I got to see and drive the Via Motors VTRUX yesterday. This is a Chevy Silverado which the company converts, with the cooperation of GM, into a plug-in hybrid truck. The one I drove had a four wheel drive system. The truck had awesome pickup (was able to get it to 60 miles/hr within a short distance in a parking lot), and when in four wheel drive it had awesome pulling capability. Plus, as you see in this video, it has power export capability with both 120v and 240v power outlets. The hybrid part of the truck is a 150 kilowatt generator, so the truck could be on a construction site powering quite a lot of power tools including arc welders.
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WOW! "Watt" is the estimated cost and will it be available to most Chevrolet dealers? Mighty impressive. That is the ultimate platform for an electric vehicle. Lots of room for any extra odds and ends like RVing and construction. Right now the most popular conversion is the S-10 because of the strong frame. Now I am not going looking for a Chevrolet Volt because of the release of this article. I like the idea of a true Hybrid for if one can't get regular gasoline maybe a conversion to LPG or just pure 240 volt charging. Again there is more play room for innovation here. "I would give a Guesstimate of 50K for a base price easy?" If they got it in some sort of white color for "logo" to be placed on door for self business. My generators at the house are going bad because I forget to run them twice a year and they are small anyways so having a vehicle and generator in one will be a terrific idea. If it is the Silverado line truck then that means it has decades of reliability for a truck.
KB1UKU
You can hear him say in the video - that his dream is for GM to start manufacturing this under a license. In the meantime it is sold direct from Via Motors, and the trucks all have Via Motors branding. No GM branding.
I wrote this up:- Save money while being green with a Via Motors VTRUX plug-in hybrid pickup truck http://www.torquenews.com/1075/save-money-while-being-green-motors-vtrux-plug-hybrid-pickup-truck
Based on an interactive calculator they have here:- http://www.viamotors.com/vtrux/life-cycle-savings-calculator/#calculate
The company is not selling to regular folk. Currently they are leasing to fleets.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
David
How do you tweak the calculator? http://www.viamotors.com/vtrux/life-cycle-savings-calculator/#calculate I am retired and drive way less than 12,000 miles a year. How do you make cost of electricity to 13.5 cents a KWH to 21.5 a KWH.We have to pay for a Nuclear power plant that failed.
Also how do I change driving days per week to maybe one or two? Some people just have their vehicles sit for days on end here in our complex. Retirement community. I usually just ride a bike to store or jump on XM-3000 if I really need a lot of groceries. With a J-1772 on XM-300 scooter I get a near full charge in about 1/2 hour. Not worth plugging in. In California isn't the price of electricity real high there too. It can't be as cheap as the calculator. I never have heard of under ten cents a KWH, well except when power companies buy it back for a nickel.
Life Cycle Savings Calculator™
Calculate Your Total Savings over an 8 Year Life Cycle.
Truck Van State Incentives $0 State Incentive $7,500 Federal Credit $7,500
Miles driven per Year 40,000 Miles 12,000 Miles 12,00021,00031,00040,000
Driving Days a week 7 Days 5 Days 567
Cost of Electricty Estimated average EV rate (night time) is 7.5 cents over next 8 years
3.0 12.0 ¢ per kWh 3456789101112
Price of Gas Estimated average price is $5.34/Gal over next 8 years
KB1UKU
Then, probably this truck won't work out for you anyway?
Seriously, Via Motors at the moment are not targeting people like you. They're explicitly targeting businesses that have largeish fleets of work trucks that are having to run all week long all day long. Their primary partner is the local utility company, PG&E.
Someone that's driving one or two days a week doesn't have much opportunity to save much $$$'s on gasoline because you're just not spending that much to begin with.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki