Electric 2-horse truck.?
Sustainable driving and emission-free mobility are subjects that are increasingly discussed in the transport world. Also in the horse industry, the question arises: is an electric 2-horse truck possible? At Hulshof Horsetrucks we build horse trucks on custom chassis, and theoretically a build-up on an electric chassis would be possible. Yet the reality is a lot more complex.
Can an electric horse truck be built?
There are several suppliers of electric chassis available that could serve as a basis for a horse truck. Renault, Mercedes, and Ford. The other major brands also have a large range of electric models available today. In theory, this means that a fully electric 2-horse truck can be built. However, in practice, it appears that no builder in the industry is currently willing to do this. and that is not without reason.
Why an electric horse truck is not feasible
Although electric driving sounds attractive, an electric horse truck presents major challenges:
1. Limited range
An electric horse truck must be able to travel long distances without intermediate charging. With a fully charged vehicle, the range of action is often insufficient, especially when additional power consumers such as air conditioning and ventilation are used.
2. No charging capability on location
Loading and unloading sites, such as riding stables, competition locations and stalls, are not equipped with high-speed charging points, which means charging is virtually impossible on the way, which severely limits the use of an electric horse truck.
3. Not suitable for animal transport
Even if there were loading possibilities, there is still a major problem: horses cannot stay in a stationary vehicle during a long loading session. Charging with living animals on board is far from being a matter of the world and would make transport far too long and unpractical.
4. Weight and load capacity
One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the weight of the battery. Electric chassis is considerably heavier than their diesel variants, which means that there is less load capacity for the horses and equipment. This makes an electric 2-horse truck in practice hardly workable within the statutory weight limits.
