AMP Holding Inc. (OTCBB and OTCQB: AMPD) announced that it has filed a provisional patent for a new system that extends the range of electric vehicles. E-GEN Drive is designed specifically for the package delivery vehicle market, in which vehicles (commonly known as step vans) tend to stop and restart hundreds of time a day.

AMP Electric Vehicles, which was profiled in the October 2013 issue of Charged, acquired the step van chassis manufacturer Workhorse, a subsidiary of the commercial vehicle powerhouse Navistar. AMP now offers the Workhorse chassis with gasoline, propane, CNG or battery electric powertrains. Its trucks are built at the Workhorse plant in Union City, Indiana, and serviced through a nationwide network of Workhorse dealers.

“We believe that battery electric technology is an ideal fit for urban and suburban delivery routes and we understand fleet owner’s concerns about range anxiety and cost,” said AMP CEO Steve Burns. “Our E-GEN Drive system will enable them to keep the batteries recharged to a consistent state of charge throughout the day and, since we are able to use smaller battery packs, we can reduce the cost of the entire system. Our E-GEN Drive trucks, with vouchers, offer a three-year payback and are now in the same price range as comparable gasoline powered trucks.”

“Our association with Power Solutions International (NASDAQ: PSIX) provides us with multi-fuel engines that function as generators,” added Don Wires, AMP’s Chief Technology Officer. “When the ignition is shut off, the engine automatically turns on and recharges the battery pack. When the ignition is turned back on, the engine turns off and the vehicle reverts to all-electric power. The engine and the battery-powered motor are never in use at the same time. It’s not a traditional hybrid, it’s an extended-range electric vehicle.”

Source: AMP Holding