Another start-up manufacturer wants to capitalize on the trending array of electric lightweight pickup trucks.
EdisonFuture™, a California-based startup, has plans for several pickups and a van with a range of battery and motor options. Included in the pending lineup is an EF1-T trim with a 450-mile battery pack and a three-motor configuration good for a reported 700 combined horsepower.
A subsidiary of SPI Energy, EdisonFuture is located in Livermore, California. It is focusing on traditional half-ton pickups, with a four-door crew cab and a 6.5-foot or 8-foot bed. Body dimension details haven’t been released.
The trucks and van are in concept stages and with no manufacturing date or prices available.
EdisonFuture plans to cover the market much like Chevrolet and Hummer EV, with offerings ranging from rear-wheel-drive, single-motor to dual- and tri-motor, all-wheel-drive setups.
Several battery pack choices will be offered, although only the single-motor version is currently revealed. Its specs include 600 horsepower and accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds.
The two-motor version will produce about 600 horsepower and advance from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The three-motor version will produce 700 horsepower and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. EF1-V van models will only offer rear- or two-motor all-wheel drive, each of which is rated to hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds.
The EF1-T Standard model with a single rear motor is rated to tow 7,500 pounds; the EF1-TP premium two-motor variant can do 9,000; and the top EF1-TS Super tri-motor range-topper is good for 11,000 pounds. For the EF1-V van, rear-drive models can tow 7,500 pounds and two-motor AWD long-range models are rated for 8,000 pounds.
Battery sizes haven’t been released but expected ranges are 300 miles (one motor), 380 miles (two motors), and 450 miles (three motors). A DC fast charge will bring the battery from 0 to 80 percent charge in 25 minutes.
The EdisonFuture will offer a solar roof option on both the truck and van leveraging photovoltaic solar cells. Each will have a similar solar-collecting surface area, capable of adding 15-25 miles of range on a sunny day.
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James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.
##RVT1036b
There is sense to it. Think conventional truck tonneau cover. But for the price of the solar panels and only an increased very limited range of miles acquired from the solar and the extra weight to the truck the panels would be I wouldn’t be interested. Not enough bang for the buck.
Just another company who’s going to make bank in the stock market while the majority who buy into it will lose big bucks. Just look at nikola, CEO busted forced to resign yet walked away with millions while those who invested saw their stock plummet to around $7 a share now. I just don’t see it in my life if I live another 30 years.
Gotta start somewhere. In the early 1900s there were over a thousand start-up auto manufactures in the USA. It was much the same for farm equipment manufacturers. Stay up to date, get bought out, or die.
Everyone is so hung up on HP, torque is what does the work. HP keeps the load going but that’s all. HP is an advertising gimmick, that should be put in its place as an additional item as an also ran.
Ho hum. Another concept from a startup. Starting to see these way too often. And then the focus on horsepower and 0-60 times, like that’s important. I’d rather see real facts, not projected goals. Well, can’t release those numbers before you build them.
Why is the acceleration a big deal, especially when it comes down to towing. How many of you perform jack rabbit starts in your truck right now, towing a TT or 5’ver? Is that a selling point? You can tell me acceleration from 0-60 but you can’t tell me the price or dimensions.
So if you opt to have the “solar roof” package, what good is the Pickup Box? I am just trying to make sense of that!
Sorry Ed, there IS no sense to it.
That’s exactly what I gathered from the photo. Maybe you can put a few sheets of paneling on the bed. 🙁