Getting a New Van at Work

[edcastrovalley]

I normally drive a Ford F250 van at work as a service van that has a 350 cubic inch engine and a 40 gallon tank to go with it and I overheard the bosses talking about this large van that is being given to us. The problem is that it's tall, 8'-6" tall and 20 feet long and it doesn't fit in some of the garages I may have to go into. Never the less, I volunteered to drive it as a van everyday and can't wait.

It's a Zineth Motors van made in Kentucky with a 3 phase motor, regen, all the bells and whistles and what look like thundersky lifepo4 batteries, 62 kwh worth. The van is actually a Dodge Sprinter van that got converted by Zenith Motors. I believe Mercedes makes a diesel version with the same van like the American Picker guys use in their show. It will take a while before I get it since we'll have to outfit it with shelves, etc first but I'll let you guys know how things go.

 

[Punx0r]

Interesting.

The Dodge version of the Sprinter is apparently assembled from CKD kits built by Daimler in Germany.

 

[edcastrovalley]

Interesting.

The Dodge version of the Sprinter is apparently assembled from CKD kits built by Daimler in Germany.

I see, its from Germany. I was thinking it was from Dodge because the hubcaps have Dodge Ram logos on them. It would be cool if they had Mercedes logos. 8)

 

[knighty]

are you sure that's the right photos ?

that's not a photo of a sprinter...

I think it's an Iveco or Fiat... (both owned by same company)

 

[liveforphysics]

You are a fortunate man! Driving electric is such a pleasure. When you get time, post up some photos of the battery/controller/motor setup.

 

[edcastrovalley]

are you sure that's the right photos ?

that's not a photo of a sprinter...

I think it's an Iveco or Fiat... (both owned by same company)

I wasn't sure who made this van but it does have hubcaps with Dodge Ram logos on it so I thought it was a Sprinter van like Dodge sells. The photo above I took with my phone of the actual van I'll get.

 

[edcastrovalley]

You are a fortunate man! Driving electric is such a pleasure. When you get time, post up some photos of the battery/controller/motor setup.

Thank you LFP! I can't wait. I talked our mechanic into letting me test drive it yesterday and it is a nice truck. It's quiet and handles very nicely due to the batteries under the floor. I like the regen too, you can almost drive it with just the gas (electric?) pedal. It will practically stop if you lift your foot all the way off the pedal.

 

[Hillhater]

http://www.zenith-motors.com

 

[dnmun]

the diesel sprinter is very economical too. guy across the street had one for his business and got over 20mpg which i thought amazing because it is so tall and wide. like a huge block going through the air. battery is 5 times the size of mine and mine i thought was big.

 

[edcastrovalley]

the diesel sprinter is very economical too. guy across the street had one for his business and got over 20mpg which i thought amazing because it is so tall and wide. like a huge block going through the air. battery is 5 times the size of mine and mine i thought was big.

That is great mileage because these vans are large. Like you say tall and wide. I'll try to take a picture of the insides for everyone to see.

 

[edcastrovalley]

Here's a quick snap shot of the interior. I know that the van is a foot and a half taller and 6 inches wider and 2 feet longer that the F250 Ford van I drive now. The box looks like it has a charger and a J1772 plug. You could put a hub motor on a 26" wheel in that box.

 

[blisspacket]

That Dodge is a re-badged FIAT Ducato, a front wheel drive commercial van made in Italy. The Benz Sprinter was a re-badge, and Freightliner joined in the party, so Benz Sprinters were found with Dodge or Freightliner emblems. My Sprinter 2003, a straight five diesel, gives consistent in-town mpg of 22mpg and up to 24. I keep a raw egg between foot and gaspedal.

My Sprinter RV, 2008, has the Benz v6 diesel, and most people don't realize it's a diesel. Quiet. It gets 19 around town, 22 on the road. It wears a Dodge badge.

Certainly an electric commercial van is a welcome addition. I own 40 Nissan Leaf lithium modules, and am continually astonished at how well behaved they are, how minimal their temps change under charge and discharge (I'm only dealing with 500 watt chargers, so that's not surprising), and at the large capacity they demonstrate.

I noted last night that an eBay auction for a Nissan Leaf full complement of 48 modules went for $2600. That's a lot of battery for the doityourselfer. As battery production and chemistry improves, things are looking (led) bright for the EV future.

 

[edcastrovalley]

That Dodge is a re-badged FIAT Ducato, a front wheel drive commercial van made in Italy. The Benz Sprinter was a re-badge, and Freightliner joined in the party, so Benz Sprinters were found with Dodge or Freightliner emblems. My Sprinter 2003, a straight five diesel, gives consistent in-town mpg of 22mpg and up to 24. I keep a raw egg between foot and gaspedal.

My Sprinter RV, 2008, has the Benz v6 diesel, and most people don't realize it's a diesel. Quiet. It gets 19 around town, 22 on the road. It wears a Dodge badge.

