Echo Automotive, Inc. announced plans to extend its EchoDrive plug-in hybrid system to GM 2500 and 3500 vans, including the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana, model years 2010-2014.
Production is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2015.
Echo Automotive is a developer of technologies enabling the cost-effective aftermarket addition of fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid capability to new or existing vehicles.
The Chevrolet Express is second only to Ford E-Series vans in North American commercial fleet registrations, and comes third after the E-Series and Dodge Caravan in government fleet registrations, according to the most recent statistics published by Business Fleet.
Echo’s EchoDrive system currently is available for Ford E-Series vans. Production for the GM series is expected in early 2015.
“The addition of support for the Chevrolet Express platform is a natural expansion for EchoDrive from both a technical and a market perspective, and one that allows more fleets to benefit more fully from our EchoDrive plug-in hybrid system,” said Dan Kennedy, CEO of Echo Automotive. “We look forward to demonstrating the impact EchoDrive delivers to fleet managers in reducing operating costs, delivering greater fuel efficiency and promoting sustainability across both the Ford and GM platforms.”
According to Echo, the EchoDrive plug-in hybrid system delivers a non-invasive plug-in hybrid solution for new or existing vehicles without high infrastructure costs. The company did not reveal numbers to quantify the fuel efficiency benefits opting for EchoDrive on a GM van.
