New technology always starts expensive. Costs will come down with further investment and improvements. Early adopters always pay through the nose. Remember the first $14,000+ plasma TVs a few years back? Now you can have one for less than 1/4 of that price.

NBK: There's some info on range and charge times here.

120 mile range.
10-15 minute recharge time with an off-board charger.

Another angle would be for the motor to be connected to a transmission that could convert torque to hp. At low speeds, it would be all torque. As the vehicle accelerates, the output would shift to hp. This may be a way for electric cars to compete with ICE racecars. The pitstop would be different, tough. Depending on the way the batteries ae replaced, and race strategy, it may work for or against the electric racecar.
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___Separately, a ICE-electric Hybrid racecar could benefit from this. However, a ICE-hydraulic hybrid looks better.

Cervus -

note that recharging a vehicle in 10-15 minutes such that it gets 120 mile range (at what speed/driving cycle???) requires a much bigger power drop that Joe average has at his home. You're talking 220 or even 380V and tens of amperes.

It is possible for the electricity company to come and provide such an industrial circuit, but not to every home on a street. The cost has to be factored into the equation. Electric filling stations would perhaps be a possibility but you get the usual chicken-and-egg problem: Who will open such a station when there are no cars around to use it yet? Who will buy such a car if there are no filling stations?

Therefore, all EV/PHEVS should at least also be able to plug into a regular household socket (110V, 15A) and charge slowly overnight.

Raphael:

I imagine that the overnight charge would be most commonplace. But the fast charge time is good in situations such as long-distance driving where you can't afford to wait 8 hours before moving on. A 10 minute wait is doable on a roadtrip at EV Filling Stations. Also, the technology will no doubt improve.

I'm not sure at what speed that 120 mile range is, though. They do claim the truck will have a top speed of 85mph. But I doubt the batteries would last that long at that speed.

At any rate, I still think it's pretty good for a new battery technology. I'm not against EVs if the tech and economics work, after all. And this seems a step in the right direction.

I think this has a real future for several reasons, despite its high up-front costs. (And it will only get better.) As a city transporter that replaces a gas truck that spends thousands on gas a year driving in the city, plus emissions, already there it will pay for itself a lot quicker than some think. (For those who don't drive much, or in the city so much, it won't be nearly as worth it.)

But don't forget about the whole maintenance side of things. EV's will be largely solid state. What will be the moving parts: the stator/rotor? What else? Electric A/C and steering pumps. You have no oil changes, or goo in the engine. No environmental issues with disposing of a zillion gallons of dirty oil every year. No coolant system like in a gas engine, but they will likely still have one. No Transmission headaches and massive repairs. No emissions tests or issues, and our cars today are very complex in this department and getting more so all the time. No exhaust to replace always. No brakes to replace (hardly) as it will stop mostly by using the motor. No wearing pistons, no timing belts, no vacuum lines, no v-belts, no this, no that, etc, etc. Virtually no upkeep when compared to the slugs we all drive now. Simplicity and efficiency in motion.

An entire maintenance infrastructure will fade away, to be replaced by this one. Plus solar will get cheaper and help out much more. (and if you could put a small genset in the bed you could let it run on longer rides, and as you have your half hour lunch somewhere--it would help.) For all you who only look at the gas not paid, you are not considering the whole picture here. EV's will provide mucho savings over their lifetime, assuming the batteries are good enough to last. (Big assumption). Consider how much you pay to keep up your vehicles now over 10 years, esp as they age. Or, especially, if they are domestics. Ha ha ha.

Sure EV's will break too, but the battery will be the biggest concern I would imagine, if most everything else is solid state. If made right they should last years and years and years. And if they get smart and include a bank of ultracapacitors, the batteries will last 3 times as long too. I can hardly wait.

For long range driving in this type of vehicle, I still like AC Propulsion's approach: their "long ranger" trailer. It carries an IC engine, fuel tank and generator that converts their TZero EV into a series hybrid. The trailer has stability augmentation and active steering, which allow it to have a short tongue and to follow very close to its EV. It handles as if it were an extension of the vehicle, with very low wind resistance.

For this electric pickup, there's another option: a fuel tank and generator package that would lock into the bed just behind the cab.

I really like the idea of not having to carry around the weight of IC engine, generator, and fuel tank when I'm mostly going to be using the vehicle in pure EV mode. The weight savings should significantly increase the range and performance in EV mode over a plug-in hybrid.

it is a good idear!!!