Workhorse Group Inc. is working on a new all-electric vehicle specifically designed to meet the growing needs of last-mile deliveries.
The new vehicle, named C1000, was unveiled at the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio, a testing facility for vehicles. The vehicle has been designed to eliminate more than 4,000 pounds from the chassis and body weight compared to conventional, internal combustion vehicle carrying the same cargo volume and payload. This reduced weight allows it to carry an electric motor and reach a range of about 100 miles.
Workhorse said the delivery van can lower fuel expenses by as much as 500% compared to traditional means and the vehicle is designed with a modular battery system. It will last for 20 years for both body and frame with enhanced use of regenerative braking, all-wheel drive and advanced driver assistance systems installed including configurable collision avoidance, lane departure warnings, 360-view cameras and other safety features.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the delivery van is its compatibility with other technologies being researched for last-mile delivery including the use of drones as a means of carrying packages or self-driving vehicles when they become commercially viable.
Previously, Workhorse Group developed an autonomous delivery system for package delivery in Cincinnati, Ohio, using an electric vehicle with a drone that can land on top of the roof to resupply and recharge. The effort was to learn how to increase the efficiency and lower the expense of last-mile delivery.
