which replaces the factory engine and transmission.

For simplicity's sake, you can imagine the eREV (which stands for extended range electric vehicle) to work exactly like the Chevy Volt. The vehicle runs on electricity but is equipped with a small gas engine that can charge the lithium-ion battery packs housed near the center and rear of the trucks.

The heart of the system is a pair of uniquely designed electric motors: a 300-kilowatt-hour motor for electric drive and a 150-kwh motor to charge the batteries and provide on-site exportable power for just about any need. The latter engine is one of the reasons why utility companies are interested in the technology, beyond the fact that the new powertrain can more than double a vehicle's fuel efficiency. 

Each vehicle can be set up to accommodate specific needs, but the simple math goes like this: The vehicles will have a small V-6 engine — most likely the old and inexpensive existing 4.3-liter V-6 — that comes on only when the batteries need charging. (Optimum battery range is between 20 percent and 80 percent full). Range at full charge is likely to be around 40 to 50 miles on full electric power, and with a 25-gallon fuel tank (in some cases smaller than what it came with from the factory), the realistic range of the truck is likely to be about 350 miles, depending on how and where you drive. With a new regenerative braking system, the more city (stop-and-go) driving one does, the better the mileage gains.



We're told there's no reason why this technology has to be exclusive to any manufacturer, so Via Motors is just as ready to accommodate fleets that need Fords or Rams as it is to accommodate GM platforms.



As you might expect, pricing for the trucks is a bit high, with some costing about $40,000 extra for the technology change (which will also include an iPad-looking center console information station). That would bring the total price for the package (truck and powertrain swap) to just under $80,000. Clearly this technology is not quite ready for mass-market consumption, but for utility companies or big truck purchasers like Walmart, this could be an investment that saves big money over the long term.



We did a quick drive in a V-TRUX Silverado half-ton model, and there was quite a bit of normal EV high-frequency noise, but it was clearly not uncomfortable. Since there is no traditional transmission, there is no shifting, so the completely linear application of power was quite impressive to feel in a 5,000-pound vehicle.



The truck did have GM's four-wheel-drive system, and it does not require any modifications; the transfer case is bolted to the rear of the electric drive motor.



Preliminary zero-to-60-mph times are reported to be under 10 seconds, but the folks at Via tell us they can modify the software in the proprietary motor controller in any way the end user needs. So if you want your fleet drivers to keep it under 65 mph at peak fuel efficiency, they can program for that, but if you want more acceleration for merging into freeway traffic, they can dial quite a bit more off-the-line acceleration.

We're hoping to spend more time in one of the trucks to collect more impressions as Via tours the existing fleet to various utility companies. In the meantime, this could be a technology we (and maybe GM and Ford) will want to keep our eyes on. More to come.  

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3 Comments

Goals & the Lack of Them...

4/21/2012

2 Comments

 
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Sooo... here we go. Hang on, it's about to get angry in here...   I happened to be in a conversation with a guy today.   He says, 'I set my goals low, so that way I feel like everyday I accomplish something. So that I don't get disappointed.'    I look at him like 'he's ignorant & why are still talking to me', which he must of mistaken for an 'I don't understand look'. Then he goes into a deeper explanation of his 'philosophy of life'.   I interrupt him & say 'I understand what you are saying, that you step over ant hills on a daily basis.'   As I point at myself, I say ' I set my goals high and I accomplish them, then the next goal I set is higher... I CLIMB MOUNTAINS... or I blast through them. I shift ENTIRE landscapes'.   He says... 'Oh'   Grrrrr.....   Call me Sherry Nature.


I posted this on my Facebook yesterday and I am still mystified by the pride the guy took when he was telling me about how he sets his goals low. In a seemingly unrelated incident that also happened yesterday, it has become glaring clear why his philosophy angered me.

