In an interview with MotorTrend, Atlis CEO Mark Hanchett, confirmed the upcoming Atlis XT electric pickup truck will feature up to 500 miles of driving range, and a 0-100 per cent charge in just 15 minutes.
A key to its quick recharging cycle is down to the fact that the Atlis XT will support 1,600 volt charging, where current industry standards include 400V and 800V charging. To guarantee backward compatibility with SAE CCS chargers, the Atlis battery pack can virtually “subdivide” into 800 or 400 volt components.
With this technology, Atlis anticipates the XT electric truck to be able to recharge from zero to full capacity in just 15 minutes, where current industry standards are around 20 minutes for a topup from zero to 80 per cent.
To this extent, the Atlis XT’s battery pack will focus on thermal management where the battery cells are heated at the beginning of the charge and cooled towards the end in order to prevent dendrite-like structures shorting the cell, and the temperature will be maintained uniformly across the cell thanks to the use of a silicon-based liquid cooling system.
The Atlis XT’s batteries are expected to last 2,000 fast charging cycles. When asked about the battery capacity, the company told the publication that it does not wish to reveal numbers in terms of kWh or Ah at this time. However, most variants of the Atlis XT will get a dual axle for a 20,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating, while a tandem rear axle sees this number shoot up to 30,000 lb and availability of all wheel steering. Hanchett confirmed he plans up to 32 degrees of rear wheel steering which will seriously reduce the turning circle of the XT and come in handy at a construction site.
The range of wheelbase options of the Atlis XT will likely mirror conventional trucks, from 144 to 176 inches, and the pricing too is expected inline. The range is expected to kick off at USD 45,000 for a short wheelbase, 300 mile XT with 10,000 lbs of towing capability, and extend up to USD 85,000 for a 500 mile, 35,000 lb truck.
Another highlight of the Atlis XT electric pickup truck will be its ‘plug-and-play’ components which allow swaps of electric motors or suspension bits in just 20 minutes, to maximize the uptime of the truck.
Atlis XT unveiling & release
The Atlis XT will have a virtual unveiling event on November 11, with further details about customer deliveries coming in the first quarter of 2021. However, deliveries are planned to start towards late 2021. The company is not accepting pre-orders for the truck, but instead promotes investment in the company itself. The Atlis XT is just one of several upcoming electric pickup trucks expected in 18-24 months in the United States.
A Mechanical Engineer by qualification, I started out as an automotive editor of a regional magazine in 2011. In my 11 years of experience in creating automotive content, I’ve traveled around the world to review, analyze and report on the world’s top electrified cars.