# Electric delivery vehicle?



## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Hi everyone,

I need a little advise please. Me and my business partner have been thinking about starting to use electric vehicles as delivery vehicles. So were thinking about having a solar panel/wind farm at our business premises so that we can use the power generated from them to charge our vehicles. We want to start small with one vehicle then and test to see if it's feasible.

We were thinking off converting something like a small van or station wagon to electric. It needs to have a range of at least a 100km and be able to drive like any other normal car in traffic, top speed is not that important but it should be able to keep up with traffic. The vehicle will be recharged at our premises using power generated via solar and wind.

What we need help with is just to see how viable it can be, so we need to know what motor,how many batteries,,,,,etc the vehicle weight is around 1400kg's excluding items to be delivered, items wont weight more then 100kg's max driver will be around 100kg's as well. So its a total weight of around 1600kg's excluding electric motor and battery bank. Normal petrol engine in the car with transmission will be around 200 - 250 kg's so it's 1400kg's excluding electric motor and battery bank.

So if any one is willing to help us out to see what will be needed to put all this together so that we can see what the cost will be and if it's even viable it will be greatly appreciated. We are based in South Africa and all our roads are smooth and no off roading


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Sagmartindia said:


> I am new member at here. I like your idea and i will think about it.


Hi Sagmartindia  I am new as well, thank you it will help a lot.


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

I like the idea but unless you and your business partner are the ones that will be driving the electric delivery vehicle I don't think doing your own conversion is a good idea unless you have a very big budget to build a state of the art vehicle. You have to think about maintenance and then there is liability. Most DIY electric vehicles do not have the sophisticated self monitoring systems as some of the store bought models. With a DIY one is constantly monitoring batteries and the like. Then there is who will be driving the vehicles. Electrics feel different from ICE's so can be tempting to hot rod. I think it would be better to look at something on the market that would fit your need and screen the drivers thoroughly.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

LOOM said:


> I need a little advise please. Me and my business partner have been thinking about starting to use electric vehicles as delivery vehicles. So were thinking about having a solar panel/wind farm at our business premises so that we can use the power generated from them to charge our vehicles. We want to start small with one vehicle then and test to see if it's feasible.....


Hi LOOM,

I like your idea and think it would be a great application for EV technology. It would be ideal if there were such a battery powered vehicle ready-made which you could purchase or lease. But, although factory built EVs are available and actually becoming somewhat popular, there are none on a van or station wagon platform. 

I assume that such a delivery vehicle used for business would need a high level of reliability and safety as an employee would be the driver. It should be easy to use similar to a conventional gas powered van. Unless you and/or your friends and associates are skilled in the automotive and electrical fields and have the facility and time to devote to a conversion, you should seek to hire this done by a worthy company or individual.

Here is a suggestion. Find a automobile dealership from a company that offers an EV for sale or lease. Nissan Leaf is a prime example. Arrange for a test drive. Drive around your intended route and feel it out, so to speak. Then look at the cost of ownership of that vehicle including the charge station. I would think that would give you a good idea of the minimum cost involved. I doubt that a reasonably good conversion suitable for your business could be had for less and could cost more.

The drive cycle and payload you outlined seem to fit the capabilities of the Leaf, as well as some other OEM EVs. So I think that can give you an indication of the system requirements. Those would have about a 24 kWh battery and propulsion system with about 80 kW peak, IIRC. Perhaps such an existing EV could be modified to suit your needs, like removing the back seat.

Well, some of my thoughts, good luck.

major


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

dragonsgate said:


> I like the idea but unless you and your business partner are the ones that will be driving the electric delivery vehicle I don't think doing your own conversion is a good idea unless you have a very big budget to build a state of the art vehicle. You have to think about maintenance and then there is liability. Most DIY electric vehicles do not have the sophisticated self monitoring systems as some of the store bought models. With a DIY one is constantly monitoring batteries and the like. Then there is who will be driving the vehicles. Electrics feel different from ICE's so can be tempting to hot rod. I think it would be better to look at something on the market that would fit your need and screen the drivers thoroughly.


Thanks for the reply, even a ICE needs maintenance so that's no problem. Can you specify a little more on the liability please? Certainly there has to be monitoring software as well as hardware out there like a ICE's ecu? Currently there are no 100% electric vehicles for sale here.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

major said:


> Hi LOOM,
> 
> I like your idea and think it would be a great application for EV technology. It would be ideal if there were such a battery powered vehicle ready-made which you could purchase or lease. But, although factory built EVs are available and actually becoming somewhat popular, there are none on a van or station wagon platform.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much major.