I bought a ring from an Amazon.com store. It was supposed to have shipped on Monday or Tuesday. Friday I emailed them, asking why it hadn't shipped yet. I got a return email saying they were sorry for the oversight and 'requested' from their shipping department that it be sent overnight delivery for Saturday. Now the operative word there is 'requested'. I can request many things: I request that Albert Einstein dine at my house tonight to discuss his thoughts on quantum physics. I also request that a pot of gold be delivered to my house tonight, pulled by a team of unicorns with a leprechaun who will grant me 3 wishes upon his arrival.

Grrr... Now I have a guy with lackluster goals & a company with poor communication skills who have both convinced themselves that their success will materialize if they give just 50% or 25%, or whatever percentage... it doesn't matter. What does matter is: Whatever happened to giving 100% & beyond?

I suppose it will catch up with them both. The company will probably go broke & the guy will never aspire to be anything more than he is today. Is this a growing trend?
 
--
Sherry Wood 104wood@gmail.com

2 Comments

Cop car wars Big 3 battle for supremacy in patrol market with new pursuit vehicles

4/11/2012

1 Comment

 
From the Detroit News by Jaclyn Trop
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Last fall, Ford Motor Co. retired its Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a veteran of police departments across the United States. Its retirement after a run that began in the early '90s left a void in the ranks that General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC have rushed to fill.

GM and Chrysler have three vehicles each — a mix of SUVs, trucks and sedans — that they hope will earn their stripes. But Ford hopes to preserve the Crown Victoria's 70 percent market share with two rookies modeled on the Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer.

Police fleet sales help automakers achieve high visibility and a reputation for producing durable cars. While overall sales numbers are relatively small, sticker prices can reach $70,000 per police vehicle.

The Big Three's lineup of six pursuit vehicles is the strongest offering in recent years, according to Sgt. Jim Flegel of the Michigan State Police's precision driving unit, which road-tests police vehicles annually. After testing last fall, state police decided to replace the Crown Victoria with Chrysler's Dodge Charger Pursuit as its primary patrol car. In March, the state police ordered 198 Charger Pursuits, as well as 50 Chevy Tahoes and 20 Ford Police Interceptor Utilities, Flegel said.

"The patrol cars are increasingly getting better every year," Flegel said. "All the manufacturers want to produce the best-quality patrol car out there."

It's too early for hard sales numbers, but the Chicago Police Department recently said it would spend $3.5 million on 100 Ford Police Interceptor sedans and SUVs made at Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant.

The shakeup comes as the police vehicle industry records declining sales. Sales were about 35,000 units last year, compared to a peak of about 55,000 units in 2006, according to Lisa Teed, Ford Police Interceptor marketing manager.

But the market is ripe for Ford and its rivals: Several police agencies that held off buying new cars during the economic downturn are ready to invest in new patrol vehicles.

Some police departments stockpiled the Crown Vics before Ford's final production run. They liked the car's rear-wheel drive for high-speed chases. And its body-on-frame structure made it easier to fix and swap parts within the fleet.

The Sacramento Police Department, for example, recently ordered 30 to 50 of the same Crown Vics its officers have driven for years, said Sgt. Andrew Pettit. The department hasn't decided which vehicles it will order when it comes time to retire its fleet.

Crown: 'A dinosaur' Ford canceled the Crown Vic because it would have been too expensive to comply with new standards for fuel economy and rollover and roof crush protection, according to Aaron Bragman, a senior analyst with IHS Automotive.

"In order to update it, they'd pretty much have to redo the entire car," Bragman said. "It's kind of a dinosaur, and to update it wouldn't be worth it."

The Charger Pursuit, created for police use only, went on sale last spring to replace the Charger Police Vehicle. Chrysler added two special service vehicles — a Ram truck and Durango SUV — that will be sold later this year to broaden the automaker's reach and cater to officers who need to go off road or carry cargo.

"Of course we saw an opportunity in the market" with the retirement of the Crown Victoria, said Chris Ellis, Chrysler director of government fleet sales and operations.

The Durango will compete against Chevy's Tahoe, which dominates the police SUV market.

General Motors hopes to gain share in each market segment with its 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe, Impala and Caprice models, said Dana Hammer, manager for law enforcement vehicles. "We have a complete portfolio of vehicles to meet every customer's needs," Hammer said.

