Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

That I did not know. I was under the impression that they're all like that in Europe.

 

Because if someone does any thing different then what you want , they MUST be wrong ...

 

Of course, Sweden. I can remember that moment, it was on TV. At a certain time all cars stopped, and very carefully drove to the other side of the street, and then continued their journey.

 

Hard to say. I've never actually measured battery life 12 volt vs 24 volt. I guess it could be possible since you're drawing less amps from the battery group during a high energy discharge event like starting the engine. Although the number of watts used would remain approximately the same overall.

 

It seems that passenger cars will switch to 48 volt the coming years, starting next year. More and more electric motors on a vehicle, like electric water and oil pumps, an electric turbo require more electricity, and 12 volt systems are not adequate. I suppose trucks will follow.

 

Our trucks are such antiques we'll never go to 24v ......

We drive on the right side others on the wrong side.

 

I don't think adequate is the right term. Practical would be a better term. Power is not measured in Volts, its measured in Watts (Volts x Amps = Watts). To produce more electrical energy, you need a bigger alternator. A 24 volt, 50 amp alternator produces the same amount of energy as a 12 volt, 100 amp alternator.

 

That's all very true, but that's not all. More Amps means thicker less flexible wires, bigger plugs, more problems with transition resistance in connections etc. That can cause overheating in plugs. The automotive industry isn't changing to 48 volt for no reason, it was proposed over 20 years ago.

 

I agree. All valid points. We never really had much for true 24 volt trucks. Most cases the older trucks had a SP switch so that the battery group would provide 24 volts for starting and then it would automatically kick over and the system would utilize 12 volts for accessories and charging. At this point in time I think with the sheer volume of 12 volt vehicles here that transitioning over would be quite a pain. I mean we still have a suprising number of 30 year old trucks that still go to work daily.

 

And will continue to . When gliders are banned , the new plan will be cab replacements. While cab is off , replace the wiring harness and rebuild the driveline. One of the bigger glider builders has been working on this plan B for a few years. Looks like it will be about 1/3 less.