Commercial truck and engine maker Navistar, at a recent webconference, announced that its eStar, the company's first electric-only powered commercial vehicle, is in production and the company is taking orders.
The eStar, unlike other electric trucks which are usually modified gas-powered vehicles, has been built exclusively from the ground up as an electric vehicle, the first in the new Class 2c-3 electric truck category. The eStar meets both the Environmental Protection Agency's standards as a clean fuel fleet vehicle as well as the California Air Resources Board's checklist for zero emissions vehicles. The plug-in eStar, with a range of 100 miles per charge, normally takes 6-8 hours to recharge. However, the swappable battery pack can also be changed within 20 minutes with a new one as necessary. According to Navistar, each eStar commercial truck will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 10 tons annually as well as reduce noise pollution.
The eStar has a two-ton payload capacity.
"As the electric vehicle capital of the world, I have no doubt that Navistar chose the best possible location to make the eStar, a first of its kind clean technology truck," Mitch Roob, Indiana Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, said in a statement.
The eStar's journey from conception to reality began in the third of quarter of 2009 when U.S. President Barack Obama, who was visiting Navistar's manufacturing facility in Indiana, announced details of his $39.2 million federal stimulus grant to build electric trucks. Navistar is now taking orders on the eStar with plans to deliver around 400 vehicles by the end of 2010. FedEx has already submitted a request for four vehicles to be used in its Los Angeles market.
| Tech Specs: |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Power | 70 kw |
| Horsepower | 102 hp |
| Torque | 221 ft. - lbs |
| CO2 Emissions | Zero |
| Maximum Speed (governed) | 50 mph |
| Range (up to) | 100 miles |
| Transmission | PRND -- (Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive) Clutchless transmission |
| Brakin System | Anti-lock Braking System / Electronic Braking Distribution / Regenerative braking Standard |
| Front/Rear | 4 Piston Calipers - Disk/ 10 inch Duo Servo Drum |
| ABS | Standard |
| Battery | 80kWhr Li-Ion Cassette / On-Board charger |
| Wheels/ Tires | 17.5x6 steel-gray / 205/75R17.5 |
| SUSPENSION |
| Front | Independent coil spring suspension with wishbone style lower control arms, MacPherson struts and anti-roll bar |
| Rear | Beam drive axle with trailing arms coil springs and panhard rod |
| Sreering | Electro-hydraulic power assisted |
| Turning circle (curb-to-curb) | 36 ft |
| Steering wheel turns lock-to-lock | 4.6 |
| WEIGHT/ RATINGS/ CAPACITIES |
| Gross Vehicle Weight Rating | 12,100 lbs |
| Payload | 4,000 lbs |
| Front Gross Axle Weight Rating | 5,730 lbs |
| Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating | 7,053 lbs |