The Chevy Tahoe is "growing exponentially" and has the advantage of being the market's only body-on-frame model, Hammer said. The model comes in rear-wheel drive for high-speed pursuit vehicles, and four-wheel-drive for special service.

The Chevy Caprice, resurrected last year after being discontinued in 1996, is the largest sedan in the police market and is gaining sales momentum, Hammer said. Like the other automakers, he would not disclose sales figures.

The third GM police vehicle, the Chevy Impala, has been a police department staple for 10 years.

Its new powertrain and chassis for 2012 is the most economical model, with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that gets 28 miles per gallon, according to Hammer.

Ford has advantage Ford is promoting its Police Interceptor models for their fuel efficiency: The 3.5-liter, V6 engine in the Ford Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle get at least 25 percent better gas mileage than the Crown Vic's 4.6-liter V8 — an especially significant feature since police cars idle an average of 6.5 hours every 10-hour shift.

"We're very confident in what they're doing," said Kevin Koswick, Ford North America fleet director. "Make no mistake about it. Our goal is to maintain our business."

Analysts say it's too soon to tell how the market will shake out this year, but Ford has the advantage of being an incumbent with a loyal following.

Ford's task is to convince buyers that the Dearborn automaker's models still reign supreme, Bragman said.

"The fleet buyers are fairly loyal," Bragman said.

1 Comment

10 Questions with Firefighter, Alexander Griffin

4/6/2012

0 Comments

 
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Short background: I am married to Lauren French-Griffin, We have two kids together Jeiden(6) and Kaili(4) and I have three more from my first Marriage Alex(13) Dria(12) Zanha(11). I am a very proud father. I've been in the fire department for over 10 years now and loving what i do.

1. Where did you grow up & what was it like?
I grew up in Dekalb County, GA. I had a great childhood it was my younger brother and I, with our dog rainbow. We didn't want for much.

2. How did the idea for LFG Command Systems come about?
It wasn't too long after I finished acting officer class I was looking for at how the guys was running command and I was thinking it have to be an easier way to keep up of all the units along with all the goals and objectives that are critical.

3. How do you define success?
Success is feeding that hunger you have deep within your soul. Working for a certain set of goals that you have given yourself.

4. What have you learned over your lifetime that you'd like to share with the younger generation?
I've learned that there is no such thing as impossible. Don't let anyone decided for you what can be done or what is a "Success".

5. What is your favorite hobby?
I like to write, read, I love lifting weights, playing basketball, designing new software. Oh yeah, and I'm a pretty good gamer too.

6. Who has had the greatest influence on you?
My father and mother. I get my love of people from my mother. I get my calm demeanor and my fire from my father. It's a pretty good mix.
 
7. What will be your legacy? Is the world better because of you/your work/your influence?
I hope it would be the love of people and life. I feel like all life is worth fighting for, and that life is so precious. Of all that we know is out there in the universe we are the only "living" creatures out there..don't that make us more valuable and precious than all the gold and diamonds. I hope that it will be. I hope my work makes the fire department and emergency service safer for its personnel and for the citizens we are here to protect.

8. What's the funniest work story/ event you remember?
There are SO many... most are inappropriate lol. There was one when we picked up a guy on a med unit who was kind of out of it... but he kept reaching over and grabbing my males medic butt. You'll have to know the medic he was an 27year veterian and he was curled up in the corner trying to get away from the guy as we was trasnporting him to the hospital. I never laughed so much in my life.

9. Is there anything I haven't asked about that you would care to comment on?
Nope, you had some great questions.

10. What is your favorite dinner & what do you drink with it?
Right now I'm loving rice with fish or chicken and green beans. I usually like lemonade, milk, ginger ale, or water. Depends on my mood.



LFG COMMAND SYSTEMS, the software company that develops life-saving, affordable command and training solutions for the fire department, EMS, S.W.A.T., and military. Check us out at www.lfgcommandsystems.com.
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