Electric Trucks: More Sensible Than Cars?

May 13, 2010, 9:07 PM ET

By Jonathan Welsh

Navistar says overnight-delivery giant Fed Ex will get the first eStar and it plans to deliver 400 of the trucks by the end of the year. Designed mainly to work on urban delivery routes, the truck can be fully recharged in six to eight hours, the company says. While many commercial customers cheer, the announcement may have consumers asking, ”How did this happen?”

Haven’t everyday drivers been clamoring for electric vehicles ever since General Motors stopped building the EV-1? Why is it taking so long for car companies to being electric vehicles to market?

An electric truck is beating mass-market electric cars to the road because of economics. While many consumers are interested in electric cars, they often balk at the idea of buying one when they realize they won’t necessarily be money savers. Electric cars will be expensive when they become available and it could take the average family many years to “break even” based on money they saved by not buying gasoline.

On the other hand, fleet owners like Fed Ex and other delivery companies can start saving sooner in part because their vehicles travel more miles. Electric vehicles are also at their best in stop-and-go traffic and urban settings in which gasoline and diesel engines are efficient.

The first electric vehicle you see in the neighborhood will probably be a FedEx truck. Commercial-truck maker Navistar today unveiled the eStar, a battery-powered delivery van with a 100-mile range.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/05/13/electric-trucks-more-sensible-than-cars/

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