Today’s Utility Vehicles – Plug in. Power on.
By Jeff Moreau, Corporate Accounts and Marketing Manager, Star EV
You want power, pay load and performance. No need to pay for it at the pump anymore. Today’s emerging utility vehicles are powered with a plug.
This doesn’t mean settling for a golf cart with a utility box. Industrial businesses looking to green their fleet, are instead, choosing EVs with a truck-like platform. Steel chassis, rugged suspension, more batteries, stronger motors, better amperage in the controllers. These factors satisfy utilitarian needs while being sustainable at the same time.
Some EV manufacturers see this trend as opportunity to cross sectors and tap into the industrial, utility markets. It’s easy to see why. At Star EV, our best selling utility vehicle is a pick-up truck capable of carrying close to a ton! Battery powered – built to last. It, like other electric pick-up trucks, offers a solid base to the most discerning of material handlers.
The question with any electric utility vehicle is range. Most 48 volt systems, should last up to 50 miles – depending on battery configuration. This is exceptional range in the low-speed setting, where utility EVs can really earn their keep. Take a college campus for instance: why have a gas-powered truck haul around equipment? If the speed limit is 25mph and lower, an electric truck is a more than capable contender.
Cities are plugging in too. With the push to go green, many municipalities are downsizing their fleets and finding unique ways to utilize electric mobility. From electric parking enforcement cruisers to electric grounds maintenance trucks to downtown electric buses, there are many ways for cities to plug in and power on.
As a member of Star EV’s marketing team, I’ve seen the competitive EV utility field firsthand. We exhibited at the Moving Ahead conference at The Ohio State University in May. Alongside our 48-volt pick-up and electric dump truck, were an electric mail delivery truck used by FedEx and an electric freight carrier in the Staples fleet. These are pure battery-powered utility vehicles – no hybrids. It’s an encouraging sign of where the EV industry is headed.
Star B48-2D, the bubble electric dump truck with a hydraulic bed.
We all know oil isn’t getting cheaper – gas and diesel prices will continue to rise – so look for a surge in the electric utility market. Battery technology continues to improve allowing for more EVs to thrive in the utilitarian and industrial sectors. Most low-speed electric utility vehicles run on lead-acid batteries. These are tried and true in the industry – cost-effective, average 600-cycle lifespan although requiring proper, routine maintenance. AGM (absorbent glass material) batteries offer maintenance-free usage, longer shelf life and won’t spill. Lithium batteries currently provide the most bang for the buck. These batteries, like the ones used in cell phones (only way bigger), come maintenance free, emit zero gasses, weigh less, have faster charge times and offer peak performance throughout a charge cycle. Lithium is becoming the new standard for electric utility vehicles.
At Star EV, we’re tapping into the potential of lithium batteries – with new industrial EVs powered by 72-volt, lithium battery systems. Lighter weight and longer charges allow for better hauling, dumping, towing and more rigorous workload for the electric utility vehicle. In order to compete with petroleum-based utility vehicles, lithium offers the best performance capability out there right now and without question, the most eco-friendly alternative to gas or diesel.
I believe the biggest challenge in the electric vehicle market is infrastructure. Everyone has 110-volt power availability – but building charging stations equipped with 220-volt outlets can really cut charging time in half and help keep these plug-in powered utility EVs on the road longer. Infrastructure is the next step in the building blocks of EVs and much like gas or diesel, there will eventually be a market standard battery and reciprocal charging capability that will define where the EVs of tomorrow are headed.
About the Author:
An unabashed fan of plug-in cars, Jeff Moreau left his Emmy award winning career in TV news to get behind the EV movement. Jeff joined Star EV in January after a decade on the anchor desk. One news story last October sold Jeff on this company, electric vehicles and offering folks a sustainable way to travel.
Jeff handles corporate sales and is an integral member of the marketing team at Star EV – a company dedicated to advancing electric mobility.
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