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lean simplicity, that's electricity

5th September 1975
Page 72
Page 72, 5th September 1975 — lean simplicity, that's electricity
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

int Hoare

battery-powered Bedford ans have just gone into :e with the Post Office tst week I had the chance :e one out for a brief road traffic conditions not unhe ones the vehicle will in service the van proved simplicity itself to drive. t's a peculiar sensation ; in the driver's seat for familiar with the normal ince there is no gear and just a flat floor be. the seats.

trumentation is little d except for the addition battery condition indicavhich, says Lucas, Will Drily a very rough guide e state of the battery. is no such thing at the !nt as a reliable " fuel" for electric vehicles. only controls are a mas ter switch which disconnects the battery completely in case of trouble, an " ignition " key switch to allow the vehicle to move and two interlocked buttons for selecting forward or reverse.

By just turning the " ignition " switch on and pressing the forward button the vehicle is ready to go, As with most vehicles with silicon-controlled rectifier units there is a noticeable buzzing which diminishes as the vehicle speed increases. The Lucas vehicles have the units housed just under the normal CF engine cover.

There is plenty of acceleration (the batteries were fully charged) and there should he no trouble keeping up with traffic in the sort of conditions the Lucas vehicles will normally be running. Of academic interest, perhaps, but the vehi cle I tried, unladen, managed to just touch 64kph (40mph) up a slight gradient. A useful feature is a horn which automatically sounds when the vehicle is put into reverse.

Brakes gave no cause for concern particularly since there is regenerative braking which is activated when the throttle is released and also when the brake pedal is pressed.

Five of the vehicles will be used for postal deliveries, initially in the West Central district of London, and five others by the Telecommunications devision.

The postal delivery van has an unladen weight of 2.3 tonnes (2.26 tons) and a total payload capacity of 0.7 tonnes (0.75 tons). For these vans, however, weight is not important and the interior volume is about the same as the Austin-Morris J4s they will be replacing.

For the telecommunications vehicles the battery packs are slightly lighter but there is a lot more equipment carried as part of the vehicle. Net payload capacity is therefore about the same. The telecommunications vehicle also has an inverter fitted which charges from the main pack the battery used to power lights, wipers, etc. The postal vehicle's auxiliary battery is charged only with the main pack.

Lucas stress that the vans are very much development vehicles and that in the long run they have no intention of manufacturing or building in large quantities . battery powered vehicles. Their role is as suppliers of the electrical equipment to vehicle builders.

Tags

Organisations: Post Office
People: Lucas
Locations: Austin, London

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