Looks better than a Ridgeline which aint saying much

Depending on the price, think that's what allot of buyers could be interested in. Has a great range for a electric vehicle. More than most people would need in a day.

Well, Husqvarna has an AWD electric riding mower, but it's only offered overseas, because many Americans aren't mentally prepared for acceptance of the technology yet. They do sell gasoline versions of these articulating riders in the U.S., but even they aren't very popular because people just aren't used to seeing them. However, they excel at mowing lawns with lots of obstacles and/or steep hills.

Ridgeline has the same problem. Even if it is by far the best tool for many people, they will go out of their way to justify why they don't like it, just because it doesn't fit their mindset of what that tool should be.

Take note of the small front end. That's what I call value! It's short!. And none of this inefficient square brick long hood to have to strain to look over. See the electrics are the ones taking all the chances. Pushing us into the 21st century. Not the big 3. We'll have to see what the specs really come out to be. In my honest opinion, smaller front ends are more important to talk about than square wheel wells. But to each their own.

Granted, electric will never work for some, things are getting more interesting in the electric truck space, and Tesla hasn't even shown their's yet. Looking forward to seeing those mules as I peddle into work here in Fremont, Ca.

Somebody needs to tell Roadwhale about this pronto!

Without knowing power/speed/capabilities - I actually like the looks/design...definitely better looking than Honda's puss soccer mom truck...

Is it me or does this truck look A LOT like a Ram 1500?

If they could just get 400 miles on a charge. But the first known use of the battery was around 200 BC,the Bagdad BATTERY, that's a lot of practice making batteries and there hasn't been a whole lot of PROGRESS in those 2217 years.

How many remember seeing this concept back in 2012? This was one of the many EVs trying to get some federal funding for alternative fuel startups before the plug was pulled?

That said, I think it looks, well, interesting. Sure, the roofline is odd, but it should find a few buyers should it reach production. I could actually see myself buying one .

That's two electric trucks so far. Tesla needs to step up its game and show us something before somebody else probably China) does.

It's eventually going that way- I hate to say that rendition has a mutant chinese flair.

Heck even airplanes will someday be battery powered.

This Bison looks like a dumb idea whose time has finally come.
There are museums for Rube Goldberg devices that never worked (^_^).

178-mile actual range? (My diesel gets ~ 1000.)
Water Immersion Depth – not listed (Think the electric motors might short out?)
Max HP and Torque – not listed
Hauling capacity – not listed
Towing capacity – not listed
Ground clearance – not listed
Break-over angle – not listed
Departure angle – not listed
RTI (articulation) – not listed
Full Recharge Rate in hours – not listed
Battery Pack life and Replacement Cost? (I keep my trucks for 15-20 years.)
Estimated price – not listed ($60k maybe?)
Continued Torque delivery towing up a long grade for 1 hour at 70 mph? Battery pack overheating, you say?
Driving in Winter at -20 deg F. for 200miles? — can’t make it, you say? Can’t use heater, you say?

Gee, are we seeing a trend here?
Can you guess why there are so many things not listed or unspecified?
BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT BE COMPETITIVE!

You’d be way better off getting a simple basic Ram 1500 or Ford F-150 work truck for ~$38K.
Even a basic Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, or Nissan Frontier for ~$28K might do better …

============================

Too bad they don't know how to design a truck. This thing looks like a generic toy.

The Bison really doesn't look all that bad. After all, the new Superduty looks odd and people still buy them, well, when I say people I mean fleet managers.

Im much more interested in capabilities and innovation than looks and the electric pickup will be a huge advance in both in many ways. For those that cant even handle aluminum, get ready the future is gonna have more and more aluminum, carbon fiber, and polymer. Im sure if you crawl under EVERY truck you will still find steel in less than 20 years but not without crawling or popping the hood.

So, after 75 years of leftwing college professors and their girlfriends telling us which power source is the best for America’s future, we’ll still be relying on the power source of 1830 anyway.

Obviously they have to make a business case for it, since its a truck in its most basic, useful form. If they can do that, the rest looks pretty good.
@Longboat- people who need riding mowers in America are probably less likely to be early adopters of emissions displacement. They're totally fine using gasoline to cut grass at their home. Husquvarna's Swedish mowers aren't common, not because they're weird or unusual- its because they cost 3 times what a regular 42-48" 16hp rider costs. In Europe, where gasoline also costs 3 times as much, an electric mower makes sense.
@MIke- its the wheels- look to be straight off a Ram. If not for the IRS, I would have guessed they were sourcing chassis from them.

@NMGOM:

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, but I can answer two of your questions.

