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eCUVs: A New Choice for Urban Deliveries

May  1st, 2019  • by Chris Brown

The 2019 Able XR is a dubbed a “long-range, high-speed, lithium powered electric compact utility vehicle (eCUV)” by its maker, Tropos Motors. Business Fleet got a chance to test drive the Able XR at the 2019 ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

Officially classified as a low-speed vehicle (LSV), the Able XR features a 26kWh battery that delivers a top range of 160 miles and a top speed of 45 mph. Standard features include crash crumple zones, driver-side airbag, ABS brakes, hill-hold functionality, backup camera, and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

“We wanted to build a vehicle that bridged the gap between the capabilities of a small pickup such as a Ford Ranger or small cargo van such as a Nissan NV200,” said Jeffrey Esfeld, director national fleet sales for Tropos Motors. “The Able XR has all the capabilities of those vehicles in non-freeway situations. It can perform the duty cycle of those vehicles around town and save tens of thousands of dollars.”

On public roads, the Able XR has a towing capacity of up to 2,000 lbs. and payload capacity of 1,100 lbs. On closed campuses, the specs rise to 3,000 lbs. towing and 2,000 lbs. payload.

The Able XR is available in a variety of bed packages, including cargo, pickup, sweeper, trade, fire response, and emergency response. The frame rails are designed to swap the beds within minutes.

The model at ACT Expo was righthand drive, ideal for city services and mail or package delivery.

The Able XR may not win a beauty contest, but the off-the-line torque was impressive. The cabover design allows for a tight turning radius.

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