All-Electric Ranger Gets 100 Miles Per Charge

All-Electric Ranger Gets 100 Miles Per Charge ENERGY Miscellaneous There s never been a vehicle like this all-electric Ford Ranger that will be unveiled to the national media this July in Winona Minn FARM SHOW got an early sneak peak at the electrified Ranger which can travel an amazing 100 miles on a single 4-hour charge at a fuel cost of only a penny a mile If you add an optional on-board gas-powered generator the cost goes up to 5ó a mile but it eliminates the need to ever stop for a charge
    The breakthrough technology that makes the electric pickup so efficient is the Mag-Trans transmission developed by well-known inventor Bob Albertson who holds more than 250 patents from a lifetime of inventing
Sugarloaf Ford of Winona one of Ford s top dealers in the U S will be taking orders for new and retrofitted Ford Rangers with a standard 5-speed transmission controlled by the Mag-Trans technology
This is very exciting for us and is a great thing for Ford and for the country says Mike Puetz owner Sugarloaf Ford This is the first all-electric vehicle that is affordable to the average person It is a brilliantly simple design
FARM SHOW took a ride with Albertson recently as he put his first production model through its paces It was impressiveàand quiet! Looking under the hood was even more impressive mostly because of what wasn t there
The pickup is powered by a 100V DC electric motor that draws 50 to 60 amps under load There s also a battery case with 10 deep cell batteries and the patented Mag-Trans technology
You can buy the system and have it installed for $13 000 in a new or used Ford Ranger says Albertson There is a $7 500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles and if you are from Colorado or California it s practically free because those states have an additional $5 000 state tax credit
If you re able to sell the parts you take out û i e the engine starter fuel pump water pump radiator carburetor and exhaust system - you might even make a profit on the deal
The Mag-Trans unit mounts directly to the 5-speed transmission at the bell housing It consists of a copper disk driven by the DC motor running at its optimum rpm s There s an air gap between the copper disk and a steel disk attached to the truck s transmission that s fitted with 36 rare earth magnets each providing about 80 lbs of attraction
When Albertson steps on the gas pedal the magnetic disk moves toward the spinning copper disk and begins to spin in response The closer the two disks come to each other the faster the magnetic disk turns Transfer of energy from the motor to the drive shaft is just that simple Because power is transferred through the Ranger s 5-speed shifting follows a normal pattern of clutch and shift An amp gauge helps the driver find the most efficient gear
When the disks pull apart the magnetic disk slows the drive explains Albertson It actually provides a type of regenerative braking that puts power back into the batteries
Albertson a Minnesota native chose to work with the Ford Ranger for his first kit because of the Ford Ranger assembly plant in nearby St Paul Minn He developed the kit for a manual transmission as it was simpler to work with than an automatic transmission Kits for other vehicles will be developed as demand develops
The power steering pump is mounted to the front of the electric motor Other vehicle systems that remain run on electricity Albertson expects eventually to capture and use the heat produced by the Mag-Trans system
Initially the kit will only be available through Sugarloaf Ford in nearby Winona Minn We will start taking orders right after the July introduction and make deliveries anyplace in the country says Puetz A $2 500 deposit will be required with the order with the balance due on delivery You can have the kit installed in a brand new Ranger or retrofit an existing truck
Puetz says the base price on a new Ranger is around $15 000 with current rebates He expects to soon have pricing on a kit-ready new truck without engine and the other unneeded components
If 100-mile round trips aren t sufficient an optional gas-powered DC generator complete with its own exhaust system is also available Fully installed the add-on will cost $2 500
Even without the on-board generator the batteries are already recharged on-the-go by the regenerative braking system and by the cooling fan which is left in place A small generator is attached to the back of it As air passes through the fan turns to generate electricity which is fed back to the batteries Right now the fan generates about 10 amps at a 30-mph road speed Albertson also has plans for a power-generating suspension system that he plans to introduce in 2011 It generates electricity from the up and down motion of a vehicle on the road
Albertson is also in discussion with a major farm equipment company regarding a variation of the Mag-Trans for tractors
You can see a video of Albertson and his all-electric Ranger at FARM SHOW s website www farmshow com
Contact: FARM SHOW followup Mag-Trans Corporation S2210 River Rd Dr Alma Wis 54610 ph 608 248-2100 ; or Sugarloaf Ford Lincoln Mercury 1222 Service Drive Hwy 61 PO Box 376 Winona Minn 55987 ph 507 454-5170; ph 888 412-3673; www sugarloafford com

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