Electric Van for Metropolitan Service

When a survey of light truck operators established that many of these operators' vehicle requirements could be satisfied by an electric vehicle, Copper Development Association Inc. commissioned the design and construction of such a vehicle. Because this vehicle was intended for electrical propulsion and designed from the ground up for this, rather than being a modification of an existing vehicle, primary design objectives were to meet established performance requirements and to minimize weight, wind resistance and mechanical losses. This paper discusses the design and development of the vehicle, called the Copper Electric Van Model III.