AMP Holding Inc. says it has filed a provisional patent for electric-vehicle range-extending technology called E-GEN Drive, which has been designed specifically for the package-delivery fleet market.
‘We believe that battery electric technology is an ideal fit for urban and suburban delivery routes, and we understand fleet owners' concerns about range anxiety and cost,’ says Steve Burns, CEO of AMP. ‘Our E-GEN Drive system will enable them to keep the batteries recharged to a consistent state of charge throughout the day, and, since we are able to use smaller battery packs, we can reduce the cost of the entire system.’
Burns claims that E-GEN Drive trucks, with vouchers, offer a three-year payback.
‘Our association with Power Solutions International provides us with multi-fuel engines that function as generators,’ adds Don Wires, AMP's chief technology officer. ‘When the ignition is shut off, the engine automatically turns on and recharges the battery pack. When the ignition is turned back on, the engine turns off and the vehicle reverts to all-electric power. The engine and the battery-powered motor are never in use at the same time. It's not a traditional hybrid – it's an extended-range electric vehicle.’
The company says the new trucks will be built at the Workhorse plant in Union City, Ind. In addition to battery-electric power, AMP can equip the Workhorse chassis with gasoline, propane or natural gas engines.
