The Ed has an early viewing of the impressive-looking Windrose E1400 – the latest arrival from electric heavy vehicle distributor E-Trucks
Some two hours after receiving a message from E-Trucks boss Ross Linton, I am standing in his Penrose yard alongside the pre-production Windrose E1400 heavy-duty electric truck, ready to be shown some of the features that will no doubt generate numerous discussions within the transport industry.
At the time of my visit, the truck had arrived in the country just some 48 hours prior and still wasn’t ready to hit the road with a trailer but shortly ready for trial tractor unit runs, before going through red tape procedures to legally hook up the moneymaking end.
Not one to procrastinate though, Ross had already been showing prospective buyers what looks to be the next step for heavy EVs in New Zealand.
“I’ve been following the Windrose development closely and have updated customers on its impending arrival over the last few months,” he says.
“Units are already being trialled in the US, Europe and Australia,” says Ross. “Over the ditch, they are a bit ahead of us and are about to start two-trailer highway testing – but we won’t be too far behind.”
Similar looks
As for general aesthetics, the Windrose E1400 bears a striking resemblance to Tesla’s heavy EV truck, so let’s get the obvious out of the way.
Much like it being difficult to tell modern ute brands apart due to their functional requirements, both Windrose and Tesla trucks share many common features, meaning a lot of the styling influences are very similar, being governed by what is required by the technology housed within each brand’s vehicle. Theoretically, if manufacturers of other heavy EV trucks want to minimise wind resistance, then their trucks should look much like Windrose or Tesla.
A walkaround the vehicle itself also gives a better understanding of why the cab design has broken away from the traditional ‘truck’ look and how they provide for the narrow-raked front.
With no diesel engine or transmission, the usual full-length chassis rails are not required and only needed at the rear of the vehicle to support the back two axles and electric drive motors. In fact, a quick glance at this area, other than the electric tech looks much like any other heavy-duty truck.
However, with no torque transfer from the engine, there is only a single central rail on the front half of the vehicle, reducing weight, giving more space for the proprietary battery packs and allowing for the slimmer aerodynamic front end.
The manufacturer is so intent on clean lines that the front air dam automatically adjusts to provide better flow around the truck when moving at highway speeds.
Inside the cab
Gone are the days of shimmying up the side of a vertical cab, with the narrow cab easily accommodating three steps and a large bus-style entry door. Oldies might even think it is reminiscent of a 1960s FGK Morris setup.
With no need for a radiator out front and the cab more aerodynamically contoured, the narrowness gives a mid-mounted driving position. In the case of the New Zealand spec’d Windrose, the seat is located slightly to the right some 25mm off the centre position, which is not much, but must be something to do with meeting right-hand drive regulations.
From the centralised position, the driver has more ‘desk space’ and is presented with an array of controls and electronic driving aids. “The driver can customise certain settings for their specific preferences,” says Ross.
Cameras linked to LED screens replace the traditional side-mounted rearview mirrors and include night vision capabilities. Two other LED screens provide relevant vehicle data and additionally give alternate external views of the truck and its surroundings.
Naturally, with no engine or transmission beneath the cab, the space is used to house the batteries but there is still significantly more space available than the trucks we are used to. This allows for a larger cab interior of around eight cubic metres and plenty of storage space – along with a rear-located passenger seat.
Power to the wheels
Its manufacturer says the Windrose E1400 has a maximum speed of 120km/h, with peak power of 1040kW, delivered from a 729kWh battery pack to the quad-motor dual axles.
The truck has three power modes and acceleration is phenomenal if the online videos are anything to go by.
“For the first 90 seconds, the truck outputs 1400 horsepower, before easing back to 950 horsepower, delivering a maximum torque of 78,430Nm. The torque figure becomes a nonsense number on e-axles of course, suffice to say there’s plenty,” says Ross.
“Its maximum rated GCM in New Zealand is 58 tonnes, although most of the specs at the moment are at China rates, which is 49 tonnes.
Out on the road
Loaded at 49 tonnes the truck has been tested in China with a range of 670km. Back here in New Zealand a couple of weeks after Ross and I caught up, he says the unloaded tractor unit did a run from Auckland to Wellington via Mt Maunganui, returning via New Plymouth and the Mount again. The run included traversing the Kaimais three times, Transmission Gully twice, the Desert Rd and Mount Messenger.
“Unloaded, we travelled 1689km using 1232kWh to give a range on a charge of 998km, which is extremely close to the 1000km tractor unit duration Windrose offers in their advertising,” says Ross. “Some people are sceptical about the data out of China, but our run proves that the information stacks up and when you think about it, the last thing a manufacturer wants to do is to supply technology that will underperform – it means that they kill any future market for themselves.”
Ross says the truck is very nice to drive with airbag suspension throughout, but unlike a lot of modern trucks, it does not have a suspended cab.
“The cab is fixed to the chassis, so that’s one thing it hasn’t got, but that aside, it is very comfortable and a fun truck to drive.”
“It’s an intercity truck and would be ideal for servicing towns from Auckland through to Wellington. We’ve got some guys who want to use them for metro work and that is fine, but out on the highway, is where I think owners will really see the benefits.”
“The price point is $555,000 + GST, but the government LEHVF grant currently available brings it down to something like $416,250 + GST.”
For more information, visit etrucks.co.nz
What are kilowatt-hours?
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy delivered by one kilowatt of power for one hour and is equal to 3.6 megajoules (3600 kilojoules) – or at room temperature, roughly the amount of energy needed to heat just under 10 litres of water to boiling point.
In the case of the Windrose E1400 truck, its 729kWh battery would contain the energy to heat around 6200 litres of water to boiling point.