Boulder Electric Vehicle

Last updated
Boulder Electric Vehicle
DefunctSeptember 2014;7 years ago (2014-09)
Headquarters,
Products Electric vehicles
Website www.boulderev.com

Boulder Electric Vehicle was a manufacturer of electric-powered commercial vans and trucks based in Lafayette, Colorado. [1] The company produced four CARB-certified models: an electric delivery van, a 15-passenger shuttle, a service body and a flat bed. [2] Boulder Electric Vehicles ended production in September 2014. [3] [4]

Contents

Vehicles

Boulder Electric Vehicles produced four vehicles and all models shared the same specs and functionality. The Boulder EVs were powered by an 80 kW electric motor, sourced from Longmont-based UQM Technologies, [5] with three available all-electric ranges of 40 mi (64 km), 80 mi (130 km), or 120 mi (190 km). All vehicles used lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery packs. The van model had a payload capacity of 4,500 lb (2,000 kg) and the truck 6,000 lb (2,700 kg). Maximum speed was 65 mph (105 km/h). [2] The DV-500 Delivery Vehicle, the first model delivered to retail customers, was priced at US$100,000 with an 80-kWh battery pack offering a range of 120 mi (190 km). [6] [7]

Boulder electric concept delivery van at the 2010Washington Auto Show. Boulder EV delivery truck WAS 2010 8913.JPG
Boulder electric concept delivery van at the 2010Washington Auto Show.

Customers in the U.S. included Precision Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, which bought the first DV-500 in January 2012, FedEx, and the cities of San Antonio and Dallas, both as pilot programs, and the latter financed with a U.S. Department of Energy grant. [6] [8] [9] [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

Electric vehicle Vehicle propelled by one or more electric motors

An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery. EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.

Toyota RAV4 EV Motor vehicle

The Toyota RAV4 EV is an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV produced by Toyota until 2014. Two generations of the EV model were sold in California, and to fleets elsewhere in the US, with a gap of almost ten years between them.

History of the electric vehicle Aspect of history

Practical electric vehicles appeared during the 1890s. An electric vehicle held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. In the 20th century, the high cost, low top speed, and short range of battery electric vehicles, compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, led to a worldwide decline in their use as private motor vehicles. Electric vehicles have continued to be used for loading and freight equipment and for public transport – especially rail vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid Hybrid vehicle whose battery may be externally charged

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. Most PHEVs are passenger cars, but there are also PHEV versions of commercial vehicles and vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, mopeds, and even military vehicles.

Chevrolet S-10 EV Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet S-10 Electric was an American electric-powered vehicle built by Chevrolet. It was introduced in 1997, updated in 1998, and then discontinued. It was an OEM BEV variant of Chevrolet's S-10 pickup truck. The S-10 Electric was solely powered by electricity, and was marketed primarily to utility fleet customers.

Ford Ranger EV Motor vehicle

The Ford Ranger EV is a battery powered compact pickup truck that was produced by the Ford motor company. It was produced starting in the 1998 model year through 2002 and is no longer in production. It is built upon a light truck chassis used in the Ford Ranger. A few vehicles with lead-acid batteries were sold, but most units were leased for fleet use. A few persistent and interested private parties were able to obtain leases over a period of three to five years. All leases were terminated in 2003–04, and the vehicles were recalled.

Audi e-tron (brand) Series of electric and hybrid cars

The Audi e-tron is a series of electric and hybrid cars shown by Audi from 2009 onwards. In 2012 Audi unveiled a plug-in hybrid version, the A3 Sportback e-tron, released to retail customers in Europe in August 2014, and slated for the U.S. in 2015. A decade after the unveiling of the first e-tron concept at the 2009 International Motor Show Germany, Audi's first fully electric e-tron SUV went into production in 2019.

History of plug-in hybrids Aspect of history

The history of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) spans a little more than a century, but most of the significant commercial developments have taken place after 2002. The revival of interest in this automotive technology together with all-electric cars is due to advances in battery and power management technologies, and concerns about increasingly volatile oil prices and supply disruption, and also the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2003 and 2010 most PHEVs on the roads were conversions of production hybrid electric vehicles, and the most prominent PHEVs were aftermarket conversions of 2004 or later Toyota Prius, which have had plug-in charging and more lead-acid batteries added and their electric-only range extended.

Electric vehicle battery Battery used to power the electric motors of a battery electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle

An electric vehicle battery is a battery used to power the electric motors of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). These batteries are usually rechargeable (secondary) batteries, and are typically lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are specifically designed for a high ampere-hour capacity.

