Diesel vs. Natural Gas

I wonder when will Tesla start building trucks

 

[QUOTE="Jim McCune, post: 4743981, member: 1691switch esNot4hire, thank you for your response. The post was intentionally vague. We are not after conversions here. What we want to know is why a truck operator would stick with diesel even if switching to natural gas could be cost effective and fueling stations were conveniently located. In other words, why do they prefer diesel over natural gas?[/QUOTE]
Trucks run better on diesel and once everybody switches cost will end up being the same as diesel once government gets involved.

 

This will be the future...not sure why it's not available already....relatively small diesels, running at peak effiency all the time spinning genrators, powering electric motors that can make peak torque as soon as the're spinning...and "engine braking" by turning the motors into generators either feeding back into a bank of batteries, or dissapated as heat the the "resistance grid" (electric heat elements)....just wait....wasn't that "prototype" WalMart truck an diesel-electric hybrid?

 

Main reason is the added weight.

 

Trucks need torque, and with high compression ratios, that is a diesel engine's forte. Natural gas engines are like gasoline engines, you can get the hp, but takes a huge engine to get the torque.

 

1 of the BIG NATURAL GAS POWERED TRUCK promoter fleets in Canada Bison Transport just sold all of the NAT GAS powered PETERBILTS they had in their Western Fleet

 

I firmly believe that DME is the better alternative to natural gas for several reasons.

1. Same or lower upfront cost/investment as current diesel engines. Approximately $40,000 upcharge for NG engine.
2. No emissions crap that you have with both NG and diesel.
3. Safer than NG - lower pressures. Similar to propane.
4. #2 and #3 would most likely = lower maintenance costs.
5. Requires no refrigeration.

While none of the alternative fuels are going to match diesel in the amount of energy they contain, if there is to be an alternative promoted/required I think DME is the better choice for the end user.

So I would answer the OP questions with a question. Why aren't you talking about, promoting or pursuing DME as the alternative to diesel?

 

Short answer is because a bunch of people bet the farm on NG when Diesel was 5.00 a gal. now they got caught with there pants around their ankles.

 

CAT was talking about going that route a few years ago before they decided to get out of the highway truck market.