Workhorse electric van showcasing fuel efficiency equivalent of up to 75 mpg

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Updated Jul 31, 2018
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Workhorse Electric VanWorkhorse deployed the country’s first fleet of all-electric, zero-emission N-GEN cargo vans in April in San Francisco through a partnership with Ryder, who serves as the exclusive maintenance provider for Workhorse’s light- and medium-duty range-extended electric vehicle fleet in North America.

To-date, the N-GEN – among the first commercial electric trucks to go through real-world trials in the U.S. – is demonstrating a fuel efficiency equivalent (mpge) of 40 mpge in a 450 cubic foot van configuration, the company said Monday.

The smaller 200 cubic foot version and its 75 mpge represents an up to 500 percent improvement versus conventional gas delivery vans. Both vans feature fast-charging capabilities and achieve 100 miles all-electric range. The trials on both units have included the delivery of upwards of 100,000 packages for the final mile targeted electric all-wheel drive van.

“As we progress toward the full production launch of our N-GEN vehicle platform, we are encouraged that these real-life pilots, alongside our durability testing, are yielding the operational, driver and reliability performance that was our design intent,” says Workhorse CEO Steve Burns. “With our ability to offer fleets N-GEN all-electric vehicles at price parity with conventional gas vehicles, large and small fleet operators have the potential to significantly reduce annual operational expenses, as well as realize the driver and sustainability benefits of moving to all-electric.”

N-GEN vans feature fast-charging capabilities and a 100 mile all-electric range. The built-in Workhorse Metron telematics system tracks all parameters in real time to optimize performance and efficiency. Design options will include collision avoidance system, automatic braking, lane centering warning and optional patented HorseFly unmanned package delivery drone.

Jason Cannon has written about trucking and transportation for more than a decade and serves as Chief Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. A Class A CDL holder, Jason is a graduate of the Porsche Sport Driving School, an honorary Duckmaster at The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee, and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Reach him at [email protected]