"Green" van: will trucks powered by new energy sources arrive in Russia
Passenger hybrids and electric cars from China have already taken a leading position in the Russian market. Commercial vehicles are next in line. The correspondent of Izvestia got acquainted with the "green" Foton models, some of which have every chance of reaching our region, on the test track of the Chinese automaker.
Battery-powered pickups
The abundance of mainline tractors, dump trucks, concrete mixers, garbage trucks, buses, light trucks, vans and pickups parked in front of the test track of the Foton plant in the vicinity of Beijing is initially eye-popping. At some point, the eye catches on an ordinary-looking Tunland V9 pickup truck, which is already well known in our country. Upon closer examination, the PHEV nameplate is found on its stern, clearly hinting at a hybrid powerplant under the hood.
This pickup truck is powered by a two-liter turbo engine with a capacity of 190 hp in tandem with two electric motors. In total, "at its peak" this trio produces about 380 "horses· and 800 Nm of thrust. Like the well-known gasoline version of this pickup truck in Russia, its hybrid version is equipped with a plug-in all-wheel drive.
Foton Tunland V9 PHEV Hybrid pickup truck
The car can run in different modes: only on electricity (a battery with a capacity of 32.8 kWh located under the floor is enough for 110 km), on electric power, when the gasoline engine acts as a generator, in hybrid mode (the internal combustion engine not only powers the battery, but also transmits thrust to the drive wheels through a four-speed electromechanical transmission) and only on gasoline. The total range of the Foton Tunland V9 PHEV is about 1 thousand km.
We drive by electric train to the test track. Unlike many electric cars and hybrids, the V9 PHEV is devoid of excessive sharpness: in response to pressing the accelerator pedal, the car smoothly starts moving.
Having taken up a position at the landfill, I turn off the gas until it stops. Despite its decent weight (almost 2.7 tons), the hybrid Tunland V9 significantly presses into the seat during acceleration. The claimed acceleration to 100 km/h takes the car 7.8 s. However, it was not possible to achieve such a speed on a pickup truck: the signature in the safety agreement, at the risk of disqualification, forced me to take my foot off the pedal at around 70 km/ h.
But on the way back along the approximately kilometer-long track, it was possible to check the smoothness of the car in areas with artificial bumps. As expected, the empty pickup truck on the "cobblestones" and "speed bumps" were noticeably tossed up. Especially the back of a car with an empty cargo platform.
Foton Tunland V9 PHEV is the most likely candidate to appear in the Russian Federation in the foreseeable future. Photon has confirmed its interest in entering our market with hybrid versions of V-series pickups.
"We are currently studying the market and plan to start the Russian certification procedure for this model in the near future," Alexander Parshutin, brand director of Foton at MB RUS JSC (the official distributor of the brand in Russia), told Izvestia.
Foton eTunland Electric Pickup Truck
The prospects for another pickup truck in Russia — the all-electric eTunland — are still more vague. Nevertheless, it was decided not to neglect the opportunity to ride it.
In the test, there was a car with a right—hand drive, a clear hint of the model's export potential. In "right-hand drive" Thailand, for example, where historically they love pickups, but at the same time they are seriously dependent on oil imports, Foton eTunland would definitely suit the court.
Unlike the hybrid V9, the electric Tunland is powered only by the rear axle. The car is equipped with a 177-horsepower electric motor, and its range is about 500 km. In terms of dynamics, the electric pickup, even despite the significantly lower engine output, does not lose much to its hybrid counterpart. Acceleration, of course, is not so fast, but you can't call eTunland slow either.
"Faceted glass"
Izvestia also tested the eView Connect electric van, which stands out for its unusual design with faceted shapes. Despite the angular body, the car has a very low (only 0.28) coefficient of aerodynamic drag. This is a very good indicator even for ordinary passenger cars, not to mention commercial vehicles.
Foton eView Connect Electric Van
Since only a compact electric motor with a capacity of 156 hp is installed under the hood, the cabin was able to move as far forward as possible. Due to this, it was possible to increase the length of the cargo compartment to 3.1 m. The total volume of the body is 9 cubic meters, which is about 10% more than that of similar vans with internal combustion engines.
A short study trip on the eView along the test track showed that the car has enough electric motor power. The task of such vans is not to compete in "traffic light duels", but to ensure the delivery of cargo in the so-called "last mile". Foton expects that courier services will become the main buyers. With a power reserve of 310 km, the eView can theoretically work the entire shift without recharging.
Foton eView Connect Salon
Alexander Parshutin did not rule out the possibility of an electric van and a Foton View minibus appearing on the Russian market. According to him, the demand for such models in Russia is being actively studied.
Long-range combat
Among the many test vans and pickups, the gigantic Foton Galaxus three-axle mainline tractor stood out from the side. Its design provides for the possibility of installing various types of engines: "classic" diesels, a gas engine, as well as an electric, hybrid, and even a hydrogen power plant.
After climbing four steps, I find myself in a cabin that is comparable in size to a room in a small apartment. The associations with real estate are enhanced by an absolutely flat floor and a wide bed in the "sleeping bag". The 580-horsepower diesel starts with a button, a slight vibration runs through the cabin.
Foton Galaxus mainline tractor
Having overcome my first fear (I have no experience driving such equipment at all), I activate the robotic gearbox with the "twister" on the right steering wheel switch. To get to the start, you have to maneuver in reverse. There are no cameras here, but six impressive exterior mirrors give you an idea of what's going on next to the car.
Despite the 580 "horses" under the cab, the tractor accelerates very steadily. Power and a monstrous (more than 2000 Nm) torque are needed primarily for towing a heavy semi-trailer. Unlike the "robots" on passenger cars, where the speeds change, as a rule, almost imperceptibly, on the Foton Galaxus, the gear change occurs with an impressive pause. As the "cargo" colleagues later told us, this is a normal phenomenon for mainline tractors — it is designed to protect the transmission from breakdowns, especially when the tractor is dragging a couple of dozen tons of cargo.
Foton Galaxus mainline tractor
Given that Foton trucks are represented on our market, and the Valdai tractor produced in Nizhny Novgorod has been created based on the Auman model, it can be assumed that the Galaxus will appear in Russia after some time.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