Those are some very good points and suggestions. The thing is the nissan leaf is incredibly expensive here, you can by a bmw m5 for the price  we would much rather invest the money in developing such a conversion and convert our current vehicles to all electric. That's why we were thinking about taking an existing vehicle and converting it. There's no problem with the time it would take to do the conversion as long as we get what we require. Thank you again for the advise.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

LOOM said:


> Thank you very much major.
> 
> Those are some very good points and suggestions. The thing is the nissan leaf is incredibly expensive here, you can by a bmw m5 for the price  we would much rather invest the money in developing such a conversion and convert our current vehicles to all electric. That's why we were thinking about taking an existing vehicle and converting it. There's no problem with the time it would take to do the conversion as long as we get what we require. Thank you again for the advise.


O.K. I think you can use those parameters for starters regarding battery energy and power. And cost. Also, I'd check into licensing and insurance of a converted vehicle put into commercial use.


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## QuietCar (Jan 3, 2013)

You might contact some of the EV equipment suppliers. A lot of them have converted vehicles as Shop or delivery use. Maybe they could better advise?

QC


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

major said:


> O.K. I think you can use those parameters for starters regarding battery energy and power. And cost. Also, I'd check into licensing and insurance of a converted vehicle put into commercial use.


Thanks major


QuietCar said:


> You might contact some of the EV equipment suppliers. A lot of them have converted vehicles as Shop or delivery use. Maybe they could better advise?
> 
> QC


Good advise Quiet


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

If you have watched the news you will notice that there are constantly lawsuits against companies and a lot of them are frivolous. You pay someone to make deliveries for your business and you have to have insurance to cover them against accidents. You build your own EV and pay someone to drive it on deliveries you have added a new element. Say your driver is on delivery and has an accident with minor injuries while driving an ICE vehicle and your driver isn't even at fault. Nine times out of ten it will pass off as a routine accident. Add the fact that it is an electric conversion and it could raise concern and some ambulance chaser might see an opportunity for a lawsuit. Even if you won it still is a hassle and could cost you............ In the late 50's through the 70's I saw electric mail trucks in Southern California. I still think Electric vehicles for deliveries is a bang up idea and you have my full support for what it is worth but go slow and check all the angles. Major covered that pretty good. As for maintenance... A lot of people have a basic idea of how a gas engine works but with electric it is more of a mystery. I have kept my car running for 14 years and I still don't know doodely.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

dragonsgate said:


> If you have watched the news you will notice that there are constantly lawsuits against companies and a lot of them are frivolous. You pay someone to make deliveries for your business and you have to have insurance to cover them against accidents. You build your own EV and pay someone to drive it on deliveries you have added a new element. Say your driver is on delivery and has an accident with minor injuries while driving an ICE vehicle and your driver isn't even at fault. Nine times out of ten it will pass off as a routine accident. Add the fact that it is an electric conversion and it could raise concern and some ambulance chaser might see an opportunity for a lawsuit. Even if you won it still is a hassle and could cost you............ In the late 50's through the 70's I saw electric mail trucks in Southern California. I still think Electric vehicles for deliveries is a bang up idea and you have my full support for what it is worth but go slow and check all the angles. Major covered that pretty good. As for maintenance... A lot of people have a basic idea of how a gas engine works but with electric it is more of a mystery. I have kept my car running for 14 years and I still don't know doodely.


Thank you dragonsgate. All the advise given is much appreciated and helps us a lot. Thank you for the support


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

How critical is the 100km range? Do you really need that between charges? Or can you adjust your deliver schedule and route to reduce that?

Also what sort of speed do you want and what and road conditions are you going to be driving on?

Where did you get the vehicle weights that you are working with?


I ask all this because we (my partner's organisation) are testing a French Goupil for their recycling collection round.
http://www.goupil-industrie.eu/


They are managing 2-3 days between charges on good days as the round is not too long, though there is a lot of back and forth running about. 
So far it is good enough for them to be negotiating leasing one via a contract with the local City Council.

I will check what the actual range is at some point.
Maybe changing its lead acid pack for a lithium pack would stretch its range, and reduce its weight.



