John Ratcliff joins electric race
Page 37
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
JOHN Ratcliff (Tail Lifts) Ltd has entered the electric vehicle race and aims to have built 100 production units by the end of this year.
The vehicle is based on the Ford Escort van, but unlike all existing electric vehicles relies on a hydraulic torque converter for effective speed control instead of the sophisticated thyristor control units normally used. A new subsidiary company, Advanced Vehicle Systems Ltd, has been formed to develop the project under the leadership of Sir John Samuels.
It is claimed that the torque converter, developed from the Hobbs automatic transmission, halves the peak power demand from the electric motor and allows the motor to run at a near constant speed. Range is claimed to be between 80 and 130km (50 and 80 miles).
Top speed of the converted vehicle, with a 250kg (5cwt) payload, is about 80kmh (50mph). Unladen weight at the moment, with lead-acid batteries, is 1500kg (30cwt), but it is hoped to reduce this weight considerably with the help of new batteries developed by Chloride which have leadcoated plastic plates.