VIA Motors Delivers Range Extended Hybrid Trucks to PG&E
VIA Motors has delivered a pair of Chevrolet Silverado-based eREV pickup trucks to the California based Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The extended-range electric vehicles will join PG&E’s fleet of work trucks.
Similar to how the Chevrolet Volt operates, the eREV pickup allows for 40 miles of full electric operation but can switch to a 4.6L V6 to replenish the batteries acting as a 15-kilowatt generator for the electric motor. In total, the eREV pickup is capable of a 400-mile cruising range.
Vice Chairman of General Motors and VIA Motors Board Member Bob Lutz predicted that the eREV truck could “average about 100-mpg or more,” which is a substantial difference compared to the Silverado LT’s 13-mpg city rating.
While equipping PG&E with an electric pickup truck is great to save fuel and our environment, the truck is also fully capable of powering almost any tool that a PG&E technician would need to use at a work site. But the future is what’s exciting. PG&E hopes that one day the capacity could be increased to shorten or eliminate planned outages during maintenance, or even provide emergency power to businesses and residences.
In essence, an electrified pickup could hook itself up to the power infrastructure and boost the electric grid while PG&E employees work on resolving the issue at hand. Now that would be pretty cool.
PG&E hopes to add more eREV pickups to their fleet down the road.
[Source: CNet]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
More by Jason Siu
Comments
Join the conversation