I would have one for my work but it only has a 27mph (43km/h) top speed and I really need 40mph for the local roads.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Woodsmith said:


> How critical is the 100km range? Do you really need that between charges? Or can you adjust your deliver schedule and route to reduce that?
> 
> Also what sort of speed do you want and what and road conditions are you going to be driving on?
> 
> ...


Rang is important because it can get a little far between delivery's depending. 80km/h top speed will be okay, it's all smooth tared roads. It's more or less the vehicles we are working with. That vehicle looks good but range and speed is need.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

LOOM said:


> Rang is important because it can get a little far between delivery's depending. 80km/h top speed will be okay, it's all smooth tared roads. It's more or less the vehicles we are working with. That vehicle looks good but range and speed is need.


Yup, I can relate to that.

We've spent best part of two+ years just looking for something that will do what we need on the recycling round and the Goupil is perfect for that with it all being in the same small city.

I guess serious distances can't really be reduced much to make a difference.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Woodsmith said:


> Yup, I can relate to that.
> 
> We've spent best part of two+ years just looking for something that will do what we need on the recycling round and the Goupil is perfect for that with it all being in the same small city.
> 
> I guess serious distances can't really be reduced much to make a difference.


The Goupil looks really good wish they were where. Yeah we are seriously looking at hybrids now like the toyota prius at they over better fuel economy in the urban areas then the diesels do compared to the volumetrice weight they can carry.


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## PhantomPholly (Aug 20, 2008)

LOOM said:


> We were thinking off converting something like a small van or station wagon to electric. It needs to have a range of at least a 100km and be able to drive like any other normal car in traffic, top speed is not that important but it should be able to keep up with traffic. The vehicle will be recharged at our premises using power generated via solar and wind.
> 
> What we need help with is just to see how viable it can be, so we need to know what motor,how many batteries,,,,,etc the vehicle weight is around 1400kg's excluding items to be delivered, items wont weight more then 100kg's max driver will be around 100kg's as well. So its a total weight of around 1600kg's excluding electric motor and battery bank. Normal petrol engine in the car with transmission will be around 200 - 250 kg's so it's 1400kg's excluding electric motor and battery bank.


Hey there Loom,

You did not mention the volume of the cargo to be delivered - is it something like pizzas which don't take much space? I ask because your cargo weight is so small that if it is not bulky you could use a very small car - and smaller is cheaper when it comes to how big your battery pack must be for a given range and performance.

63 miles / 100 km range is not out of order for a DIY vehicle, your tougher challenge is cost. Keeping up with traffic means different things different places - in Atlanta it means top cruising speed of at least 100km/hr and that's only in the slow lane... 

Anyway, you should look through the album of builds here to get an idea of what might work for you. A Chevy S10 can definitely meet your needs and may be easier to convert than some others, but because it is on the heavy side will cost more in batteries. Motor and controller are small and light compared to the pack, so performance is a matter of $$$ not of space / weight.

Lastly, considering how much it would cost you both in money and time to roll your own, I should mention that it might be worth your while to LEASE a Leaf. As a business you can write off much of the cost, which might offset the steep costs in your country enough to make it worthwhile. Also, a used Leaf might similarly save enough money to tip the scales.

Whatever you decide, good luck!


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

PhantomPholly said:


> Hey there Loom,
> 
> You did not mention the volume of the cargo to be delivered - is it something like pizzas which don't take much space? I ask because your cargo weight is so small that if it is not bulky you could use a very small car - and smaller is cheaper when it comes to how big your battery pack must be for a given range and performance.
> 
> ...


Volume depends greatly on what orders we get, but on average 1kg volumetrice wright which is about 16x16x16 cm boxes. We do get bigger items but that's an average. Keeping up with traffic is about 60km/h on average with a few 100km/h stretches. I will take a look thank you. The thing with the leaf is there are only starting to sell them here so there is no used ones or that you are able to least but that is a very good idea. Our current options are the toyota prius, you can get a descent used one for about 4 times cheaper then a leaf. Where can I find out what size motor and battery bank I would need?

Thank you for the advise. We might get hold of the prius's first and continue on our 100% electric idea  we really want 100% electric vehicles but we need range, speed and the space to carry big items when necessary. Please keep the idea's coming


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## z_power (Dec 17, 2011)

How hard is it to import used car to SA? If it's within reasonable effort I'd consider importing used Berlingo/Partner from UK, these models seem to meet your expectations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Berlingo_%C3%A9lectrique


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

z_power said:


> How hard is it to import used car to SA? If it's within reasonable effort I'd consider importing used Berlingo/Partner from UK, these models seem to meet your expectations.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Berlingo_%C3%A9lectrique


That would work really well, but it's super hard to import car's here. They made it harder ever scene people started importing some really cool tuner cars.


