Chanje Electric Vans Unveiled
The Chanje van on the streets of Brooklyn. The U.S. market sets the highest bar for vehicle reliability and safety, and it is home to some of the largest delivery companies and consumer brands expected to use the vehicles. Photo: Jim Park
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The Chanje van on the streets of Brooklyn. The U.S. market sets the highest bar for vehicle reliability and safety, and it is home to some of the largest delivery companies and consumer brands expected to use the vehicles. Photo: Jim Park
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BROOKLYN, NY – Chanje is here.
The Chinese-based vehicle manufacturer (pronounced “change”) has officially unveiled its electric medium-duty panel van in Brooklyn, New York, with Ryder taking delivery of 125 units for its rental and leasing fleet.
The initial rollout will be in key California markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, as well as New York and Chicago. Ryder will provide parts distribution, service and support.
“All the trends in diesel are going in the wrong direction,” said Chanje CEO Bryan Hansel, noting that diesel equipment is increasingly expensive to build, purchase, and maintain.
China’s demand for electric vehicles is expected to outpace North America’s needs in coming years, but the U.S. market sets the highest bar for vehicle reliability and safety, and it is home to some of the largest delivery companies and consumer brands expected to use the vehicles, Hansel says. This is being developed as a “world” truck for markets here and elsewhere, and the company says it has invested about US $1 billion in the design and related tooling.
The Vehicle
The V8070 van will reportedly hold a 6,000-pound payload in its cavernous 580-cubic-foot cargo bay. “For package delivery, it’s a lot,” Hansel said, referring to the growing trend in home deliveries as a key driver behind such vehicles.
The turning radius is also a tight 25 feet. “When you’re driving this, it feels like you’re driving a minivan,” he said. “These were designed for an urban environment. You need to be able to drive them, you need to be able to park them, you need to …Read the rest of this story
