Israeli electrification startup Re Automotive, Morgan Olsen and EVX this week unveiled a proof-of-concept van that could change the segment — four-wheel steering by wire with 57% better aerodynamics than the rolling bricks that deliver your packages today.
Ri is a people.
Ray Automotive is one of those special purpose acquisition company-backed startups that took the extra effort to understand.
His Reckoner technology appears to be a more advanced version of the technologically dubious hub motor technology Lordstown Motors Corp. is using in battery-electric pickups. And the Ray Electronics skateboard chassis didn’t look special.
But when you add a modern component to a complex drive-by-wire system and allow automotive engineers to test the limits of package delivery efficiency, the picture comes together.
Watch now: Concept stage van Nimley goes through the process
Israeli startup Re and JB Poindexter’s veteran bodybuilding arm Morgan Olson and its R&D unit EVX showed off the Proxima Proof Class 5 delivery-grade van this week at the American Activity Center, about an hour west of Detroit.
The Transit Bus-like slim windshield is a testament to the body and chassis engineering that delivers up to 57% better drag coefficient or how well the vehicle cuts through the air.
“Pushing a brick in the air is a bit of a challenge,” said EAVX chief engineer Greg Black, who knows a little about the subject. During his 36-year tenure at Chrysler, he oversaw the development of the Hellcat engine, the 700-horsepower beast in the Dodge Charger.
The Hellcat uses 18% less energy than an electric van that can travel 125 miles and make 150 delivery stops per day, while the Hellcat burns more fuel for quick hits.
Braking for energy saving
The Re chassis has electronic motors at each of its four corners to enable minimal hydraulic steering, steering and braking. If four motors seems like too much to swing, consider that the energy recovered from regenerative braking can reduce battery costs by 20%, the main cost driver for electric vehicles.
“At the end of the day, value comes from power. It doesn’t matter whether it’s two engines or four engines,” said Daniel Barrell, CEO of Re. “The difference is very small. But by having regen on all four engines, you get a big advantage – 20% less battery, which is very expensive.
The additional engines also operate at higher efficiency where two engines are stressed. If one rerunner fails, all three will continue to run, much like a jet that might lose power in one engine.
Buying EVs will cost more up front, but the reduced maintenance and fewer parts that need replacing compared to internal combustion engines will offset the cost over time. According to the North American Trucking Efficiency Council, electric step-up vans are comparable in cost to diesel-powered vans.
Fewer steps
Pushing the electronic components into the corner creates a flat surface from the front passenger compartment to the rear of the 19,500-pound van. Most vans have a step built into the rear cargo door.
Powered by all seven JBP units, the EVX shaved significant weight from the concept vehicle and lowered its ground clearance to 24 inches compared to the standard 36 inches. This reduced the standard three steps for getting in and out of the van to just two.
“When you’re jumping in and out of the truck 150 times a day, that’s a lot of steps to avoid,” Black said. It also reduces the pressure on the driver’s energy.
Keeping comfortable
EVX has implemented a “microclimate” heating and cooling system in the Proxima that focuses on the driver’s seat. Depending on the season, warm or cool air is blown behind the driver’s neck, ears and back of the thigh. The steering wheel is also warm for cold days.
“If we try to heat the whole thing [cab]”Every time the doors open, boom, we reheat it,” he said.
Expensive windshield
Some of the savings from smaller batteries are applied elsewhere, like a giant windshield.
“Windshield breaking is critical in step-entry vans,” Black said. “When we go to a large windshield with electric heating lines like that, it’s expensive glass.”
“We’re saving more on the battery than we’re spending on the glass, so the system solution has to come in. And that’s where the chassis and body groups need to stay properly integrated.”
A resource-light approach
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, it took an hour to go through the wire-driven integration that Ree designed. Every few months, Ree would add a new partner. At CES, that was American Axel, which developed an electronic engine for the P7 chassis at the March work truck show in Indianapolis. Re applies the technology to 3-5 class vehicles.
Rhee plans to assemble the Ricohner chassis next year at an assembly center in Austin, Texas. Highly automated, it’s the opposite of Tesla’s Gigafactory, one of which is in Austin. The 120,000-150,000 square foot Re integration center can be scaled up within 10 months as needed.
“Instead of the gigafactory approach where you spend billions and grow it,” Bermel said, “we buy the robots and AGVs. [automated guided vehicles]. They’re all cloud-based so we flash them, download them and we’re good to go.
Ri expects to test hundreds of vehicles with customers by 2023. No customer name yet.
Attention Robinhood investors
Nicola Corporation will try for the fourth time next Tuesday to get the final vote needed to increase the company’s authorized shares. The issue is that Nikola is able to raise funds to grow the battery-electric and hydrogen car business.
The pursuit of non-voting shareholders – Nicola wants 50% and one vote with 418 million shares – has now been extended to retailers on the Robin Hood platform. Nicola needs less than 1 million shares to choose his path, and he doesn’t care if they come in small amounts.
Voting (again) closes Monday at 11:59 pm EDT.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading. Click here to receive the Freight Tech email on Fridays.
Alan
