Motiv Power Systems Awarded $1.16 Million Grant For Electric Truck Chassis
Feb 29, 2012 10:13 AM
Motiv Power Systems, producer of electric vehicle (EV) powertrains for commercial trucks, has been awarded a $1.16 million grant by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for an assembly-line pilot run of four electric truck chassis in partnership with Detroit Chassis.
The grant will further validate Motiv’s Electric Powertrain Control System (ePCS), which provides a 100-mile range and whose total cost of ownership is approximately 50% less than a diesel powertrain over an eight-year period. The company’s new demonstration shuttle bus will be available for test drives at the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive event at the Work Truck Show and Green Truck Summit, March 6-9 in Indianapolis, IN (booth #5666).
“A ‘mix and match’ design is the future of the electric truck and we are thrilled to show the commercial trucking industry how ours works,” said Jim Castelaz, Founder and CEO of Motiv Power Systems. “Our ePCS design accommodates a wide variety of off-the-shelf batteries and components, allowing EV designers and truck chassis builders the flexibility to combine various components to meet a range of specifications without designing a new powertrain from scratch.”
Rather than offer a single electric truck model with limited component selection, Motiv’s ePCS works with a wide range of batteries and motors. This flexibility allows fleets to choose their battery vendors as well as vehicle range and power. Through its intelligent software control algorithms, Motiv’s ePCS actively manages power flow between all electrical components in the vehicle. It also captures and wirelessly broadcasts data to the Motiv “cloud” for monitoring and analysis. Factors such as battery charge, vehicle status and health provide detailed real-time analytics to support fleet operators in preventive service maintenance.
“Vehicle fleet owners view electric vehicles as a way to reduce both their carbon emissions and their operating cost,” said John Formisano, Motiv Advisory Board Member and Chairman of CALSTART, a member supported organization dedicated to supporting a growing high-tech, clean transportation industry. “High capital costs are often cited as the barrier to EV adoption. But Motiv’s technology enables component flexibility and holds the potential to reduce the costs of EVs and allow electric trucks to become more mainstream.”
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