This company wants to make your truck solar-powered
Worksport puts solar charging trucks back on the agenda
Off-grid power becomes a reality
Stored energy is accessible via a built-in AC/DC inverter, ultimately extending the electric vehicle range as it drives. It can also be removed and used remotely. This makes off-grid power a reality.
I spoke to CEO Steven Rossi, who explained:
Worksport can retrofit your truck into a mobile microgrids
According to Rossi, a key feature to the system is Worksport’s “hot-swap” technology: this allows depleted batteries to be changed out within a 60-second window while the system remains in full use. You can remove and replace an almost depleted COR battery with a fully charged one without having the power cut off. Ross asserts:
The TerraVis can generate up to 1,000W of power and the portable battery bank can house up to 1,500W in total.
Beyond range extension
Besides charging vehicles, the TerraVis also has capabilities to provide power on worksites, camping trips, and in the case of natural disasters and medical emergencies. Rossi notes, “Imagine a mobile outdoor blood bank where the power has suddenly gone out. We can help with that.”
It’s also easy to predict interest from the military for use in desert terrain.
The company is partnering with EV truck companies Hercules and Atlis to configure the TerraVis system for their pickup trucks.
TerraVis Energy Systems is also engaged in innovating and designing high-efficiency, affordable Hydrogen Fuel Cells to fast charge Battery Electric Vehicles. The company is currently collaborating with Ontario Tech University as part of a two-year, $2.3 million project funded equally by Workspot and the Canadian Government.
Ok, so you won’t be running your pickup truck on solar for a long-distance trip just yet. 30km is not that far for someone who uses a pickup truck in a delivery role. Further, you need plenty of sun, which is not available all year for most of us. So you are paying for something you can’t get the full benefit from all of the time. That’s a downside.
But Worksport’s found a way to neatly sidestep the design challenges that have plagued solar-changing cars by focusing on the tonneau. Even better, their portable solution offers the entire pick-up truck industry a substantial step towards carbon neutrality and renewable energy use.
Further, they’ve crafted a way to test emerging green energy solutions on the customers who already use their truckbed tonneaus, but also build a customer base for future technology. That’s pretty smart.
Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
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Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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