Buddy (electric car) Motor vehicle

Buddy is a Norwegian electric city car, produced by Buddy Electric in the early 2000s, formerly known as Pure Mobility and Elbil Norge AS, at Økern in Oslo. In 2007, the Buddy, and its predecessor, the Kewet, made up 20% of the electric cars in Norway. Since its inception in 1991, combined sales of the Kewet and Buddy had totaled about 1,500 vehicles through October 2013, of which, 1,087 were registered in Norway.

Battery electric vehicle Type of electric vehicle

A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion. They derive all power from battery packs and thus have no internal combustion engine, fuel cell, or fuel tank. BEVs include – but are not limited to – motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, railcars, watercraft, forklifts, buses, trucks, and cars.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Motor vehicle

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a five-door hatchback electric car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors, and is the electric version of the Mitsubishi i. Rebadged variants of the i-MiEV are also sold in Europe by PSA Peugeot Citroën (PSA) as the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero. The i-MiEV was the world's first modern highway-capable mass production electric car.

Nissan Leaf Compact five-door hatchback electric car

The Nissan Leaf, styled as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010 and is currently in its second generation, introduced in October 2017.

Plug-in electric vehicle Type of vehicle

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), also known as new energy vehicle (NEV) in China, is any road vehicle that can be recharged from an external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the electricity stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels. PEV is a subset of electric vehicles that includes all-electric, or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). Sales of the first series production plug-in cars began in December 2008, with the introduction of the BYD F3DM plug-in hybrid, and the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV in July 2009, but retail sales only gained traction after the introduction of the mass production all-electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in December 2010.

BMW i8 Plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW

The BMW i8 was a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 was part of BMW's electrified fleet and was marketed under the BMW i sub-brand. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and was released in Germany in June 2014. Deliveries to retail customers in the U.S. began in August 2014. A roadster variant was launched in May 2018. Production ended in June 2020.

Range extender

A range extender is a fuel-based auxiliary power unit (APU) that extends the range of a battery electric vehicle by driving an electric generator that charges the vehicle's battery. This arrangement is known as a series hybrid drivetrain. The most commonly used range extenders are internal combustion engines, but fuel-cells or other engine types can be used.

Range anxiety Fear of insufficient vehicle range, especially in electric vehicles

Range anxiety is the driver's fear that a vehicle has insufficient energy storage to cover the road distance needed to reach its intended destination, and would thus strand the vehicle's occupants mid-way. The term, which is now primarily used in reference to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), is considered to be one of the major psychological barriers to large-scale public adoption of electric cars.

Renault Twizy Two-seat electric car

The Renault Twizy is a two-seat electric microcar designed and marketed by Renault. It is classified in Europe as either a light or heavy quadricycle depending on the output power, which is either 4 kW (5.4 hp) for the 45 model or 13 kW (17 hp) for the 80 model, both names reflecting its top speed in km/h. Originally manufactured in Valladolid, Spain, production was moved to Busan in South Korea in March 2019 to meet increased demand in Asia.

Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles

Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles have been established around the world to support policy-driven adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. These incentives mainly take the form of purchase rebates, tax exemptions and tax credits, and additional perks that range from access to bus lanes to waivers on fees. The amount of the financial incentives may depend on vehicle battery size or all-electric range. Often hybrid electric vehicles are included. Some countries extend the benefits to fuel cell vehicles, and electric vehicle conversions.

References

  1. Roger Vincent (2012-05-13). "Boulder Electric Vehicle to open Chatsworth assembly plant". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2012-10-07.
  2. 1 2 Plug In America. "Boulder EVs Truck and WUV". Plug In America. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
  3. Christopher DeMorro (2014-09-18). "Why Don't Commercial Plug-In Trucks And Vans Sell?". Gas2.org. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  4. Gregory J. Wilcox (2014-09-13). "Chatsworth electric-truck facility Boulder Electric Vehicle closes". Los Angeles Daily News .
  5. Proctor, Cathy (2013-07-17). "UQM to supply motors to Boulder Electric Vehicle". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  6. 1 2 Bruce Finley (2012-01-30). "Boulder Electric Vehicle hoping electric vans will take off". Denver Post . Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  7. Domenick Yoney (2012-02-03). "Boulder Electric Vehicle delivers first truck to Precision Plumbing [w/video]". Autoblog Green . Retrieved 2012-10-07.
  8. "FedEx Express Commits to More EVs". Fleets & Fuels. 2012-06-04. Archived from the original on 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2019-08-16.
  9. Vicki Vaughan (2012-07-27). "Electric cars hailed, but cost keeping sales from revving up". My San Antonio. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  10. Thi Dao (2012-01-11). "Dallas to Begin Electric Vehicle & Infrastructure Pilots". Government Fleet. Retrieved 2012-10-15.