California-based Balqon Corporation is at the forefront of innovation for all-electric vehicles in the warehouse, shipping and industrial sectors. Balqon’s electric vehicle fleet includes the Mule M-150 truck and the Nautilus E20 terminal transport. The company introduced the Balqon E30 short-haul truck nearly a year ago, offering a drayage vehicle capable of traveling up to 40 miles per hour for nearly 60 miles. Balqon is taking the next step with the recently announced Nautilus XE20 yard tractor. This all-electric yard tractor was designed in cooperation with Autocar Truck and premiered at the opening of a new Balqon facility in Harbor City, California.
The XE20 yard tractor is designed for container and truck spotting duties at warehouses and manufacturing facilities. The 40-ton tow limit allows the XE20 to move large loads around industrial plants without much difficulty. The Balqon drive system is built with a 230-volt AC induction motor and a four-speed manual transmission. This all-electric drive system is limited to 25 miles per hour to increase range while recognizing the limited mandates of the XE20. Balqon projects the unloaded mileage of the XE20 at about 94 miles and a 50-mile range when fully loaded.
Balqon is offering multiple charging options for the XE20. The 140kWh lithium-ion battery is charged by the standard 20kW charging unit while Balqon’s battery management system tracks available power. Balqon states that it will sell an optional 80kW charging unit for the XE20 that can handle charges from up to four XE20s. This optional charging unit should be popular among public agencies and private firms that will purchase multiple XE20s for their fleets.
Balqon’s advancements in all-electric transportation show the challenges still facing manufacturers and automakers. The XE20, the Mule M-150 and the E30 can replace thousands of industrial vehicles that produce emissions and waste fossil fuel. Even if Balqon expands its production capacity in the next five years, manufacturers nationwide will only gradually replace their traditional vehicles due to cost constraints. The combination of commercial and passenger EVs and plug-in hybrids hitting the market this decade may further stress the electrical grid. In order to make the XE20 truly emissions free, local and national officials need to work toward cleaner electrical generation via solar panels, wind turbines and other sources. For now, however, Balqon is demonstrating the capabilities of electric vehicle platforms in the most strenuous of circumstances.
