The Tesla Electric Truck

SoonerP226 said:

I'm pretty sure that all (or as near to all as to make no difference) modern trains use electric motors, at least in the developed world, but, AFAIK, only local commuter-type trains are actually electric. The freight and long-haul locomotives are predominantly (exclusively?) diesel-electric hybrids--the traction motors are electric, but they carry diesel engines to generate the electricity.

They've actually been in use for around a century; the WWII Balao-class subs used basically the same powerplants as the diesel-electric locomotives of the day. There was actually consternation in the Silent Service early in the war because they were stuck with an inferior powerplant because the FM units were allocated for (or at least going to) locomotives.

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Oops! I did my post before I read the entire thread. Oh well. Like minds and all that!

Woody

Map of Super Chargers (Click on Destinations at bottom for overnight chargers, most only have 2 chargers)
https://www.tesla.com/findus?bounds...647&zoom=7&filters=service,supercharger,store

Tesla Super Chargers only charger batteries to proximally 80% in 30 minutes.
To get from 80% to 100% super chargers convert to trickle charger (Several Hours)
Home chargers are trickle chargers.

Electric Vehicles range is based on minimum weight and FLAT Road.
Electric Vehicles use 4 to 5 times the amount of Battery on grade’s (Depends on %)
Going downhill does not save that much battery over flat surface

Most trains run on tracks with a maximum 2.2% grade (110 feet per mile)
Highway and streets have a much higher Grade %

SoonerP226 said:

Maybe not forever, but certainly for the foreseeable future. You and I will have shuffled off this mortal coil long before we run out of fossil fuels.

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Not to worry. We can brew up some alcohol or bake out some fumes from manure to power our thundering V-8's.

Woody

Hobbes said:

With respect to going up hill, yes extra energy will be removed from the batteries just like a gasoline truck would require more fuel to climb that grade.
Hills and mountains usually have 2 sides though and on the downhill side most of that energy would be regenerated back into the batteries.

EVs are wildly efficient.
Consider....
In a gasoline or diesel vehicle a lot of the energy is converted into wasted heat from the combustion process itself.
Then some, call it X amount, energy is used to accelerate the vehicle to say 40mph.
Now we come up to a stop sign or red light.
When we apply the brakes that X amount of kinetic energy is converted to even more heat in the brakes and lost to the atmosphere.
When the light turns green we have to burn more fuel and convert it into kinetic energy to move the vehicle back up to 40mph.
Over and over again.
if it had been an EV the braking process would have regenerated most of that kinetic energy and recharged the batteries.

On average, an internal combustion is only 20% efficient.
Only 20% of the energy consumed is converted to mechanical work.
EVs frequently exceed 75% efficiency.


Here is a video that crunches some $ figures.

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More facts for the discussion....but lots of folks only acknowledge the facts that support their bias. It's human nature.

The real problem with EV, as mentioned, is the increased demand on electrical supply. Coal powered cars is true. Home generation is the ultimate goal though. That's why Tesla came up with the Powerwall. Add some solar panels or a windmill to go with that home storage/charging system and there is zero drain on the electrical grid.

The Cybertruck body is formed using laser cutting and folding instead of stamping. Stainless steel means paint isn't required. An electric drive train is simpler than that for an internal combustion engine.
This truck could be very inexpensive to build and have low maintenance costs.
This could be a big deal to businesses that need a truck to carry stuff but don't need long range.

SoonerP226 said:

Funny that a truck in Texas would have Canadian bumper stickers...

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I thought the finger Trudeau sticker was a nice touch!

SMS said:

Home generation is the ultimate goal though. That's why Tesla came up with the Powerwall. Add some solar panels or a windmill to go with that home storage/charging system and there is zero drain on the electrical grid.

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Until the wind don't blow and the sun don't shine that is..

Shadowrider said:

Until the wind don't blow and the sun don't shine that is..

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If the sun stops shining we will have MUCH bigger problems.

Hobbes said:

With respect to going up hill, yes extra energy will be removed from the batteries just like a gasoline truck would require more fuel to climb that grade.
Hills and mountains usually have 2 sides though and on the downhill side most of that energy would be regenerated back into the batteries.

EVs are wildly efficient.
Consider....
In a gasoline or diesel vehicle a lot of the energy is converted into wasted heat from the combustion process itself.
Then some, call it X amount, energy is used to accelerate the vehicle to say 40mph.
Now we come up to a stop sign or red light.
When we apply the brakes that X amount of kinetic energy is converted to even more heat in the brakes and lost to the atmosphere.
When the light turns green we have to burn more fuel and convert it into kinetic energy to move the vehicle back up to 40mph.
Over and over again.
if it had been an EV the braking process would have regenerated most of that kinetic energy and recharged the batteries.

On average, an internal combustion is only 20% efficient.
Only 20% of the energy consumed is converted to mechanical work.
EVs frequently exceed 75% efficiency.


Here is a video that crunches some $ figures.

Click to expand...

Yeah, on the road maybe. But, back at the power plant, how much energy is produced to overcome the line loss, how much waste energy is dumped into the atmosphere at the plant, how much pollution is developed, and how much more coal ash is created to produce the added power consumption in coal burning plants, and even if it is a one-to-one conversion of fuel(gas, oil, or coal) to electricity used in the power plants to create power for electric vehicles as opposed to using that fuel directly in vehicles, there is no savings in fossil fuel reserves/resources. Wakeup call! Nothing is 100% efficient. (Granted, cars don't typically run on coal but the analogy stands.)

Think about the batteries. Recycling them to produce more batteries is not 100% efficient either. I don't know for sure, but I'd be willing to bet it cost more to 'disassemble' one of those batteries to the point where the materials can be reused than it costs by starting with the raw materials. Then there is the disposal aspect. You can't turn them all into coffee tables. Some are going to end up in a land fill.

This not ready for the world yet. Forcing it down our throats won't help. Baiting us with pie in the sky promises, rebates, and tax credits won't help either. When the technology arrives to make it so, then you can count me in.

Questions: What do you do when there is a widespread blackout? Is it feasible to keep your batteries at least half charged like I can keep my vehicles no less than half full 'just in case?'

Woody

Look at OSA trying to be all "green" minded with their fossil fuel arguments. I mean, climate change doesn't exist so why do you boys care?