Atlis Motor Vehicles will offer WorkSport's TerraVis solar charging tonneau cover system as an original equipment accessory for its upcoming Atlis XT all-electric pickup truck. 

Atlis has claimed that its XT electric pickup truck will be among the most capable trucks available. According to the automaker, the XT can be configured to go up to 500 miles per charge with the largest battery pack option. In addition to the long-range, the XT will have a towing capacity of up to 35,000 pounds. The payload is listed at up to 5,000 pounds, which is also impressive.

"We're very excited to team up with Atlis Motor Vehicles. We're going to work really hard together to find a very meaningful way to provide additional power to their XT truck platform with our TerraVis solar bed cover technology. Our cover will be aimed at providing additional charge power to the Atlis XT Pickup Truck from our solar cells, with no carbon footprint. The design intent of the Atlis TerraVis tonneau cover is to also provide a fully scalable truck bed cover system that matches the utility and brilliance of the Atlis XT Truck. The Atlis Tonneau Cover will be scalable to meet the user's lifestyle, as their needs change while providing free, off-grid, solar charge power. United, we will make history. - Steve Rossi, CEO, WorkSport Ltd

We've been following WorkSport's progress with the TerraVis system and it's intriguing. The plan is to initially partner with OEM's like Atlis and others, and then move into the aftermarket space, providing existing Chevrolet, Dodge, & Ford truck owners the system. If the solar panels aren't charging the main battery pack of an electric truck, they then feed the optional, scaleable battery pack system which provides on-site power for worksites, camping, and emergency use. 

The TerraVis solar Tonneau cover system consists of four monocrystalline foldable solar panels that have an output of approximately 1,000 watts, or 1kW. In an interview last week, WorkSport's CEO Steven Rossi explained to InsideEVs that the system should be able to add 12 to 15 miles (20 to 24 km) of range to an electric pickup truck per day in optimal conditions.

Rossi arrived at that conclusion by figuring that an electric pickup truck will have an efficiency rating of around 2 to 2.5 miles per kWh (31 to 25 kWh per 100 km). Obviously, the efficiency of the vehicle, as well as the type of work being done will determine how many miles of range the system can deliver. 

Gallery: Atlis XT Electric Pickup Truck Revealed: 500-Mile Range, Tows 35,000 Pounds

Rossi explained that the goal is for the TerraVis system to cost "less than 5% of the overall cost of the truck". He claims the TerraVis will more than pay for itself over the useful life of the vehicle. Let's speculate the cost of a nicely-spec'd Atils XT is $55,000, the TerraVis option would then cost less than $3,000. That would seem like an extremely good deal if they can deliver on it.

In addition to Atlis, Worksport tells us it has been fielding inquiries from other manufacturers, the investment community as well as business interest from organizations in Holland, Germany, Australia, Spain, multiple U.S. and Canadian companies. Furthermore, the press release states: "This is the second recent agreement that Worksport has struck with a U.S. based EV Truck manufacturer to become its OEM partner and create a customized TerraVis solar panel tonneau cover for the company’s forthcoming all-electric pickup truck." That second company has not yet been revealed. 

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@insideevs.com