Balqon Not To Be Left Behind: New Highway-Ready Electric Truck
Filed Under: green automotive technology, zoomilife.com on October 7, 2009
A few days ago, we brought you news of Vision Motor’s plans to sell their hydrogen fuel-cell big trucks through LA Freightliner. Balqon, the other big player in this electric big trucks game, has now announced that they will be producing an on-road highway-ready version of their trucks as well.
Previously, we talked about the drayage trucks that Balqon is already producing for dockside service in Southern California. Now that technology is being used to build Class 7 and 8 heavy trucks for on-road service in short-haul applications.
The first model, the Mule 150, uses the lithium-ion batteries and electric power train that Balqon has put in their port trucks. The Mule 150 is capable of carrying up to 7 tons, can travel at 55mph (California speed limit for large vehicles) and has an unloaded range of 150 miles and a fully-loaded range of 90 miles.
The Mule 150 uses the same battery pack that the drayage trucks do as well as the same motor technology. It’s built on a cab-over design in safety steel. It’s expected to release this quarter and has already undergone safety and performance testing. No word yet on who is supplying the box and accessories (explaining why they’re drawn in on the publicity photo above). Those are traditionally built by someone other than the vehicle manufacturer, often to customer spec.
Expect to see these operating around the Los Angeles and San Diego areas soon!