1. Price is expected to start around $50,000-60,000. That's higher than the Workhorse W-15, but it could be reduced.

2. The truck's creator says the Bison was developed with the harsh Canadian climate in mind, so a lot of the first stage testing will be done in the upper regions of Canada. That likely means running the ice roads as well.

I can't wait to see how this turns out.

straight off a Ram. If not for the IRS, I would have guessed they were sourcing chassis from them. Posted by: Mr Knowitall

@Mr Knowitall

Believe it or not RAM and Jeep each have IRS available in their vehicles. A Jeep Grand Cherokee would make a great basis for a mid size pickup but it would cost way too much to make.

ditto the Dodge Durango

I think the reason the designs of these vehicles look so weird is because they're using the same designers who worked on their cars who know very little about truck culture. And it shows. If you drop the bed it looks just like a VW Golf.

@mr.knowitall, if you compare the Husqvarna Swedish 4wd rider R322t with other 4wd tractors, it is a bargain. The 2wd riders are too expensive, though.

That 4wd is just the ticket for steep hills, though, and perfect if you have a lot of obstacles in your yard. The only thing comparable would be a commercial walker mower.

Not sure where you would ever find a hill that is 70 long! But other than that I'm with you.
The battery life deterioration will yield fewer and fewer miles. Not to mention towing an 8,000 LB travel trailer, the distance will quickly drop to maybe 50-75 miles before you have to find a really long extension cord.

Posted by: NMGOM | Jun 7, 2017 9:34:06 PM"

"This Bison looks like a dumb idea whose time has finally come.
There are museums for Rube Goldberg devices that never worked (^_^).

178-mile actual range? (My diesel gets ~ 1000.)
Water Immersion Depth – not listed (Think the electric motors might short out?)
Max HP and Torque – not listed
Hauling capacity – not listed
Towing capacity – not listed
Ground clearance – not listed
Break-over angle – not listed
Departure angle – not listed
RTI (articulation) – not listed
Full Recharge Rate in hours – not listed
Battery Pack life and Replacement Cost? (I keep my trucks for 15-20 years.)
Estimated price – not listed ($60k maybe?)
Continued Torque delivery towing up a long grade for 1 hour at 70 mph? Battery pack overheating, you say?
Driving in Winter at -20 deg F. for 200miles? — can’t make it, you say? Can’t use heater, you say?

============================

Posted by: NMGOM | Jun 7, 2017 9:34:06 PM"

Dude the trucks looks like the Ram 1500 regular cab Short bed parked in my driveway. Seriously is this a collaboration with Fiat?

looks like the leaked next gen ram 1500

looks like the leaked next gen ram 1500

@longboat

you seem to have a problem with free market principles.

So what if people don't want the (as you say) best tool for them?
Why not mandate electric 4-seater micro cars for families and no trucks, SUVs, or anything else unless there is a "need"?

There is plenty not to like about the Ridgeline. You may not think so, but plenty, and sales reflect that. It isn't anti-Honda because Accords and Civics are routinely in the top ten.

Battery tech has far to go and buying a limited range electric car almost certainly mandates a second vehicle. I drive 200 miles a day at least twice a week. It isn't that hard in a large metro area and there isn't much time to recharge while parked at any one place. Double down that when fast-charging it shortens battery life.

Maybe if all cars are leases, no one owns them and then turns them in before the battery bricks.

I'm all for electrics, but again they fit a very narrow criteria. Just because they work for you, doesn't mean they work for everyone.

Too bad they don't know how to design a truck.

@James:

I've covered this in other posts, but I'll brief it again here. I have absolutely no problem with free market. I do have a problem with people trying to influence the market by posting bad information, or mis-conceived opinions disguised as facts.

Yes, there is a lot to not like about the Ridgeline. There's a lot to not like about ALL of the trucks on the market. If it doesn't work for you, don't buy it. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Just don't spread mis-information about it.

The Ridgeline sales are not high because there are not many on dealers lots. The Alabama plant is also building Pilots, Odysseys and MDXs, so capacity is very limited. If Honda wanted to sell more, they would advertise and offer incentives like the other mfrs have to do.

"Looks better than a Ridgeline which aint saying much"
---- Posted by: Old GM Guy | Jun 7, 2017 1:12:08 PM

It also looks better than the Ford, the Chevy and the GMC, which is saying a lot. In fact, the only full size that looks better is the Ram, though I'd put the Colorado ahead of it on appearances as a mid-size.

" ... Gee, are we seeing a trend here?
Can you guess why there are so many things not listed or unspecified?
BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT BE COMPETITIVE!

