Smith Ampere: An Electric Version of Ford's Transit Connect
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 04.15.08
Last month we gave Ford a failing grade for the Transit Connect Taxi, a vehicle that Ford hoped would be used as a cab, but that got a miserable 19 miles per gallon in city driving. But now Smith Electric Vehicles has announced that it will use the Transit Connect chassis to make its Ampere electric van, a vehicle that will be jointly branded Smith and Ford. That makes sense!
Battery Range, Top Speed, Motor Specifications
The Ampere has a battery range "in excess of 100 miles" per charge (160 kilometers) and a top speed of up to 70 mph (115 kph). The electric motor can deliver 50 kW of power and the battery pack is based on an iron-phosphate lithium-ion chemistry (which sounds a bit similar to BYD's plug-in hybrids) made by Valence Technologies. And they're not taking half-measures either: The drivetrain and battery were developed specifically for the Ampere electric van.
Planned Uses for this Electric Van
"Ampere is aimed at urban operators using large fleets of light vans in sectors such as postal and courier, utilities and telecommunications. It has a gross vehicle weight of 2,340 kg, with payload capacity of up to 800 kg."
Hopefully Ford and Smith will soon make another version and offer it to the general public. We suppose that it makes sense to start with commercial fleets because they have much higher fuel costs and deeper pockets to try new technologies, but if Ford is to stay in the electric car race, it can't count on fleets only.
See also: ::Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Car to Go Global, ::Subaru Tests R1e Electric Car in New York City, Previews G4e, ::Photos of Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car from New York Auto Show, ::XS500 by Miles: $30,000 $60,000 Electric Car in 2009 [Updated], ::Here's What Happens to a Tesla Electric Car Battery at the End of its Life
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Free Idea for Automakers: Use a cheap, light battery technology (like the OLPC battery). Standardize them and make them removable. Then SWAP rather than charge them at "gas stations". Put all batteries on a warranty, and have users re-up their participation every 5 years like "buying" a new battery. Bigger cars can use more packs, smaller cars use fewer.
Even apartments could then get electric cars, since the packs can be brought inside to charge.
Well I hope they make it more comfortable than the Ford version.
The Transit Connect is without doubt the most uncomfortable van I have ever driven, its absolute murder to your back and neck. If your a passenger its even worse, because there is zero seat adjustment.
I will definitely see if I can get a test drive as it would be ideal in Central London.
Swapping batteries?
sounds good until you swap a good one for a bad one (maybe one that won't hold a charge). This is the same concept as swapping LP Gas Cylinders but you always end up trading a nice new one for a rusty old one. For swapping to work everyone has to be completely honest and fair.
I used a 48 volt fork lift on a cargo ship in the food freezer some 20 years ago. We had 20 to 30 minutes before the 20 degrees below zero and battery drain would slow us down. A quick change up top side with a warm charged battery pack would keep us working. Every single gas station in this country should be set up to supply these battery packs to the electric car traveling public. Congress needs to say yes let's do it. We need to stop saying it won't work. We have many choices in our free market economy. The three choices at the pump: gasaline, gasaline, and gasaline is now looking pretty rediculous at 4 bucks a gallon and rising. And where she stops no body know. It's no longer healthy being addicted to oil. We all need healing.
I used a 48 volt fork lift on a cargo ship in the food freezer some 20 years ago. We had 20 to 30 minutes before the 20 degrees below zero and battery drain would slow us down. A quick change up top side with a warm charged battery pack would keep us working. Every single gas station in this country should be set up to supply these battery packs to the electric car traveling public. Congress needs to say yes let's do it. We need to stop saying it won't work. We have many choices in our free market economy. The three choices at the pump: gasaline, gasaline, and gasaline is now looking pretty ridiculous at 4 bucks a gallon and rising. And where she stops no body know. It's no longer healthy being addicted to oil. We all need healing.