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Electric Van w recycled carbon fiber
Ran across this video featuring a prototype mini-van produced by Morris Commercial vehicles in GB that comes in with a half-ton payload in a vehicle weighing roughly 1200 Kilos. According to the spiel, this classic design that harkens to the pre-WWII period, uses an aluminum chassis with recycled carbon fiber shell to increase the interior/payload of the already available VW ID Buzz.
Watching the video, I took some of the specs and it appears this lightweight design is capable of something approaching 200 watts/mile or 5 miles a kwh from its range of battery options beginning at 40kwh.
The primary pitch seems to be that the entire vehicle is built and sourced in the UK from the battery to the electric motors and recycled CF panels and because of its light weight, is presumably the highest efficiency with highest volume and payload in the small van class. They are a custom manufacturer and hope to sell these vehicles as a halo delivery vehicle capable of handling city delivery with British pride:)
It missed the boat by failing to use in-wheel motors (not available from a UK source) or solar (at about 2400lbs – not much heavier than the Aptera) this Morris Van also seems to have invested very little in aerodynamics – although they did incorporate side-view and rear-view video cameras.
Anyway, I could see an adaptation of the Aptera skateboard to four-wheels and a structural van body which is likely constrained by the boxy necessity when it comes to aerodynamics.
Still, there are a ton of ‘retro’ van designs that could be ‘interesting’ given the principle of efficiency will have to accommodate marginal aerodynamics.
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This discussion was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by
bbelcamino.
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This discussion was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by
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Electric Van w recycled carbon fiber
updated 1 month, 1 week ago
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$75K plus VAT. Pretty pricey. But interesting for sure.