Tesla to unveil electric big rig
While this is interesting, the article is fatally flawed: it doesn't cite the costs of electricity to recharge the batteries, nor does it mention the recharge time for those batteries and as a result is attempting to tout unreasonably high cost savings from using electric rigs.
Having worked for a trucking company, here are the yet-unsolved problems associated with electric big rigs:
1) Range. Even short-haul delivery trucks put on a LOT of miles in a day. The current limit of 200-300 miles isn't going to cut it for most delivery routes.
2) Recharge times. A truck that isn't running isn't making you money. That's the benefit to liquid fuel: you can be back on the road in 15 minutes. A recharge takes hours. Proponents cite the mandatory downtime requirements, but those only apply to single drivers - not teams who need to get product moved quickly.
3) Recharging stations. These aren't exactly plentiful for big rigs, meaning that any notion of OTR (over-the-road) can be shot down right now.
4) Battery costs. The Bloomberg author acknowledges that Tesla is attempting to compete in a very low-margin industry. The problem is that to add the battery packs necessary to extend range prices them completely out of that very industry. Oops.
I just don't get how many people are willing to "invest" billions in this company which isn't turning a profit and isn't likely to any time soon.
A better article than the Bloomberg one is here: https://www.wired.com/2017/06/elon-mu...
Having worked for a trucking company, here are the yet-unsolved problems associated with electric big rigs:
1) Range. Even short-haul delivery trucks put on a LOT of miles in a day. The current limit of 200-300 miles isn't going to cut it for most delivery routes.
2) Recharge times. A truck that isn't running isn't making you money. That's the benefit to liquid fuel: you can be back on the road in 15 minutes. A recharge takes hours. Proponents cite the mandatory downtime requirements, but those only apply to single drivers - not teams who need to get product moved quickly.
3) Recharging stations. These aren't exactly plentiful for big rigs, meaning that any notion of OTR (over-the-road) can be shot down right now.
4) Battery costs. The Bloomberg author acknowledges that Tesla is attempting to compete in a very low-margin industry. The problem is that to add the battery packs necessary to extend range prices them completely out of that very industry. Oops.
I just don't get how many people are willing to "invest" billions in this company which isn't turning a profit and isn't likely to any time soon.
A better article than the Bloomberg one is here: https://www.wired.com/2017/06/elon-mu...
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his use of the name tesla is an insult to Mr. Tesla.
"I'd rather pay Musk to build rockets than NASA."
I'd give SpaceX a chance before Musk. They've already proven they can do it - and it was privately funded.
I'd rather pay Musk to build rockets than NASA.
One more thing I forgot is called the PTO or Power Take-Off. It's used for everything from loading ramps to refrigeration units and runs - you got it - off the engines. That's another thing that's going to eat into your battery life - especially when most delivery trucks use it every stop.
I don't think 300/400 miles on a charge will be enough for the cross country truckers...they usually go 600 miles on their tanks.
All this "electric" stuff and not one word about how they are dealing with or even if they are aware of the dangers of CME's and natural or humanoid made, EMP's.
Can you imagine one of these trucks shutting down on the highway in one of these events...bad enough all the cars will be disabled too but these trucks will have a lot of momentum to overcome in order to stop!
OTOH, maybe Musk thinks that his trucks won't have to pay the taxes currently embedded in diesel fuel. State governments will pop that bubble quickly. Or maybe Musk is expecting his bought reps in government to add more climate change regulations that eliminate the competition from diesel trucks completely. Leave it to Musk to profit at taxpayers and consumers expense.