Hub911 - Emergency Services Information for all First Responders; Fire, EMS, LEO
LIKE us ->
  • Home
    • Free Medical Information Card
    • Contact Us
  • EMS
    • EMS Dept. Links
    • EMS Sponsors
    • EMS Classified Ads
    • EMS Events
    • EMS Forum
  • Fire & Rescue
    • Fire & Rescue Dept. Links
    • Fire & Rescue Sponsors
    • Fire & Rescue Classified Ads
    • Fire & Rescue Events
    • Fire & Rescue Forum
    • SOS Supply
  • Law Enforcement
    • Law Enforcement Dept. Links
    • Law Enforcement Sponsors
    • Law Enforcement Classified Ads
    • Law Enforcement Events
    • Law Enforcement Forums
  • Towing & Utilities
    • Tow Equip
    • Towing Company Links
    • Towing Company Sponsors
    • Towing Classified Ads
    • Towing Events
    • Towing & Utilities Forums
  • More
    • Dispatch
    • Explosives
    • HazMat
    • Lifeboat
    • Search & Rescue
    • U.S. Military >
      • Army
      • Navy
      • Air Force
      • Marines
      • Coast Guard
      • National Guard
      • Air National Guard
  • Forums
    • EMS Forums
    • Fire & Rescue Forums
    • Law Enforcement Forums
    • Towing & Utilities Forums
  • Info
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising >
      • Rate Page
      • Classified Ads
      • Links
      • Sponsorship
    • Resources
    • Disclaimer
    • State Listings
    • Site Map
  • Design
    • Website Design
    • SEO
    • Social Media Marketing
    • Hosting
    • Branding
    • Graphic Design
    • Printing
    • Signs and Banners
  • Blogs
    • Health Blog >
      • Mold Test Sale
    • Hub911 Blog
    • EMS Blog on Hub911
    • Fire Blog on Hub911
    • LEO Blog on Hub911
    • Towing Blog on Hub911 >
      • Positive Spin on Covid-19
      • COVID-19 and Isolationalism
    • PSA Blog
    • Hub911 Products Blog
    • Contests
    • Hub911 Recipies
  • Store
    • Service Animal Memorials
    • Contests
  • Print ID card
  • Parts Department Managment
  • New Page
  • New Page

Via Motors. Interesting Concept?

4/30/2012

4 Comments

 
Picture


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.  

By:


Picture
Picture
4 Comments

    Hub911.com

    Enjoy! Feel free to email ideas for topics or if you want to be a guest blogger.

    Archives

    April 2016
    December 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    \
    1966
    1975
    3 Wishes
    911
    Alert
    Alexander Griffin
    Ambulance
    Army
    Backdraft
    Believe In Santa
    Blog
    Blown Off Roof
    Book
    Brother
    Brothers
    Bryan Fass
    Carpe Diem
    Charlie Brown
    Checklist
    Chevrolet
    Christmas Eve For Linemen
    Cmas
    Congress
    Cost Recovery Fees
    Cyanide Exposure
    Dan Heidt
    Declarations
    Delivery
    Dial 9 Then 911
    Dialing 911 In Hotel Or Office
    Disabled American Veterans
    Dispatch
    Dispatcher
    Disposable Heroes
    Dodge
    Domino’s Pizza
    Edmund Fitzgerald
    Edmund Gratz
    Emergency
    Emergency Personnel
    Emergency Servicees Information
    Emergency Services
    Emergency Services Information
    Emergency Services Personnel
    Ems
    Emt
    Family
    Father
    Fire
    Fire Chief
    Fire Department
    Fire Departments
    Fire Dept
    Firefighter
    Fire Fitness
    Fire Safety Messages
    First Response
    Fitness Guide For Public Safety Professionals
    Fit Responder
    Ford
    Frank D. Harrisson
    Franz Stigler
    Friends
    Generator
    Gm
    Goals
    Hank Hunt
    Harlem
    Hazard
    History
    Hub911
    Hub911.com
    Hub911.com
    Hydrogen Cyanide Awareness
    Iraq
    July 3
    Kevin Hughes
    Key
    Kids
    Kurt Kamm
    La
    Ladders
    Ladder Truck
    Law Enforcement
    Legislation
    Leo
    Leprechaun
    Lfg Command Systems
    Lifestyle
    Lineman
    Linemen
    Los Angeles
    Malasian Jet
    Manager
    Michael Meakin
    Michigan
    Mismatched Photos
    Missing Jet
    Name
    New York
    Nick Kemper
    No Back Up
    Nov 10
    Ocean Bomber
    Organization
    Paramedic
    Parts Guy
    Patrol Cars
    Phoenix
    Police
    Police Officer
    Pompier Axe
    Pride In A Nation
    Proof Of Santa
    Public Safety
    Public Service
    Ring
    Safe
    Safe Haven For Newborns
    Safety
    Santa Claus Does Exist
    Saved Life
    September 9
    Sherry Wood
    Song
    Star Spangled Banner
    Texas
    The National Fire Protection Association
    Todd Platner
    Tom Giorgi
    Towing
    Towing Industry: Driver
    Tow Truck
    Traffic Crashes
    Unicorn
    United States
    Urban Legends
    Vehicle
    Vehicles
    Via Motors
    Vietnam
    Volunteer
    Wea
    Wood Spokes
    Wrecker
    Wwii
    Www.hub911.com

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.