Certainly an electric commercial van is a welcome addition. I own 40 Nissan Leaf lithium modules, and am continually astonished at how well behaved they are, how minimal their temps change under charge and discharge (I'm only dealing with 500 watt chargers, so that's not surprising), and at the large capacity they demonstrate.

I noted last night that an eBay auction for a Nissan Leaf full complement of 48 modules went for $2600. That's a lot of battery for the doityourselfer. As battery production and chemistry improves, things are looking (led) bright for the EV future.

These vans are popping up all over the place. I ran into a local locksmith in town with a brand new Ford diesel version. He says it get around 20 mpg. Nice van.

Those leaf batteries are nice. I'd love to put them in my 2007 Prius.

In the meantime, things are going slow with the new van. It's sitting there waiting for new shelving to be put in and there's no license plates yet.

 

[edcastrovalley]

I finally have my van! I have actually had it for 3 weeks now yet I'm still kind of taking it all in. It drives so nice yet I'm not sure how to describe it. It's quiet yet drives like a car. Handling is sure footed due to the evenly distributed battery weight and it soaks up the bumps nicely. Acceleration is lively. From 0 to 17 mph the truck is limited to 50 amps so off the line regular cars will zoom ahead of me but after 17 mph I can easily keep up with any traffic. The amp gauge maxs out at 300 amps and I know I've had it at least 250. Not sure yet what the pack voltage is yet but the website says it holds 62 kwh.
View attachment 2
The low floor makes for easy loading and to get into the back. Plenty of headroom too! In my old van I had to double over and still the ceiling brushed against my back. The charger is still sitting in the box toward the front but the 110 volt charger works just fine. It's always charged the next morning but, so far, my most miles in a day was 40 miles and that left me with just under "3/4" of a tank on the fuel gauge. About half of that was on the freeway at 60 mph which is the maximum speed the truck will do. I'm happy with the 60 mph since traffic around Oakland doesn't go much faster than that and, if it does, I just stay out of the fast lane.

That's a 12 foot ladder there! It's a long truck. I have swing wide when taking a corner yet, the turning radius is amazing. I can do a U turn anywhere.

With all the features of a regular truck I sometimes forget it's electric. When turning on the defrost during a rainstorm I was puzzled for a moment when I wasn't getting blasted with waste heat before I remembered what I was driving. This is California. I just turned the heat knob to cool and the windshield cleared just fine. I still have problems driving past the gas station I used to fill up at. My eyes automatically scan the fuel gauge when I drive by that place.

Toward the right it has a push button transmission but what's interesting is the "H" button. If I push that a "tow/haul" indicator comes on. I'm guessing it uses a low gear but I'm not sure. The truck didn't come with a manual and I haven't found one online yet either. The guys at the garage are trying to track one down for me. There's a screen above the fuel gauge and the temp gauge (for the inverter?) that has the time and mileage and also the "range". Only problem is it starts at 450 miles and counts down. The maximum is advertise at 120 so I can't count on that. The other thing is the radio. It says mp3 on it but I can't get it to do anything. It just counts up or down numbers like a - mp3 player.

 

[Willow]

I'm in the market for a new van of similar size - would just love that one. Jealous.

 

[Punx0r]

Does the tow/haul setting perhaps give you more current for pulling away?

 

[edcastrovalley]

I'm in the market for a new van of similar size - would just love that one. Jealous.

They are a little expensive. This one I heard was $100k but, if you want one I wouldn't settle for anything else.

While stopping at a parts house an older gentleman was asking me questions about the van and he was telling me how fustrated he was in trying to find an electric Transit truck. The salesmen kept taking him over to gasoline versions. But if it was me, I would hold out and wait. The savings in gas and maintenance should offset the extra cost. I guess it's a matter of how long you plan on keeping the van.

Does the tow/haul setting perhaps give you more current for pulling away?

That could be. It might use a higher torque settings without raising the speed limits, etc. I'll have to test it and see.

 

[edcastrovalley]

When you get time, post up some photos of the battery/controller/motor setup.

I'll climb under to take some photos but I did find a company called New Eagle that supplies the powertrain components for the truck. See the website below. 8)

http://www.neweagle.net/support/wiki/index.php?title=Hybrid_and_Electric_Vehicles_%28HEV_EV%29

 

[The fingers]

Like the Wave concept truck. 8)

 

[MitchJi]

Hi Ed,

From 0 to 17 mph the truck is limited to 50 amps so off the line regular cars will zoom ahead of me but after 17 mph I can easily keep up with any traffic.

If the H Button doesn't override that I'd contact the controller manufacturer and/or get a manual. It must be possible to override that .

 

[edcastrovalley]

Like the Wave concept truck. 8)

I had to look that one up. That thing is cool! It looks like something from Star Wars with the cab looking like a storm trooper helmet.

If the H Button doesn't override that I'd contact the controller manufacturer and/or get a manual. It must be possible to override that .

That's a heck of an idea checking with the controller manufacturer. There might even be something online.