A flatbed truck with an electric motor? EVUM Motors started as a research project for mobile development work in Africa and has advanced to become an innovator in the e-car industry in the past three years: With the EVUM aCar, which is to go into series production as early as 2020, a purely electrically powered commercial vehicle will appear on the German market for the first time. We invited Stefan Dietz, Head of Sales & Marketing, to talk to us during the current financing round.
THE PACKAGES ARE ACTUALLY VERY DIFFERENT. ONLY THE XL PACKAGE AND HIGHER INCLUDES A LARGER BATTERY WITH A RANGE OF 200 KILOMETRES AND A SOLAR PANEL ON THE ROOF. WHY?
For many purposes that we have seen and calculated, a range of 100 kilometres is quite sufficient. Let's think, for example, of the maintenance of parks, such as the grounds around Sanssouci in Potsdam. Although the area is large, the distances covered are not. A gardener will only ever cover a short distance and then continue to trim a hedge, for example. Thus, in the course of the day, not as many kilometres are covered as one might think. From package size L onwards, an external socket is also included, to which tools can be connected, and also a high-voltage connection.
SO IN THE SIMPLE VERSION, THE VEHICLES CAN ONLY BE CHARGED AT A HOUSEHOLD SOCKET?
Yes, that is correct. However, many commercial vehicles are only used during the day and in a small radius, so up to 16 hours of charging time are available. The battery of the aCar recharges in about 8 to 10 hours at a household socket.
THE CALCULATED SMALL RADIUS IS PROBABLY ALSO THE REASON FOR THE LOW MAXIMUM SPEED OF 70 KM/H?
70 km/h is quite sufficient for the purposes we have in mind. In the city, you are usually not allowed to drive faster anyway and in the countryside, for example between individual cultivated fields, only short distances are covered on country roads, if at all. More important here is the off-road capability of the vehicle, which means increased ground clearance and all-wheel drive. For off-road use, on slopes and bumps, this is of greater value than being able to drive 130.
THE VALUES OF THE EVUM ACAR SOUND VERY CONVINCING, BUT THEY ALSO CLAIM SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION. HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR AN ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL VEHICLE?
The idea that EVUM has pursued from the beginning is to produce the vehicles close to the market where they are used and sold. In this way, for example, emissions for the transport of finished vehicles can be reduced, and local social and economic structures are also supported. For the market launch in Germany, the first pre-production series will be manufactured in Bavaria by one of our partners from the first financing round.
