Electrically powered truck can haul thousands of pounds of freight

At the mention of an electric vehicle, the only picture that comes to mind is of a compact 2-4 seater vehicle. However, the Port of Los Angeles has recently put into service world’s first all-electric truck, the Balqon XE20. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the Balqon XE20 can cover a distance of 50 miles on a complete charge. It takes 6-8 hours to charge completely. It also has a quick charge facility which charges the Li-ion batteries up to 60% in an hour. The locally built XE20 can carry a staggering 60,000lbs of freight, which is equal to a fully loaded 40-feet container.

These freight trucks make more than 1.2 million trips between the Port of LA and a local railyard. If the all-electric XE20s were to be used for this purpose, it could eliminate around 35,000 tonnes of tailpipe emissions. The XE20 is a great way to conserver the environment while saving on fuel costs.
[wired]