A paradigm shift must have occurred within the truck community, as electric pickups are beginning to become more than just an easily dismissed theory posited by a bunch of fringe engineering weirdos.
Tesla has already announced plans for an electrified pickup, Workhorse is toying with the idea of bringing its W-15 to the consumer market, and now the Canadian division of Havelaar Group has unveiled its own in Ontario.
Dubbed the Havelaar Bison, the pure-electric pickup uses twin motors to drive all four wheels simultaneously, with a battery unit that allows for a maximum range of about 186 miles. The firm claims the truck is designed for the very worst weather conditions the Great White North can throw at it, using its adaptive dynamics to mitigate varied surfaces.
However, Havelaar is keeping a pretty tight lid on the specific components underpinning the Bison. The manufacturer claims it will possess a carbon fiber reinforced steel frame and “class-leading torsional stiffness” for enhanced durability and handling. Based off images of the truck’s frame, that will be further helped by the fancy-pants double wishbone setup allocated to each corner.
It’s also supposed to boast rugged off-road capabilities and allow for a 54-percent grade hill start with 21-percent hill climb, fully loaded. That information would be much more impressive if we had any idea what the maximum payload was. Havelaar didn’t mention hill assist, but specified the Bision would have “assistive technology calibrated to meet both the day-to-day work demands and active lifestyle needs of adventurers.” So, probably.
SEE ALSO: Workhorse Group Plans a PHEV Pickup Truck With 80-Mile Electric Range
Other known elements include an external power port for tools and 46 cubic feet of external cargo space — with an additional 18 cubes of lockable storage. Combining the two averages out to a fairly standard box size, but having to split the difference limits loading options.
Concept drawings of the Bison hint at some pretty aggressive styling choices. The teaser images show a wedge-shaped hood, uncommon on just about every truck design in history. Havelaar calls the design “an evolutionary leap forward from traditional pickups.”
The physical representation is a little less extravagant but no less strange. The Bison seems to be a hodgepodge of sports car styling mixed with an F-150. It’s much lower than anticipated and houses a Tesla-like vertical touch screen in the center console with dial-based gear selection. Seating appears limited to two occupants.
Additional specification gaps should be filled as the Canadian firm continues work on the project (with help from the University of Toronto – Havelaar Electric Vehicle (UTHEV) Research Centre) but we at least know what it looks like after today’s debut at the EV/VÉ Conference and Trade Show in Markham, Ontario. Hopefully, it assumes a more practical form in future incarnations and Havelaar does away with the Lamborghini-style badge before it finds itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit.
The vehicle’s timetable isn’t known, though Havelaar is currently taking reservations for the Bison, with those persons being first to receive pre-order information.
Launch of the brand new #Havelaar #E-Pickup at @EVVEconf 2017 #Truck #Electric https://t.co/iadlJjOVR0 pic.twitter.com/z70k5x3Aez
— PIT_Group (@PIT_Group) May 30, 2017
A version of this story originally appeared on The Truth About Cars
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