Motiv Power Systems Announces ABC™ Adaptive Battery Controller for EPIC All-Electric Chassis
Revolutionary Battery Controller Lowers Cost, Increases Payload, and Streamlines Build Process for Medium-Duty Fleet Vehicle Applications
FOSTER CITY Calif. and LONG BEACH, Calif. — Motiv Power Systems this week at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, California announced plans to produce its forthcoming Adaptive Battery Controller™ (ABC), its new technology for monitoring and controlling multiple independent battery packs. The ABC represents an exciting step forward in controlling the batteries of Motiv’s Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis (EPIC) family of chassis for trucks and busses, reducing the control hardware’s footprint to a mere 10 percent of its previous size and weight.
The single biggest hurdle facing the adoption of electric zero-emissions vehicles in the commercial fleet market is up-front cost followed by limited payload/range as a close second. This is because most electric commercial vehicles today use low-volume, custom battery packs that are around twice as expensive per kilowatt-hour in comparison with the high-volume battery packs typically found in passenger cars. Together, the batteries and their respective controllers, represent the biggest cost center in vehicle builds and also negatively impact the finished vehicle’s payload capacity and range.
In an effort to both dramatically drive down costs and increase payload and range, Motiv’s EPIC chassis takes advantage of the significant cost savings afforded by installing passenger car batteries that are produced at scale and, with an ABC on board, the capability of simultaneously controlling multiple battery packs through a single piece of hardware.
The new ABC also streamlines the body fitting by freeing up space outside of the chassis frame rails, providing more space and flexibility for body builders.
“Motiv’s goal with the EPIC was to create a simple, reliable, and cost-effective all-electric chassis capable of meeting the varying needs of medium-duty fleet operators while streamlining the build process. The ABC is a key ingredient in realizing that vision,” said Jim Castelaz, founder and CEO of Motiv Power Systems. “Unlike our legacy technology, which required an extra box per battery and took up a lot of room on the chassis frame rails, the ABC is essentially an intelligent battery junction box for up to six batteries. As a single, discrete piece of hardware, the ABC really is a game-changer and is a pioneering piece of technology for the commercial fleet market. No one else has anything like it.”
Motiv recently became the first all-electric chassis supplier to receive CARB certification. Motiv’s EPIC all-electric chassis is already in use in Fortune 50 fleet deployments nationwide, having already logged more than 350,000 miles on the road.
Motiv’s EPIC Chassis will be on display in booth #1527 at the ACT Expo and available for test drives in the exhibition’s Ride & Drive event. The conference runs April 30 to May 3, 2018 in Long Beach, California.
About Motiv Power Systems
Founded in 2009, and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Motiv Power Systems is committed to freeing fleets from their dependence on fossil fuels. Motiv’s EPIC (Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis) family is CARB certified, GSA approved, and available for a number of different body configurations including walk-in vans, box trucks, work trucks, shuttle buses, school buses, trolleys, and other specialty vehicles. An EPIC chassis offers uncompromised performance and functionality without the pollution, noise, heat, and vibration of gasoline or diesel power. Motiv is a Ford eQVM-approved provider of all-electric chassis for commercial trucks and buses and benefits from engineering review and support from Ford to ensure safety and reliability. With more than 350,000 miles logged in Fortune 50 fleet deployments throughout North America, the EPIC family eliminates 100% of vehicle emissions, dramatically reduces operating and maintenance costs, and creates a healthier environment for riders and communities, while also reducing driver fatigue.
