E-Mobility Engineering 015 l EMotive Scarab off-road truck dossier l In Conversation: Giulio Ornella l Hall effect and magnetic sensors focus l Challenge of batteries for heavy-duty EVs l Alpha Motor Corporation digest l Automated charging insight l HVAC systems focus

passengers; the wheelbase is 2.7 m. The truck bed measures 1.82 m, which allows the vehicle to fit in a standard single-car garage, and provides 1.22 m 3 of storage. With a range of at least 250 miles and potentially more than 275 miles, the Wolf can reach 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and has a towing capacity of 1360 kg. It has CCS DC fast charging and comes in dual-motor four-wheel-drive or rear-wheel single- motor versions. It also has drum brakes, electronic power steering, ADAS and independent front suspension. Like the other models in the company’s line-up, it has a wide-format touch screen display, digital displays for the driver and Bluetooth connectivity. Alpha’s range of vehicles will have variations in their touch screens according to the ergonomics, but standardisation will exist here as well by having a unified user interface through software. The features the driver will have access to are driver assistance, external and in- vehicle lighting, power and performance diagnostics, navigation, multimedia, interior climate, comms, safety and hazard diagnostics, overall vehicle information and vehicle diagnostics, and onboard systems settings. Bluetooth device connectivity and pairing is also planned. Alpha has what it calls an “industrialisation group”, that leads the process of product development and commercialisation. The group consists of teams that focus on body-on-frame architecture, unibody architecture, vehicle components, energy solutions and advanced innovation and digitalisation. American Revolution In April this year, Alpha announced a mass vehicle production initiative with Hinduja Tech (HT) in India, the aim being to make its EVs accessible worldwide. India drives on the left, so Alpha is analysing the potential demand for right-hand-drive vehicles. The scope of Alpha’s cooperation with HT includes the development and production of EVs, post-production support, and joint r&d of other mobility projects. Alpha is taking expressions of interest in reservations for its vehicles, although it has not yet started serial production. Interested parties who have completed a website form to place a reservation will be contacted to complete the pre-order process. Delivery of vehicles will follow in sequential order, beginning with the first completed vehicle purchase. Alpha has not ruled out developing other vehicles. Standardisation is key to its approach to delivering its vehicles to market. The use of virtual models and the outsourcing of the validation of the factory production versions is also expected to deliver efficiencies in concert with the technical standardisation the company is applying across its range. Alpha’s vehicles are also intended to allow DC fast charging, using a combo charging adapter. Level 3 DC fast charging is projected to charge up to 80% of battery capacity in 30 minutes to an hour. In addition, the company says it plans to equip its vehicles with standard charging solutions across its product line and which are compatible with the various global AC/ DC charging solutions available. In May this year, Alpha announced that it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with Detroit-based UHI Group, which provides prototype and low-volume stampings. Specifically, UHI will manufacture and validate Alpha’s production-ready vehicles, which will lead to serial production. Alpha has already built a prototype of the Wolf, and it now serves as the foundation for its other vehicles including the Wolf+ Extended Cabin Truck and the SuperWolf Dual Cabin Truck. Serial production Alpha says the average time to reach serial production is from 3 to 5 years, depending on the complexity of the production vehicle and the industrialisation programme. It is selling the Wolf pick-up first because of market demand for this type of model, and there are a number of electric truck models in the US already on offer. The Wolf has a body-on-frame construction, measures 4.8 m long and 1.99 m wide, and accommodates two The Wolf+ Extended Cabin Truck has room for four people and racks for extra storage 54 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering