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Tropos Motors Transitions from Distributor to Manufacturer

March 30, 2018

Leading the street-legal eCUV (compact electric utility vehicle) market in the United States, Tropos Technologies has evolved from distributor of the Cenntro METRO to manufacturer of electric low-speed vehicles and trucks. Rebranding as Tropos Motors, the company will continue to distribute the METRO throughout the U.S. under the new ABLE product line, as well as develop additional vehicle offerings. The first of these offerings from Tropos serve the first responder market with the ABLE FRV and Emergency Medical Service ABLE EMS eCUVs.

“The demand we see from the first responder market is for smaller and more maneuverable vehicles to meet their operational requirements, as well as vehicles that are of automotive quality but can be used indoors,” said CEO, John Bautista. “The ABLE product line meets these needs as a dependable compact utility workhorse, that’s still street-legal.”

The ABLE EMSo bed package is designed to carry one patient on a full-size, standard ambulance stretcher, one EMS attendant seat, lockable storage for extra supplies which is accessible from the attendant seat and a fire extinguisher. The completely enclosed—or doorless—cab also includes a large rear window. The adjustable attendant seat may be locked in different locations on the seat guide rails to accommodate different emergency situations.

“The ABLE EMSc and EMSo are ideal for large commercial buildings, production facilities, office parks, or entertainment venues that cater to large crowds,” said Scot Harden Sales and Marketing Director at Tropos Motors. “This includes factory floors, large arenas, stadiums and concert venues, transportation depots, fairgrounds, convention centers and other locations.”

Also newly released is the ABLE FRV (Fire-Response Vehicle) bed package from Tropos. It can transport up to 125 gallons of water to emergency locations or can connect to stand-pipes, making it a valuable equipment asset extinguishing fires in spaces large and small, indoors and out. This upfit body for the standard ABLE vehicle comes with an electric rewind Hannay 4000 series reel and Scotty Around the Pump Class A foam system with 5-gallon foam cell the equivalent to up to 1000 gallons of water.

“The compact size of the ABLE FRV (Fire-Response Vehicle) allows it to travel on stadium walkways and on the field, or along sidewalks within gated communities or campuses that standard trucks cannot reach,” said Harden. “We also see uses on campgrounds where sprinkler systems and fire hydrants are not available, and standard equipment may take a long time to arrive on the scene.”

Unlike other eCUVs that may be built on chassis that are too heavy, unbalanced or designed for internal combustion engines, the ABLE chassis is specially designed for electric utility vehicles. Likewise, the ABLE is not built on a repurposed golf cart or UTV chassis. The computer designed chassis strikes a perfect balance for high performance, efficiency, durability, and versatility and features a lightweight, modular, well-balanced structure, leveraging automotive-grade components.

“The ABLE chassis is a workhorse,” continued Bautista. “With our Easy Swap System, a few tools and a few minutes the bed packages can be switched out to transform the vehicle from a campus tour hauler to a delivery vehicle or work truck with standard pick-up, box, and tradesman bed packages.”

With an on-road payload capacity of up to 1,100 pounds (1,500 pounds off-road), and a turning radius of 150 inches (12.5 feet) the ABLE is tough enough for the big jobs, yet small enough to get into tight spaces. This 10kW ultra-low maintenance zero-emission vehicle has 775 lb.-ft. of rear wheel torque and an estimated 144 MPGe, up to 4.3 M/KwH, with a towing capacity of up to 2000 pounds. It has a variable range of 40–160 miles, and a top speed of 25 mph or 35 mph as defined by local laws, or 40 mph off-road, based on customization.

Tropos Motors will have the new uplift packages on display and in the Ride and Drive at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo May 1 - May 3, 2018, in Long Beach, California (booth #1327). 

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