"You’d be way better off getting a simple basic Ram 1500 or Ford F-150 work truck for ~$38K.
Even a basic Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, or Nissan Frontier for ~$28K might do better …"
==== Posted by: NMGOM | Jun 7, 2017 9:34:06 PM

All of those things were addressed by my in a previous article about this truck. If you take the Tesla Model X as an example, you'll find most of your answers.
This truck isn't intended to be a trail runner, so the amount of ground clearance and breakover angles are relatively unimportant. Everything else you list is covered by the general specs of the Model X. In fact, the chassis design is so similar to the Tesla's that I'm guessing they pretty much adopted Tesla's patent portfolio down to the last detail. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't adopt Tesla's battery pack as well, being cheaper and more reliable (probably) than any other brand's. Oh, and battery life? Estimated at a minimum 15 years or 200,000 miles with the potential for 25 years and-or 500,000 miles, depending on driver technique.

@Road Whale--Agree, the Prius even though a hybrid has a battery life exceeding 10 years. Also agree about the ground clearance in that this truck is not meant for off road use. Just because this truck would not be for me does not mean that I cannot see that there are others that would want this. I would like to see more electric vehicles on the market which would lead to the development of smaller, lighter, longer range, and eventually less expensive batteries. In order to do these things there needs to be products available and consumers that will buy them. Less expensive fuel has decreased the demand for hybrids and electric vehicles but eventually the price of fuel will go up. As for what you can get a full size or midsize pickup for from the Big 2.5 that is like comparing apples and oranges. Those that want a traditional pickup will buy a traditional pickup and those that want an electric pickup are most likely not looking at traditional pickups. I can see a commercial use for this electric truck for utilities and for delivery and commercial use in an urban area. Again I am not interested in this truck but I also see a market for it.

Less expensive fuel has decreased the demand for hybrids and electric vehicles but eventually the price of fuel will go up.

@Jeff S

The price of fuel is always and everywhere a function of commodity demand and stable currencies. With stable currency there is no reason for fossil fuel prices to rise.

The recent discoveries in the northwest and in Texas guarantee the US and Canada a stable source of fossil fuels, esp. natural gas, that are estimated to extend several hundred years.

So, as long as the dollar remains stable, the long term price picture for fossil energy is cheap, not dear.

@papajim--No argument except if another big war starts in the Middle East flares up again it could disrupt the amount we get from there but that would be short-term. There are other factors besides oil prices that could increase demand for electric vehicles but it will take further technology to get electric vehicles to a price where they would be more competitive to ice and that is much further into the future. I don't see much change in the next 5 to 10 years especially if EPA and CAFE standards are reduced or frozen. An all electric vehicle would not work for me but a hybrid might but I am not in the market for a new vehicle for next few years unless I got a real good buy and it was something that I really wanted. I can wait, I like what I have.

@papajim--I also would like to see the battery technology that the auto makers are working on be used in making better rechargeable lawn equipment such as weed eaters, leaf blowers, edgers, hedge trimmers, and other light lawn equipment. I have tried numerous types of battery operated lawn equipment and have found it lacks the power and the amount of use between recharging is very limited and not worth the cost. I mostly use gas powered equipment but I have some electric equipment and I would like at least the freedom from an electric chord with less weight and longer time between recharges. Doesn't do much good to have at most a half an hour of use and have to recharge for up to 5 hours. Also need to find a better substitute for the lithium battery which explodes and catches on fire. These are the same type of issues with electric powered vehicles so being able to solve those issues with recharge vehicle batteries could solve some of the issues with rechargeable lawn equipment and even laptop computers and smart phones with their exploding lithium batteries.

@ longboat

What misinformation?
Ridgeline isn't good off-road, it isn't good towing in mountains or near the tow limit, it doesn't get stellar mileage for the size and power, it has a great payload, but near payload capacity it gets oddly soft in the rear and the predictable handling goes away.

You say you're for the free market, but don't reflect that in your posts. If Honda could sell double their Ridgeline sales you think wouldn't add another shift, retrofit another line in Ohio, or come up with a means to get more built? There are few on lots because they age out. Yes they sell what the build, but that is because Honda is one of the better manufacturers when it comes to just in time inventory. Enough to give a choice, but just enough to keep them fresh. Again, if Honda really could sell tons more, they would build them in a heartbeat.

You'be convinced yourself of a falsehood. The Ridgeline is simply a mediocre player in a field of tight competition.

@Jeff

Plug in 4-mode hybrids are the future. Especially with ultra-high efficiency gasoline engines and diesels.

Mode 1) electric only, from battery with available plug in-mode
Mode 2) engine running, charge/generation mode. Electric drive.
---engine runs at ateadys state, most efficient, to generate power for batteries and to power electric traction motors.
Mode 3) engine driving wheels, excess power charges batteries.
---through a CVT or multispeed automatic to provide peak efficiency. Typically long Interatate drives.
Mode 4) Engine AND Electric drive wheels. Max acceleration, hill climbing, and/or towing.

