Yet another fleet of plug-in hybrid electric Ram 1500 pickups has been launched, this time in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The city will take possession of four trucks that are a part of a larger national demonstration fleet of 140 vehicles. This fleet will be used during the next three years to evaluate customer usage, drive cycles, charging, thermal management, fuel economy, emissions and impact on the region’s electric grid.
Chrysler has also delivered Ram 1500 PHEV trucks to the city of Yuma, Ariz., to take full advantage of hot weather and conduct thermal testing in the desert southwest. Other cities that have received the demonstration PHEV Ram 1500 pickups include San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., Boston, Mass., and Albany, N.Y.
“Cities have been carefully selected to help Chrysler Group LLC collect a wide range of data,” explained Abdullah Bazzi, senior manager of Chrysler’s advanced hybrid vehicle project. “Auburn Hills is in our backyard and offers a combination of suburban and rural driving that is ideal as a test cycle for these vehicles. The constant charging will allow us to measure the impact on battery life and charging efficiency.”
Although there are no plans in place to produce the PHEV truck being tested, its powertrain may lead to an advanced hybrid vehicle for public consumption in a few years. The PHEV Ram 1500 includes a liquid-cooled 12.9kWhr lithium ion battery pack and a 6.6 kilowatt (kW) on-board charger. The powertrain also includes a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine and a two-mode hybrid transmission. Chrysler’s Fuel Saver technology is also included.
“Auburn Hills has worked diligently to implement policies and procedures to create a municipal infrastructure that accommodates the growing use of hybrid electric vehicles,” said Pete Auger, Auburn Hills city manager. “We have taken a leading role in smart planning for alternative energy options that will fuel tomorrow’s vehicles.”
You must log in to post a comment.