EC8917400000578-200_964x640.jpg' alt='Afghanistan Truck Driver Pay Per Mile 2012 Ford' title='Afghanistan Truck Driver Pay Per Mile 2012 Ford' />Archives and past articles from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.Ive ridden in this truck.What is the best feature is the ondemand 4WD.In theory, you could even have a FWD pickup Get uptotheminute environmentallyfriendly or egregiously unfriendly car news, reviews, highquality photos and commentary about living green.Texarkana, Texas and Arkansas newspaper.Includes news, sports, opinion, and local information.Used-2015-Ford-F-150-XLT-ID1120530432' alt='Afghanistan Truck Driver Pay Per Mile 2012 Ford' title='Afghanistan Truck Driver Pay Per Mile 2012 Ford' />Driven Protean Ford F 1.All Electric Pickup Truck.Posted by Mike Levine May 1.Words and Photos by Ben Wojdyla for Pickup.Trucks. com. It might not seem obvious, but pickup trucks are the ideal candidates for electric drive systems.Electric motors deliver peak torque at zero rpm to get big loads moving.Theres plenty of room to store massive batteries and heavy duty components can handle their extra weight.Its why Protean Electric formerly known as PML Flightlink converted a 2.Ford F 1. 50 to all electric drive for the 2.SEMA show. The unique part Unlike normal EVs, Proteans F 1.How do we know Because after three years, we finally got behind the wheel of this alt powered truck.Lets back up a moment, though.In wheel electric motors on trucks arent a new idea.In fact, one of the first hybrid vehicles was a modified truck built in 1.Ferdinand Porsche, and it used so called pancake motors in the wheels.The reason then is the same as the reason now mechanical simplicity and packaging advantages.Putting electric motors in the wheels makes sense on a basic level it puts the power generating elements where power is needed and frees up space for passengers and cargo.Looking from the rear forward.Note the hollow beam rear axle shackled to conventional leaf springs and lack of a rear differential.Gear reduction and wheel speed is controlled inside each wheel motor.Battery packs and power cables orange are also shown.Until recently, the biggest reason against using in wheel motors was that they create too much unsprung weight.Unsprung weight is generally considered the enemy of handling performance.The more weight hanging off the end of the suspension, the harder it is to control the motion of the wheel and by extension, the performance of the vehicle.Generally, more power from an electric motor requires more windings, bigger permanent magnets and added weight.Protean has taken a different approach that not only increases power, it improves reliability, control and, most importantly, reduces weight.Protean created an in wheel electric motor unit thats essentially eight motors in one package.Inside the motor, its rotor looks conventional, with segmented permanent magnets on the outside.The stator, however, is new.Arranged in a circle are eight identical inverter motor controllers, each capable of switching on and off independently and driving the motor at low power individually.Alone, they offer minimum power use, but all together, they switch on and off to provide maximum power and torque.Closeup look at the right front wheel.Proteans in wheel electric motor has minimal impact on the independent front suspension, knuckles and tie rods.This system provides several important benefits, including easy repair and redundancy.But most important is the weight reduction the design allows.Each motor tips the scales around 6.Protean has designed its motors as a modular bolt on system.The motors are designed to use the factory bearing systems, so installation means removing the factory brake system, swapping the bearing onto the integrated mechanical brakemotor unit and bolting it back into place on the axle.A live axle like the solid rear axle a stock F 1.To prove the point, Protean chucked the factory Ford rear axle in favor of a hollow beam axle, saving considerable weight in the process.They also ditched the rear differential because wheel speed and gear reduction is managed in each of the wheel motors.Proteans demonstrator uses a slick inboard braking system much like an old Jaguar E Type however, the system can provide regenerative braking.Federal mandates require a mechanical backup system, so traditional hydraulic braking has been integrated into the latest motor design.How does such a radically different powertrain layout drive in a half ton truck A lot like todays truck.As you might expect from an EV, power comes on strong from the start, and as you reach higher speed, the power output decreases.These arent weak motors.Each of the four can generate peak twist of 6.Remember, thats for each motor.Beastly as the motors might be, theres still a major challenge to overcome the battery, something Protean makes no bones about.Protean isnt in the battery business, so the 4.Its also the trucks weak point right now.Each motor can operate at 8.Unfortunately the battery can only output a maximum of 1.W, or about 1. 85 horsepower.So better battery means bigger power, just like better fuel pump means more fuel, means the potential for more power.Remember, though, that were talking about a demonstration machine built three years ago.Battery technology has advanced a lot in that time, and so can performance.The interior has been customized with digital gauges and three push button controls next to cupholders for drive, neutral and reverse modes.The large red button is a kill switch, just in case.But what about the handling Making the case that in wheel motors can be a viable drive system is tough, especially when pitching to a generation of chassis engineers taught that unsprung weight is the worst thing in the world.So Protean did something risky.It didnt tune the suspension at all after the conversion.To compensate for the removal of the drive line, the company placed the hefty battery pack to maintain proper weight distribution and ride height, and thats all it did.The truck still rides on the factory springs and dampers front and rear.Its a tricky way to put the product to the ultimate test.With no suspension tuning working to Proteans advantage, how does the truck perform compared with the stock setup Were not going to gloss over the rougher ride, but considering the circumstances, were open to believe Proteans view that previous unsprung weight concerns can be overcome.There is a noticeable increase in the amount of vibration translated to the driver compared with a stock truck.Some can be attributed to the 1.Its not disconcerting, though, not even close.Its entirely within reason that with appropriate springs and dampers, youd never know you were driving something other than a stock F 1. 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Proteans in wheel electric drive system had no problem moving the F 1.In a corner and at speed, it feels similar to a conventional pickup.Such a statement may seem generic, but it belies the possibilities of the system.The highest praise an EV or hybrid can ever get is, It feels just like a normal vehicle.That is oddly the goal.Do something revolutionary and make the difference imperceptible.In that measure, Protean has succeeded with this demo vehicle.What are the odds of this truck, or something like it, making it to production, considering the long odds facing upstart EV companies and their seemingly frequent burnout rate Protean says its watertight financially, claiming its nearing its first contract to supply vehicles and has plenty of investor capital available.It expects to make an announcement in the near future of a U.S. production facility for its hardware.The F 1. 50 demonstrator serves as a most extreme case of what Protean can deliver.The company plans to offer hybrid and all electric vehicle solutions.Proteans in wheel system can operate as a through the road hybrid, a synchronous axle hybrid, all electric as is the case with the F 1.EV operation. Protean is currently a full generation ahead of the motors installed on this truck, with another generation pending release this summer.The numbers have changed slightly to improve continuous output and overall efficiency, with peak torque down to 5.After all this talk of kilowatts and inverter motor controllers and peak versus continuous output, the takeaway is this Dont fear the future.As much as we all love big, powerful, dinosaur fueled internal combustion engine powered pickups, theres room enough for electric trucks, too, or even hybrids.If you think the growl of an IC engine is mandatory for the truck experience, just imagine what having 2,3.
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