
Windrose Technology, the manufacturer behind the R700 battery-electric Class 8 semi who brought it from concept to market in just 34 months, confirmed earlier this week the vehicle has received its certificate of conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning it meets the agency's fuel economy and emissions requirements.
Founder and CEO Wen Han announced the news on his LinkedIn profile and posted an image of the EPA's approval certificate. Does this mean the Windrose R700, a direct competitor to the upcoming Tesla Semi and other tractors from legacy brands such as Volvo and Cascadia, will be on U.S. roadways in the immediate future?
[Related: China's Windrose could be Tesla Semi's biggest rival]
Not quite, but the EPA's approval will certainly get the ball rolling for an eventual market release. The company has already successfully completed testing on designated routes from New York to Los Angeles and to San Francisco. An additional test from New York to Savannah, Georgia is planned in the near future.
Megawatt charging, also known as the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) was also recently completed in China where the R700 required only 38.6 minutes to charge from 51 percent battery life to 97 percent, and 19.4 minutes to receive an 80 percent state of charge with a 125-mile range.
Windrose previously told Clean Trucking there are plans to build factories globally, including the U.S., most likely in Georgia. Nothing has confirmed at this time.
[Related: Check out the Windrose inside and out; the Tesla Semi's best competitor?]
The Windrose R700 is equipped with a 729 kWh battery, an 800V high-voltage platform capable of megawatt-level dual-inlet charging, a drag coefficient of 0.2755, and a loaded autonomous range of 670 km (416 miles) with a gross weight of 49 tons (98,000 lbs.). A base price of around $250,000 is rumored.
Late last year, Windrose delivered its first R700 order to Asian-based Kerry Logistics Network (KLN), a global logistics provider based in Asia.