Never having to fill a university-owned vehicle with gasoline is no longer a dream for the University Auxiliaries Department.
The department recently took delivery of an all-electric Vantage Green Truck, a four-door pickup with a short bed that department leaders think will be ideal for hauling people and equipment around campus.
“It’s really quiet,” Jeff Davis, executive director, Auxiliary Services, said. “I mean really quiet. So quiet that we might have to use the horn just to let people know we’re coming.”
The Vantage uses a chassis made in China and is assembled in Corona, Calif. The company offers either traditional gasoline power or a full electric version good for 25 mph and 40 miles between charges. For Davis, the electric version was an easy decision based on economic and ecologic benefits.
“We just heard a presentation that it costs about twenty one cents a mile to operate a traditional small pick up like a Ford Ranger,” Davis said. “The Vantage is two-point-one cents.”
The truck will be used by various auxiliary services departments to take visitors on campus tours or to haul items such as sound systems or chairs to university events. With its low top speed, the truck will not make trips onto streets such as Austin Bluffs Parkway or North Nevada Avenue. Rated as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle means it is licensed but will likely only log miles on campus streets or Stanton Road which connects the Four Diamonds Sports Complex with Alpine Village, Davis said. The truck replaces a previous electric vehicle used by the department that was worn out and did not provide cargo carrying capacity.
The Vantage company is only a dozen years old and its promotional budget is small. Megan Bell, director, University Center saw a gasoline-powered version at CU-Boulder and was intrigued. Interest turned into a $19,700 sale when Davis learned an all-electric version was available.
“No fuel, no oil changes and an electric motor that will last a long time – who could ask for more?” Davis said.
To see more about Vantage vehicles, visit http://www.vantagevehicle.com/about.asp
— Photo by Tom Hutton, University Advancement
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