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## PhantomPholly (Aug 20, 2008)

LOOM said:


> That would work really well, but it's super hard to import car's here. They made it harder ever scene people started importing some really cool tuner cars.


Where are you that it is so hard to import vehicles?


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

PhantomPholly said:


> Where are you that it is so hard to import vehicles?


Sunny South Africa


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Guy's will it be possible to build an all electric truck that can haul products about 1200km if you cover it with solar panels to help the battery's? It's a truck like this one.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

LOOM said:


> Guy's will it be possible to build an all electric truck that can haul products about 1200km if you cover it with solar panels to help the battery's?


Yes..., but with 10 km/h top speed 

Your best way to easily achieve your goal is to use a lightweight vehicle.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Yabert said:


> Yes..., but with 10 km/h top speed
> 
> Your best way to easily achieve your goal is to use a lightweight vehicle.


Lol, hey 10km/h is better then nothing  Yeah something lighter is needed.


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## green_EV 2000 (May 2, 2014)

dear:

if you need 100KM at least, and the maximum speed is not much required, it is recommended that you use; liithium battery(LFP) 96v/180AH, the cost is $ cell 5400$ + BMS 1,200$, motor 20KW, the price was about 3,000$,

best wish 

jack


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

Jack_winston said:


> dear:
> 
> if you need 100KM at least, and the maximum speed is not much required, it is recommended that you use; liithium battery(LFP) 96v/180AH, the cost is $ cell 5400$ + BMS 1,200$, motor 20KW, the price was about 3,000$,
> 
> ...


Hi Jack, how much maximum speed will I have to sacrifice? Thank you for telling me what is required. Anyone else have advise on motor size...etc?


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## green_EV 2000 (May 2, 2014)

LOOM said:


> Hi Jack, how much maximum speed will I have to sacrifice? Thank you for telling me what is required. Anyone else have advise on motor size...etc?


dear:

maximun speed can 60 km/h, i had the cell and motor SPEC, I will send to you , you can Reference, hope can help YOU

Battery: http://www.liyuanbattery.com.cn/En/...D=788672&CorpProductClass1_ID=81261&id=922994

motor: http://file01.up71.com/File/CorpProductImages/2013/12/08/0_liyuanbattery_7604_20131208065807.png


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## PStechPaul (May 1, 2012)

If you regularly follow the same general route it might be possible to set up charging/swap stations at certain points where you could swap out a fresh pack of batteries and leave a pack to be charged. EVs should be ideal for short haul deliveries with lots of stops. For long hauls, railways are most efficient, but involve more handling and longer delays. 

Solar cells on the truck probably won't help much. You might get 500 watts/m^2, so a truck might generate 2 kW or so, but a truck needs about 5 kW minimum even at low speeds. If it's in the sun for 12 hours you might get 6 kWh which might give you 20 miles of range at best.

It's a good thing you are trying to do. And it may be more efficient for people to order what they need, including food, and have it delivered, than driving to the store.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

PStechPaul said:


> If you regularly follow the same general route it might be possible to set up charging/swap stations at certain points where you could swap out a fresh pack of batteries and leave a pack to be charged. EVs should be ideal for short haul deliveries with lots of stops. For long hauls, railways are most efficient, but involve more handling and longer delays.
> 
> Solar cells on the truck probably won't help much. You might get 500 watts/m^2, so a truck might generate 2 kW or so, but a truck needs about 5 kW minimum even at low speeds. If it's in the sun for 12 hours you might get 6 kWh which might give you 20 miles of range at best.
> 
> It's a good thing you are trying to do. And it may be more efficient for people to order what they need, including food, and have it delivered, than driving to the store.


That's a good idea Paul thank you. Thank you for the support, yeah it would be more efficient and we will be offering free shipping as well. 

Can anyone please help with what size motor...etc we will need to use in the wagon?


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## PStechPaul (May 1, 2012)

I have made an EV calculator that might help determine your motor needs:
http://enginuitysystems.com/EVCalculator.htm

A 1600 kg vehicle moving 65 km/h (40 MPH) on a 2% slope will require 17 HP (12.5 kW) and will use 311 wh/mile (193 wh/km). That does not take into consideration the efficiency of the components. I think you will need something like a 22 kW (30 HP) motor as a minimum. It's probably better to use a larger motor which will run cooler and be more efficient, although its weight will cost some power and energy.

