| Under the hood of the F-150 REEP. Click to enlarge. |
Michigan-based electric powertrain company ALTe LLC (earlier post) revealed its demonstrator Ford F-150 range-extended electric vehicle conversion at the 2010 National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Work Truck Show and Green Truck Summit. ALTe is developing light- and medium-duty series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain systems—initially as conversions, but ultimately extending to an OEM basis.
Production-intent specs for the powertrain in the F-150 REEP (range-extended electric powertrain) include a Ford 2.0L, 4-cylinder normally aspirated gasoline engine powering an 82 kW (peak) Remy DC generator. Two 82 kW (peak) Remy DC drive motors running at 320V deliver 400 N·m (295 lb-ft) max torque, while a 25 kWh battery pack using Li-ion manganese oxide polymer cells provides the energy storage.
The battery pack was assembled into a saddlebag configuration under the truck bed. The F-150 REEP offers a total range of 469 miles (755 kilometers), with a 52-mile (84-kilometer) all-electric range. Fuel economy in charge sustaining mode is 32 mpg US (7.35 L/100km).
The entire range-extended electric system adds approximately 200 lbs (91 kg) to the net vehicle weight, says ALTe CEO John Thomas, adding that the F-150 REEP equals or exceeds the performance of the 4.6L V8 Ford powertrain originally installed in the vehicle. The converted pickup has a towing capacity of 6,500 lbs (2,948 kg).
| Elements of the ALTe powertrain, and the powertrain in the chassis. Click to enlarge. | ||
In terms of business prospects, Thomas says that ALTe is in discussions with several major OEMs at the Chairman and CEO level as a result of introductions by ALTe Board members Tom LaSorda (former Chrysler Group President and CEO) and Steven Landry (former Chrysler EVP of North American Sales and Marketing and Global Service and Parts). The company is also in discussions with a major retail chain that is interested in becoming ALTe’s nationwide installation center partner, according to Thomas.
At the end of the day, we might be the firm that offers Freightliner, other OEMs and their customers the REEP solution to compliment the current BEV product offerings in the field.
—John Thomas
(Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) presented the preproduction plug-in all-electric walk-in van (WIV) chassis at the NTEA show. Earlier post.)