Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and Raser Technologies, Inc. announced that PG&E will be the first company in the United States to take delivery of Raser’s new extended range electric (E-REV) fleet trucks, designed to achieve an average of 100 miles per gallon in typical daily driving when recharged at night from a typical household outlet.

“We have been evaluating the market for over a year, and are proud to integrate the first two near-zero emissions pick-up trucks into our fleet.”

The extended range electric pick-up truck can drive the first 40 mi on powerful lithium-ion batteries. It can continue driving over 300 mi by generating its own electricity from a small onboard gasoline-powered generator or “range extender.”

PG&E expects to take delivery of the first two E-REV fleet trucks modified with Raser’s E-REV powertrain for initial testing and demonstration before the end of 2010.
“PG&E is committed to reducing our emissions and strives to be a leader in green fleet technology,” said David Meisel, transportation services director at PG&E. “We have been evaluating the market for over a year, and are proud to integrate the first two near-zero emissions pick-up trucks into our fleet.”

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. operates the nation’s largest utility fleet with more than 14,000 vehicles. It also offers some of the cleanest electricity, with more than half of its power coming from renewable and non-carbon sources.

Raser says it plans to offer its E-REV powertrain in both GM and Ford models to accommodate the growing demand for clean vehicles that can capture available federal and state incentives designed to offset the additional cost of electrification. With a backlog of over 10,000 soft orders for plug-in fleet vehicles already, Raser plans to begin limited delivery to other fleets for field testing as early as 2011. Raser also plans to offer its E-REV powertrain in popular SUV models in the near future.