Alke' - Electric Utility Vehicles - alke

Road test and tests for electric vans and pickup vans: how are tests on small professional electric vans conducted?

Road test: a block of reinforced concrete loaded on the small electric pickup

Here above you can see the road test conducted with Alkè's professional electric pickups. The test is divided into three categories:

• frame strength test
• test involving uphill start of the vehicle
  
• test on the batteries' operating time

We have interviewed Davide Contran, in charge of vehicle delivery at Alkè and road tests of the company's ATX 200E electric vehicles:

Question: How the performance of professional electric pickups is tested:

Davide Contran: "We were aware that Enel's vehicle tests were going to be challenging. Indeed, when the crane arrived and placed a heavy 440kg of concrete on our electric pickup we realised it was no joke. With the concrete block on board, the electric pickup began to operate and simulate heavy-duty applications inside the power plant."

First test: frame strength

With the block of concrete the vehicle went along a small flat route with some potholes. Indeed, it is precisely potholes that put axle shafts and shock absorbers to the test if the electric pickup, which needs to carry 270kg for the batteries alone, is also fully loaded. In this situation the small electric pickup with an electric motor was carrying the 270kg for the batteries, 80kg for the driver and a 440kg load. The test was passed successfully, even because our vehicles come from off-road vehicles used by the civil protection service in really challenging circumstances.