For a vehicle like this, I would recommend an AC motor, which will give you some regeneration payback, and less maintenance than a DC brushed motor. As others have suggested, look at the "garage" to see conversions similar to what you are considering, and you can see real-world figures for performance.


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## evnz (Jul 24, 2010)

Hi my ute weight is 1400 kg after converting to electric has a range of 45 km and can do 120 km/h top speed 
I used 90 ah batteries at 170 v (fully charged ) if you got more/bigger batteries and higher volts you could do 100 km easy 
I went dc motor but I would recommend ac motor and controller to get the regen to give more range 
As for cost $25000(nzd) for mine but I went over kill so I could drive it with out braking it
Have fun 
The link may help with photos


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

evnz said:


> Hi my ute weight is 1400 kg after converting to electric has a range of 45 km and can do 120 km/h top speed
> I used 90 ah batteries at 170 v (fully charged ) if you got more/bigger batteries and higher volts you could do 100 km easy
> I went dc motor but I would recommend ac motor and controller to get the regen to give more range
> As for cost $25000(nzd) for mine but I went over kill so I could drive it with out braking it
> ...


Hi evnz, thank you that helps a lot. What motor did you use?


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## evnz (Jul 24, 2010)

netgain warp 11 have you seen the link at the bottom by the photo ? and I sore the renalt kangoo van today not bad at 

have fun
owen

Hilux costings

$1000 ute
$4500 nettgain motor inc freight from USA
$342 cable 95mm2 x 9 m
$120 used vacuum pump 
$67 vacuum switch 
$109 water pump
$283 dc/dc charger and shock switch inc freight from AUS
$221 display and shunt inc slow freight from USA
$150 speed censer inc freight from USA
$2778 charger inc freight from NZ
$4775 controller and pot box inc freight from USA
$1400 motor to gearbox mount 
$150 wiring(12v wire)
$8200 batteries
$40 horn
$161 anderson plugs 4 
$220 Contactors
$100 relays and fuse box
$900 cert 
$100 hose and fittings
$100 fuse 500 amp dc
--------------
$24,916

Plus
Welding and gas 
Out work = front motor mount and shielding in engine bay,fly wheel balancing, heater and contactors


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## steelneck (Apr 19, 2013)

LOOM said:


> Guy's will it be possible to build an all electric truck that can haul products about 1200km if you cover it with solar panels to help the battery's? It's a truck like this one.


Yes it is possible, but not leagally if you want 1200km. Lets play a bit with some loose numbers. 

A truck like that usually is allowed to load around 5-7 tons, fully loaded they have a diesel consumption around 3.5L per 10km. A normal diesel car takes around 0.6L/10km in similar driving conditions, converted to electric the car can be expected to use 2kWh per 10km. This means that the truck would take around 12kWh/10km. So, to drive 1200km fully loaded would take 1440kWh, and the pack would need to be about 20% larger than that, so it would need a 1780kWh battery pack. The weight of a 1780kWh lithium battery pack would be around 18 ton. That is more than twice the weight it is allowed to carry legally on the road. But if we skip the legal road rules about axle weight. It would actually be possible. A front axle on a full size truck usually can carry 9 tons, and a heavy load rear axle with twin tires can take 18 (the truck in the pic. has lighter load axles), that is 27 ton. So, a truck with an empty weight of around 7 ton and 18 ton battery pack, is within what the chassie and axles can take, but not leagally on the road (i assume about similar rules in most of the western world).

But if we reduce the range to 120km.. now things look brighter. A battery pack for that in a truck like that would need to be around 178kWh and that has a weight around 1.8 ton. That leaves something like 3.2 to 5.2 ton for payload. Add to this that the elecrtic motor and suitable gearbox is a lot lighter than the around 6 liter diesel engine, and there is no 200L diesel tank either. So a payload around 3.5 to 5.2 ton would be possible in a pure electric truck with a range around 120km.


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## LOOM (Apr 29, 2014)

evnz said:


> netgain warp 11 have you seen the link at the bottom by the photo ? and I sore the renalt kangoo van today not bad at
> 
> have fun
> owen
> ...