That is a useable Hybrid truck that can reduce fuel costs.
If there is an inverter that produce clean pure-sine 240V output at 30A, that's a job site savior.

The thing is except for delivery vehicles, make them hybrids so they can fill up with gas and keep working.

@Jeff S

worrying about a middle east conflict isn't going to change domestic oil prices in the US.

Japan and Europe will become net buyers and consumers of US oil under those conditions, which would be good for the US economy and good for the dollar.

Increased reliance on electrics and hybrids makes the demand for oil even softer here. I think we've endured the whole CAFE riff too long. Time to return to some kind of sanity.

Need more info on the motors,battery,range waranty etc,,right now it sounds like another dream,,or a scam to get bunch of investors part with their money,,

There are places in the world, some of the biggest cities, that need an alternative to cars/trucks that contribute to air pollution.

Investment in electrics and hybrids will help with a solution. A family member of mine was in Beijing for the Olympics and said she had never seen such awful air quality. Mexico City and LA are other examples of very big human populations that need a valid alternative to today's cars but still are affordable and useful.

From today's news:

American oil production, after a two-year slump, is soaring again, with the active drilling rig count more than doubling since May 2016.

The Energy Department recently predicted that domestic oil production, which averaged 8.6 million barrels a day in 2016, will average 9.3 million barrels a day this year and 10 million barrels a day in 2018, blowing past the record set in 1970.

The bulk of the new production is coming from the shale fields of Texas.

@James:
Try following facts, and not preconceived notions or rhetoric from fanboys.

@papa jim--I never said I am worried about the Middle East, I am just stating that the US still gets a sizable amount of its oil still from the Middle East. The oil companies cannot just turn on a switch or handle an instantly get more oil. It can take anywhere from 6 months to years to get an available drilling rig depending on how many are available. The major oil companies contract out the drilling of their wells. I worked for years in the oil industry for contract drillers, oil producers, and oil refineries. Also we do not refine all of our oil, much of it that comes from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other places is refined there and shipped as product.

Also you don't just go down to a store and buy a drilling rig. Offshore rigs are built in shipyards and can take months or a year to build depending on the complexity of a rig and how long a wait it will take for the builder to get to your order. This is true for land rigs as well. Not like going to your Chevy dealer or John Deere dealer and saying I would like to test drive that model and if I like it I will buy it. The same is true for the oil service companies, drill pipe suppliers. Add to it getting experienced roughnecks to operate the drill rig.

@James--Agree, for most a hybrid truck would be more flexible than an all electric. Eventually most vehicles will have some form of hybrid system. It will take longer to develop longer range batteries that are smaller and more affordable for an all electric and there has to be more charging stations. For most a hybrid is a good compromise but even then smaller rechargeable batteries need to be developed to decrease the amount of space and weight batteries currently take up. The battery in hybrid cars such as the Buick Lacrosse take up too much space in the truck rendering them useless for a long trip or for hauling anything.

@Jeff S

In yesterdays new report it said that active drilling rigs more than doubled since May 2016.

@mike: I guess they had to gain some level of inspiration from somewhere, in my opinion, they should have made the design far more advanced in preparation to compete with Tesla's upcoming Model U Pick Up, which should be introduced around the time the next-generation F-150 also comes to surface in 2020.

Btw I think they should find different name for that car,Bison is registered co..trademark,,

https://www.bisontransport.com

"Btw I think they should find different name for that car,Bison is registered co..trademark, https://www.bisontransport.com"
---- Posted by: Chevrolet builds a better way to see the USA

"Bison Transport" is a registered trademark, not the name Bison itself for that company.

And it is possible to have multiple different brand names of Bison, as long as there is no risk of one being confused with another. The USPTO lists five different companies that have the trademarked name of Bison:
• Bison -- Chain hoists, slings and related products;
• Bison -- Oil field equipment'
• Bison -- Farming tools of various types;
• Bison -- Bicycle parts and accessories;
• Bison -- Horse and RV trailers

As such, a pickup truck with the model name of Bison would not necessarily be confused with most of these, though the first and last might come uncomfortably close for some.

Too bad they don't know how to design a truck. This thing looks like a generic toy.

Awesome timing, bros.

Gas is under two $ a gal here

Once I see the actual specs, I think this truck will do the job I require. My current 2011 Ford Ranger works just fine for me and FITS INSIDE OF MY GARAGE. 16 to 17 MPG is NOT good. I already have full solar electric for my home so I'd like to do more in protecting the human race (and everything else) from extinction.