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Tesla Semi
- Thread starter GeekOKent
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It sounds wonderful (!).
But I'd like to see real-life experiences before treating it as a major player in combatting global Warming.
Charging a thing that size in 30 mins is going to require a monster electrical feed (Megawatts?) so we have two years to get the electrical infrastructure in place before these start appearing on the world's roads. not impossible but requires investment up front which Britain is not good at.
I wonder how much of that 80,000 lb GVW is batteries? Will they have the same payload as the current trucks ?
Running in 'Convoy' entails the front truck controlling those behind via wireless comms, meaning they can travel with almost zero gap between them to improve the aerodynamics of the 'train'. I don't look forward to overtaking three of them in one go.
I'm in favour of these developments and wish Tesla well, they are breaking new ground and others will come along later and improve the design and specifications. Its a good start as it makes people sit up and take notice and realise that its not just sci-fi - it can happen and the world is going to change.
I'll miss the Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth, GMC & Ford trucks though
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"Australian Truckers" will never be the same again
.
Bob.
But I'd like to see real-life experiences before treating it as a major player in combatting global Warming.
Charging a thing that size in 30 mins is going to require a monster electrical feed (Megawatts?) so we have two years to get the electrical infrastructure in place before these start appearing on the world's roads. not impossible but requires investment up front which Britain is not good at.
I wonder how much of that 80,000 lb GVW is batteries? Will they have the same payload as the current trucks ?
Running in 'Convoy' entails the front truck controlling those behind via wireless comms, meaning they can travel with almost zero gap between them to improve the aerodynamics of the 'train'. I don't look forward to overtaking three of them in one go.
I'm in favour of these developments and wish Tesla well, they are breaking new ground and others will come along later and improve the design and specifications. Its a good start as it makes people sit up and take notice and realise that its not just sci-fi - it can happen and the world is going to change.
I'll miss the Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth, GMC & Ford trucks though
."Australian Truckers" will never be the same again
.Bob.
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The way i see it is Tesla are using a triaxle unit and triaxle trailer to pull at a best guess 20 tonnes on a 36 tonne gross at the moment over here we pull 44 tonnes using the same outfit so they have some way to go to match the overall load carry of a diesel which has come a long way in being reliable and in most cases its the electronics the break CPUs and suchlike there were trials a good few years back with Hydrogen powered trucks and buses but dont know if some or any are still operating as this was the future all that time ago and i think there were concerns about the safety of Hydrogen and as for STGO operations Outback trucking Artic trucking or Russian trucking going by some of the roads they have to use dont think they will be up to job for many years to come and as for the Guarentee of One Million Miles without a breakdown let us All hope and pray that the Tata Land Dog Co dont start making commercial vehicles but points to them for starting the goods ball rolling
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Nice idea, if electricity supply can meet demand. The notion of electric trucks is not new, it’s the energy storage, control and motor technology that’s held them back. Regenerative braking helps with the range, but again that’s been around for a while, Telma retarders, as used on various vehicles, are much the same idea, except they waste the energy to produce braking. The longevity and cost of the batteries will be a major factor in the acceptance of electric trucks in the real world, as well as durability. Big modern diesels are pretty efficient and clean running with the latest particulate filter technology, a million miles is not that uncommon before major overhaul on a well maintained, long haul truck in the US. Graphene looks to be the next big thing on the battery front, both for electric vehicle use and for the storage of renewable energy, it’s also showing promise used in fuel cells. Looks like the days of the Georgia Overdrive are numbered though.
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It won't slow global warming down. It will however move pollution out of the cities and out to the country where the power will be generated. I expect they will be laughing at pistons in 50 years time.
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Like many other businesses, brake manufacturers will have to diversify and make other things, such as regenerative braking systems for the electric vehicle manufacturers.
The biggest hit to business that I can imagine, is the fuel distributors and the general retail business that will disappear along with conventional fuel stations as we know them today.
The retail outlets in fuel stations positioned along major routes, will simply dry up, or go fuel-less. I suppose that depends on the way folks will use their electric cars in the future, home charging vs en-route charging.
I guess it will be interesting to see how this develops.
