Electric vehicle battery problems perplex bureau and maker

Almost all of the Bureau of Reclamation’s “green” vehicles, 27 of them, are sidelined while it is determined why they only hold battery charges for about 20 miles.

Only four of the battery-powered vehicles are currently in use, according to Public Affairs Officer Lynne Brougher.

The current weather is one reason a number of the vehicles are stalled, but a greater issue is the fact that the vehicles had only been holding a charge for about 15 hours, considerably less than anticipated.

Brougher said that the bureau is currently gathering data for the manufacturer, e-ride Industries, of Princeton, Minnesota.

The vehicles are each powered by nine eight-volt lithium-ion batteries that carry a 15-year guarantee.

The 27 vehicles cost the Bureau of Reclamation $900,000.

A manufacturer’s representative hasn’t yet been on site, Brougher said, and the bureau’s data gathering will provide information that can be used to help solve the battery problem.

The electric vehicles come in two sizes: one a four-passenger unit and the other a utility unit that can carry up to 1,000 pounds of materials.