Don't plan on hauling anything heavy in 25 years.

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by asphaltreptile311, Feb 3, 2021.

  1. gentleroger

    gentleroger Road Train Member

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    I don't think your numbers are that off, and once you add in maintenance costs the EV's are likely to be extremely competitive with current engines. There are more than PR reasons that every major company put in Tesla Truck orders.

    From what I've read, at peak production the US has about 40% more electrical capacity than consumption (assuming I've made the right conversions - as a side note the difference between kilowatts and kilowatt hours is confusing to me). The problem isn't so much producing the electricity, it's getting that electricity to where it's needs. In the macro sense, we're talking about high voltage transmission lines, which at least in WI are very popular, providing they don't run anywhere near where you live. In which case they're the devil. In the micro sense - getting the charging stations installed and maintained is going to be a right mess.
     
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  3. gentleroger

    gentleroger Road Train Member

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  4. Blu_Ogre

    Blu_Ogre Road Train Member

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    Well played sir, VERY well played.
     
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  5. Colt6920

    Colt6920 Light Load Member

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    You are not going to be running at 600 horse all the time. Even with your current trucks you aren't running close to full power all the time. If you did you would be sending your pyrometer readings through the roof and end up with a blown motor.
    Large horsepower is really only used to accelerate. Once you get up to cruising speed you are only using the power needed to overcome wind resistance, rolling resistance, and driveline losses, and to climb a hill. Bonus, an electric motor setup to regeneratively brake will capture alot of the energy used to go up a hill when you go back down.
     
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  6. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    You're right. So how about some actual numbers? How many kilowatts does it actually use in say 6 months of 5-600 mile days? I'm aware of the basics in how they operate and regenerative braking, how much electricity do they actually use is my question. I haven't seen any numbers anywhere from any of the manufacturers, I probably just don't know where to look though. This little cold snap the midwest is in right now shows just how absurd the idea of all electric trucks is anywhere in the near future.
     
  7. Blu_Ogre

    Blu_Ogre Road Train Member

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    One of the "features" of electric vehicles is they are mobile battery packs.

    One of the concepts for electric cars (and trucks) is that they are tied to the electric grid when not in use and become storage capacity once the vehicle gets above a threshold of charge. So "the grid" could draw down the pack to say 80% charge to cover a high usage time then recharge the pack after the power plants come up to supply the drain on the grid.

    Probably not a good assumption for OTR type trucks, However all those snowed in fleet trucks and buses sitting at a terminal and plugged in would be electric capacity available to offset the generating stations that dropped off (like during this cold snap) potentially heading off the rolling blackouts.

    Currently chargers for cars can be set up to only charge during nonpeak hours for the folks that have electric meters that are set up to give consumers a lower cost of electricity during off peak hours.
     
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  8. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    What happens when you're a week into the cold snap and now there's no power and nobody has a vehicle to get anywhere, or even a vehicle to start and idle in the driveway to sleep somewhere warm? First thing everybody will do when the power comes back is plug their toaster car in, and start the whole process all over again. I don't see electric vehicles on a large scale working without massive changes to the power grid and a bunch of new nuclear plants, at least 100 of them, and we ain't got the money to start.
     
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  9. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Right on, pal. If one needs more proof as to why electrics just won't work, this latest weather should give even the biggest proponent the heebie-jeebies. Big problem now, is the backup turbine generators, that were supposed to handle surges like this, are froze and can't be used. We're not talking about someones hair dryer not working, this has huge implications ahead, as if we needed something more. Remember, no juice, no fuel. Could be tense.
     
  10. not4hire

    not4hire Road Train Member

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    Nothing to do with electric, and everything to do with being unprepared for a cold-weather event. There are large population centres in the northern part of the northern hemisphere that function just fine in sub-zero temperatures and are migrating to ever-greater electric vehicle usage.
     
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  11. Blu_Ogre

    Blu_Ogre Road Train Member

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    The latest failure of the electric grid is due to poor planning, design, and maintenance that did not include what is now known as "polar vortex" weather conditions. The utility operators need to get it together and make adjustments for the equipment to function through these events.

    Also of note is how marginal the supply for current demand is, Utilities are having a challenge meeting the demand from when people get home from work and start turning on all their home appliances. If you were to remove EVs from the picture and the plan, the status quo is not adequate for normal population growth and the growing per-capita consumption.
     
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