Putting a bigger battery and a plug-in hybrid powertrain into a pick-up truck isn't exactly a new idea (see here and here for just two examples). Of course, sometimes, old ideas are worth keeping around.
At the 2010 National Truck Equipment Association Work Truck Show this week, ALTe LLC, based in Michigan, showed off a Ford F-150 that has a plug-in hybrid powertrain installed. Of course, because everybody's got to make their mark, ALTe calls their system a range-extended electric powertrain (REEP). File this along with General Motor's extended-range electric vehicle (ER-EV) as a different name without a meaningful distinction. These are all plug-in hybrids.
In any case, the demonstration truck uses a 25 kWh lithium-ion manganese oxide polymer battery pack and 82 kW Remy DC drive motors that provide a 52-mile all-electric range. When needed, a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder normally aspirated gasoline engine generates power for the battery. In this charge-sustaining mode, reports Green Car Congress, the truck's fuel economy is about 32 miles per gallon. The powertrain offers 295 pound-feet of torque and has a towing capacity of 6,500 lb.
[Source: Green Car Congress]
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