EV Project on Reunion Island
Lifecycle Study Finds Algae as Bioenergy Feedstock Has Higher Environmental Impacts than Conventional Crops in Energy Use, GHG Emissions, and Water Use; The Importance of Using Waste Streams

Balqon Corporation Introduces New Li-Ion Electric Yard Tractor for Warehousing and Port Applications

Xe20
The XE20. Click to enlarge.

Balqon Corporation, an emerging developer and manufacturer of zero emissions heavy-duty electric vehicles for Class 7 and Class 8 applications (earlier post), has released its newest lithium-ion battery powered Yard Tractor truck designed for use in warehousing, logistics, and port applications, the Nautilus XE20.

The Nautilus XE20, designed, integrated, and built in cooperation with Autocar Truck and its Xspotter yard tractor team, is intended for off-highway container or semi-trailer “spotting” applications, and is equipped standard with Balqon’s proprietary traction drive and battery management system. The Nautilus XE20 is designed to travel at speeds of up to 25 mph and is capable of towing loads of up to 40 tons.

The XE20 is equipped with a high-efficiency 230V AC induction motor coupled directly to an Allison 4-speed transmission; the 240 kW liquid cooled drive technology provides the highest low-end torque in its class, according to Balqon. The XE20 has a range of more than 94 miles (151 km) unloaded, and a range of 50 miles (80 km) loaded on a single charge.

A 324 Volt, 140 kWh Li-ion battery pack is charged by a standard 20 kW charger; an 80 kW multi-vehicle charger is optional. Four charging ports are standard, with a priority smart charge algorithm based on the vehicle state of charge.

Field demonstrations conducted at both a large beverage distribution warehouse and an industrial manufacturing facility showed lower energy consumption over competitive diesel powered vehicles operated in similar environments. The Autocar Xspotter design results from Autocar’s extensive experience in numerous severe duty vocational truck applications to develop a more technologically advanced and modern yard tractor, with numerous safety, visibility, and durability advantages.

Autocar’s advanced yard tractor design, combined with Balqon’s latest lithium-ion battery power technology, makes the Nautilus XE20 the flagship of our product line. We believe true ergonomics begins with a clean environment and low noise in the cab for the operator that spends forty plus hours a week operating these vehicles.

—Balwinder Samra, Balqon President and CEO

In February 2009, Balqon Corp. began production of the E30, an all-electric, heavy-duty drayage truck capable of hauling 30-ton shipping containers in and around the San Pedro Bay, California port complex. Designed specifically for short-haul or drayage operations, the E30 can pull a 60,000-pound cargo container at a top speed of 40 mph, and has a range between 30 to 60 miles per battery charge. (Earlier post.)

Comments

Engineer-Poet

This looks great for combination with something like the Bladerunner dual-mode.  Instead of coming in on a road, the trucks could come into the freight terminal on rails and drop their trailers.  Something like this beast shuttles trailers around as required while they're loaded and unloaded, and E30's can carry the loads from the terminal to their destinations.

The comments to this entry are closed.