- Karma Automotive has unveiled the fully electric E-Flex utility van platform.
- The platform has multiple applications that extend beyond utility vans, such as campers and delivery vehicles.
- The E-Flex Van platform provides a fully electric range of up to 200 miles and a potential combined range of 400 miles.
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Karma Automotive has unveiled the fully electric E-Flex utility van platform.
The E-Flex is considered an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), according to Karma Automotive’s announcement of the vehicle on April 30. And true to its EREV label, the platform has a fully electric range of up to 200 miles, and a potential combined range of 400 miles with a range extender, which uses fuel to supply energy to the electric generator that then charges the battery and powers the motor.
The option to power the van with pure electricity, the range extender, or both, allows the van to be powered flexibly and eliminates potential “range anxiety”, Karma Automotive spokesperson Natasha Overin told Business Insider.
However, its applications extend beyond just utility vehicle use: the platform can also be used for delivery vehicles, shuttles, trade service or camper vans, according to Karma.
The utility van platform is a part of a five-series project that uses the company's EREV and battery-electric systems, which also includes Karma's recently unveiled the E-Flex platform intended for supercar use, which was announced on April 23.
The California-based company - which calls itself a "high-tech incubator" - specializes in luxury electric vehicles, including its fully electric Revero GT that was named Green Car Journal's 2020 Luxury Green Car of the Year. Keep scrolling to see Karma's newest utility van platform project:
Karma Automotive claims the platform offers new technology that can't be found in common battery-electric vehicles …
… such as a generator in the platform that provides its extended driving range.
The van is quiet and good for city use because it's able to be driven in "clean air zones," according to Karma.
The platform is also intended to serve as a "canvas for [Karma's] partners to create mobility solutions," Karma Automotive vice president of business development Lewis Liu said in a statement.
The E-Flex platform could allow other automakers to streamline its development costs and process when creating EREV and BEV vehicles, according to Karma.
All of Karma's E-Flex platforms include multiple components, such as motors, a gearbox, and a suspension system, to name a few.
The platform's powertrain kit can also be used on an already built chassis.
Karma has tested all of the included parts …
… with some even logging over one million miles through the testing process, according to Karma.
The van platform is being produced in Moreno Valley, California, although Karma Automotives is based in Irvine, California.
