Workhorse Has 1,000 Orders For Plug-in Hybrid Electric Pickup Truck

Workhorse says a number of potential customers have contacted the company about buying its plug-in hybrid electric pickup truck. In total, it says Clean Fuels Ohio, Duke Energy, Portland General Electric, the city of Orlando, Florida, and the Southern California Public Power Authority have indicated they are interested in purchasing as many as 1,000 examples of the all new hybrid electric pickup truck.

Dubbed the W-15, it will be revealed to the public for the first time on May 2. Workhorse says its factory in Union City, Ohio will have a capacity of 60,000 units a year. As of this time, the suggested retail price will be $52,500.

The Workhorse W-15 is similar to other light duty pickup trucks like the Ford F 150, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram in size, payload, and towing capacity. It will be rated for 2,200 lbs of cargo and come with a 5,000 towing capacity.  The prototype has a 4 door cab and seating for 5. It also features an extra wide load bed.

What sets the W-15 apart from anything else on the market is a relatively long 75+ mile electric only range and four wheel drive capability. It has two electric motors, one for the rear wheels and one for the front wheels. It will also feature an on-board gasoline powered range extender engine, either the 0.7 liter two cylinder unit from the BMW i3 sedan or the 1.5 liter 3 cylinder from the BMW i8 sports car. The lithium ion battery pack will use battery cells manufactured by Panasonic and will be mounted in the center of the vehicle where its weight will not adversely affect the handling of the vehicle.

The W-15 should have exceptional offroad capability with its 11 inches of ground clearance, generous electric motor torque, and all wheel drive characteristics — features not available in the up-fitted Ford F-150 plug-in hybrid pickup trucks from XL Hybrids.

The W-15 will be the “safest pickup ever built,” the company says. The weight of the batteries will be carried low in the chassis for excellent stability. The pickup will be built on a ladder type frame made of stainless steel. In addition to standard electronic stability control, the truck will have larger than normal crumple zones and the body will be made of composite panels that don’t dent or rust.

Workhorse already provides a plug-in hybrid powertrain to UPS for its package delivery vans. It claims those vans are five times more fuel efficient than the standard vans in the UPS fleet and will cost 60% less to maintain. UPS has been testing the Workhorse system and has just placed an order for 125 more.

There is no word yet when or if Workhorse intends to sell its W-15 to private customers. Perhaps it will have enough commercial customers to keep its factory busy for a while. But interest from the general public should be quite high when and if the company decides to address that market.

Source: Truck Trend