Thank you evnz, I was taking a look at your build just before you posted. That is very impressive work and thank you for the break down of the cost 


steelneck said:


> Yes it is possible, but not leagally if you want 1200km. Lets play a bit with some loose numbers.
> 
> A truck like that usually is allowed to load around 5-7 tons, fully loaded they have a diesel consumption around 3.5L per 10km. A normal diesel car takes around 0.6L/10km in similar driving conditions, converted to electric the car can be expected to use 2kWh per 10km. This means that the truck would take around 12kWh/10km. So, to drive 1200km fully loaded would take 1440kWh, and the pack would need to be about 20% larger than that, so it would need a 1780kWh battery pack. The weight of a 1780kWh lithium battery pack would be around 18 ton. That is more than twice the weight it is allowed to carry legally on the road. But if we skip the legal road rules about axle weight. It would actually be possible. A front axle on a full size truck usually can carry 9 tons, and a heavy load rear axle with twin tires can take 18 (the truck in the pic. has lighter load axles), that is 27 ton. So, a truck with an empty weight of around 7 ton and 18 ton battery pack, is within what the chassie and axles can take, but not leagally on the road (i assume about similar rules in most of the western world).
> 
> But if we reduce the range to 120km.. now things look brighter. A battery pack for that in a truck like that would need to be around 178kWh and that has a weight around 1.8 ton. That leaves something like 3.2 to 5.2 ton for payload. Add to this that the elecrtic motor and suitable gearbox is a lot lighter than the around 6 liter diesel engine, and there is no 200L diesel tank either. So a payload around 3.5 to 5.2 ton would be possible in a pure electric truck with a range around 120km.


Hi steelneck, thank you for the example. So basically it can be done if you have checkpoints at which you swap out the batteries for freshly charged ones. 3.5 to 5.2 tons is a lot of physical weight in my industry, you will reach that in volumetrice weight way before you reach it in physical weight. So the rang could be extended a bit. Thank you for the help 

What about an 18 wheeler truck? and will it work to strap a diesel generator on the truck with a electric motor?


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## steelneck (Apr 19, 2013)

LOOM said:


> Hi steelneck, thank you for the example. So basically it can be done if you have checkpoints at which you swap out the batteries for freshly charged ones. 3.5 to 5.2 tons is a lot of physical weight in my industry, you will reach that in volumetrice weight way before you reach it in physical weight. So the rang could be extended a bit. Thank you for the help
> 
> What about an 18 wheeler truck? and will it work to strap a diesel generator on the truck with a electric motor?


Yes it can be done, it would actually be easier with a truck than a small car, but of course very expensive with tons of batteries. As you say, most larger "city delivery trucks" will never reach what it can load in tons, that leave a lot of margin for batteries. 

Also, the heavier vehicle the more there is to gain by regenarative braking. A truck has a lot lower both rolling resistance and drag compared to its weight than a small car. Just think how long a truck will roll without power from, say 50kmh, compared to a small car. Or compare to an 8 seat van, the van is around half the frontal area of the truck, but the truck is at least 4 times heavier.

A delivery truck with around 4 to 6 ton capacity do not have more engine power than a quite normal car. Around 200 Hp would be quite enough. In my example above i played with numbers assuming full load and no consideration of regenerative braking, so with a 1.8 ton battery pack the range would in reality be quite a bit more than 120km. 

In city delivery, where the average speed over a working day is very low, i can imagine that most trucks in such use never reaches 120km. Most of the working time for the driver is spent unloading and delivering the goods. So, it may not even be necessary swapping batteries, depending on driving conditions.

The 18-weheeler would maybe be a bit unrealistic. First, these trucks are used for long distances with usually a quite high average speed, they need a lot of range. But even if there was battery swapping checkpoints it would still be difficult. The 18-wheeler truck itself is rather small, not much longer than a car, it is the trailer that is big. But on the other side, i can imagine a small 400kg battery pack on the truck, the rest in the trailer. But often these trucks do not haul around the same trailer, so battery management could be a real challenge.

Yes, range could be extended with a diesel generator, in effect making it a hybrid. There are examples of folks having a generator on a small trailer behind their electric cars on long trips.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

Have you looked at how Smith Electric Vehicles do it?


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## evpower (Aug 9, 2013)

Interesting thread. I can share Nissan Leaf Cargo project. The conversion itself is very easy, the only difficult part is to make appropriate bar between the passenger space and cargo space. Also floor inside of Leaf is not very flat, so some kind of wooden desk or other material must be put on the floor.


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