Workhorse Group Inc., will exhibit the new W-15 range-extended electric pickup truck at the 2017 Electric Utilities Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC) in Williamsburg, Va., June 4-7.

The conference is an annual gathering of many of the top fleet managers in the country, and has invited over 100 different manufacturers and service providers to exhibit their products. Other industry leaders joining Workhouse at EUFMC are Ford Motor Company, GM Chevrolet Commercial Vehicles, Penske Truck Leasing Co. and Peterbilt Motors Company. In addition to exhibiting at the conference, Workhorse will drive the W-15 as part of the event's drive-through demonstration.

"We are excited to be exhibiting what we believe to be the first electric pickup truck made by an OEM," said Steve Burns, CEO of Workhorse. "Fleet managers invest in their fleets not only with purchasing, but in their fuel and maintenance costs. We engineered and built the W-15 with feedback from fleet managers, and believe it can revolutionize their effectiveness and total cost of ownership by reducing both fuel and maintenance costs."

The Workhorse W-15 light duty platform design is an extension of the E-Gen electric technology used in Workhorse medium-duty delivery trucks, and is believed to be the first plug-in range-extended electric pickup built from the ground up by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in America. With an expected 80-mile all-electric range using Panasonic 18650 Li-ion batteries, the battery pack will cover the vast majority of miles driven in a day by fleet operators. If needed, the gasoline generator will initiate after battery power has been depleted, allowing additional range to complete the day's tasks.

The W-15 will also feature the ability for utility fleets to power equipment directly from the vehicle's batteries, allowing a crew to complete their duties that require electricity without an external power source. With the goal of being the safest pickup truck in America for fleet operators, the W-15's safety features include an extra large crumple zone and lower center of gravity while still providing ground clearance. The W-15 also offers crash mitigation technologies, including automatic breaking and lane centering. Once production commences, the W-15 is anticipated to have a $52,500 MSRP.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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