The changing climate: Urban area applications are poised for Chanje

The changing climate: Urban area applications are poised for Chanje

chanje

With global regulations emphasizing low or zero emissions within densely populated urban areas and the continued development of electric drive train technology, the current climate within the electrical vehicle space is crackling. So much so that the industry’s tried-and-true diesel engine manufacturer, Cummins, has thrown a host of time, money and, pardon the pun, energy at developing an electric drivetrain, and new players have entered the market; Chanje, a California-based commercial electric vehicle (EV) and energy solutions company, being the most notable.

The company is planning to introduce a commercial all-electric medium-duty truck available at mass scale in the U.S. market. In fact, Chanje already has volume orders to be delivered later this year. The trucks are currently being manufactured in Asia, with a U.S. assembly facility location soon to be announced. Fully charged, Chanje is targeting last mile urban delivery applications with truck hauling up to 6,000 lbs. or 580 cu. ft. of cargo.

“The truck’s 100-mile range is well-suited to serve a majority of the medium-duty urban delivery market,” said Austin Hausmann, Chanje’s chief engineer. “A bulk of those routes are less than 70 miles a day. Range tends to be a variable that is difficult to tie down, particularly in a commercial space, but we are comfortable with a 100-mile route within an urban city’s center.”

According to Hausmann, one of the biggest urban delivery advantages is that the routes are typically the same, day-in and day-out, and the trucks return to base at the end of the night. This allows a fleet to plan for charging needs. Chanje’s charging times is approximately eight to 10 hours, depending on the daily duty-cycle. Speaking of which, Hausmann detailed the impact duty-cycle has on the drive system.

“In a parcel delivery application,” he began, “you could have a route profile that doesn’t see more than 1,000 lbs. of payload on a daily basis. At the same time, it’s feasible to put three pallets of materials in this vehicle and take it 80 miles to its final destination. So, you’re looking at up to 6,000 lbs. of payload for a significant amount of time. With that range of applications, you can see range fluctuations, and then it really depends on the route: How many hills are there? Is it true urban environment; what does the highway profile look like? Most of these implications are minor, and we sit down with customers to take range anxieties off the table early.”

Though EVs are a new technology to the medium-duty space, the way you approach buying them mirrors your current truck purchasing process: It’s going to come down to your ROI and comfort with the electric drive technology. If you are looking into electric trucks, Hausmann recommends getting into the EV driver seat.

“Get in the vehicle and drive it and experience it,” he advised. “I think the majority of the operations haven’t had the experience of driving an all-electric vehicle in this space. It’s quiet. There are no emissions. You don’t smell like fumes at the end of the day. All the same reasons that you’re seeing increased adoption at the passenger car level make even more sense in the commercial space, because at the end of the day, they’re business owners and they’re trying to save money on their fleet operations.”

RELATED: For more on Chanje and how its partnership with Ryder will usher the new truck maker into the market, check out the medium-duty column by Seth Skydel here.

You May Also Like

Light-duty truck FUSO Canter celebrates its 60th anniversary

More than 4.5 million FUSO Canters have been produced across the world since the market launch in 1963.

FUSO, the Japanese subsidiary of Daimler Truck, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Canter light truck. Since its market launch in 1963, more than 4.5 million FUSO Canters have been produced worldwide.

According to the recent press release from the company, the first generation Canter entered the Japanese market in March 1963 as the T720 cab-over type model. Since the first generation, FUSO has continuously developed the vehicle corresponding to the demands of customers and society. In addition to consisting driving performance and comfort, the Canter has achieved ever-higher levels of fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness over the decades through continuous engine improvements.

So you want to write for Fleet Equipment?

Of course you do. As the premiere online publication for the heavy-duty truck market, charting the latest in trucking equipment, technology, and service trends, Fleet Equipment has a knack for digging up the stories behind the stories (while having a lot of fun along the way). Now you can be a part of it! But

Write for Fleet Equipment
Babcox Media mourns the passing of Tim Fritz, longtime editor and friend

Babcox Media Editor Tim Fritz passed away on Feb. 23 from a heart attack. He was 53 years old. Related Articles – Debating the merits of ethanol – Why isn’t a truck’s appearance part of the PM process? – Change is coming to U.S. energy policies Tim joined Babcox Media in 1990 and spent 31

Tim-Fritz-1400x700
What’s behind the slow adoption of FA-4 oil?

Introduced three years ago, the American Petroleum Institute (API)’s CK-4 and FA-4 oil categories were billed as the next generation of oil, improving on the engine protection and fuel economy benefits offered by previous engine oil categories.

Slow-Adoption-Oil-800x400
How will today’s ‘customer focus’ translate to tomorrow’s electric trucks?

Over the past three years, OEMs have invested heavily in driver-focused equipment benefits—from cozy creature comforts to uptime- and productivity-boosting technology. Today, significant R&D investment is going into the development of electric trucks—probing the possibilities of untested powertrains in hopes of producing a product that meets application needs.

Volvo-electric-truck-VNR-800x400

Other Posts

The Shyft Group will build Blue Arc all-electric commercial vehicles in Michigan

This $16 million investment will allow The Shyft Group to expand its engineering and manufacturing campus in Michigan.

Shyft Group manufacturing blue arc ev
Mack Trucks enters partnerships with Heliox, Gilbarco to increase charging accessibility

Mack says the partnership will provide customers access to on-hand inventory and hardware installation services.

Heliox Gilbarco Veeder-Root Mack
Bruckner Truck Sales in Colorado is now a Mack Trucks EV-Certified Dealer

Bruckner Truck Sales offers 36 service bays, 26 technicians, 12 master techs and two EV-certified techs.

Mack Bruckner Truck Sales
Lightning eMotors announces Buy America certification for passenger van

The Buy America Certification will allow fleets to transition to electric vehicles more quickly.

Lightning-eMotors