I'm more optimistic that EVs are viable for lorries. The running and structural gear for normal lorries now is very heavy. I don't know what an empty 40-44 tonne truck and trailer weighs, but I'd be surprised if it was under 10 tonnes, with the engine gearbox and so on being much of that weight. I would think that it must be possible to design an electric truck with decent range inside those parameters. Electric motors have long been more efficient than diesel for heavy hauling in rail applications - althogh railways have ludicrously heavy vehicles relative to the loads. Especially considering that the battery could be separate - i.e. part of the trailer, and trailers could be changed over.
Leccy cars.
- Thread starter kenbro
- Start date
about 16t tare weight, engine and gearbox under 2t unless they have a retarder. The only way to make it viable is to change the gross weight to 55t. volvos answer in 74t!! hydrogen would be an option but still half the range and no infrastructure.
Diesel electric trains are still mostly powered by the old cummins m11 or paccar and with next to no emissions control.
And the drive shafts? I'm surprised it's so light, given the weight of tractors.
That's 26 tonnes for structure and battery, or 45 tonnes for Volvo? Wow. And is this for, say, 500 miles range? I'd imagined that you'd be able to have motors considerably lighter than the engine and not really need the weight of the transmission. If the battery unit was also structural, potentially some weight to be saved (at vast expense). Maybe the hour of the road-train has arrived, and we need to beef up our rather feeble infrastructure.
Anyway, thank you for the educational post!
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
They still need the gearbox and diff just replace the engine and add batteries, adds about 3-4t to the unit. but these top out at a range of around 300km which is less than a third of a standard 6x2 tractor unit.
You're right about the road train, especially for RDC-RDC and night trunking, 74t GTW thats 2 trailers and 1 tractor, would work well especially with energy recovery on the trailers.
Although I will add that I would not want to be within a 10 mile radius when one goes up in smoke!
Last place I worked, next door was a bank of about 20 or so gennys that service the grid a peak time, but as they produce UNDER a certain megawattage they don't come under emissions controls like a powerstation. They were old motors from the 70's that started life in brazil then USSR and then sunny Melton Mowbray.
A sight to behold, and in winter come 5 o'clock when everyone got home put the tele and kettle on they all struck up, no silencer just a big stack, and if one wasn't firing right it just spews a cloud of diesel over the yard. Got a video somewhere of them. So when your energy supplier says we've only used renewable energy this winter.... they're talking out their arse
This is them, looks like there's only 18 now
Attachments
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
It’s why the system that we have developed comes in at under 300kg fitted. It makes very little difference to the end user in terms of weight capacity, but a very big difference in terms of fuel economy and bottom line. And its why we have teeming agreements in place with a number of major players in the industry.
Yes I agree, Perfect for pallet network but the big boys still want 29t per load like lafarge british gypsum etc. if you're overweight you don't get the load
graphictart
Well-Known Member
Sorry, couldn't resist.
My neighbor has a Tesla and this is him down to a tee.
Are people that run electric cars aware of the toxic lakes that are created from "run-off"?
In fact they are so toxic, any wildfowl landing on them would die within hours of landing on them.
And they want to ban lead, the mind boggles.
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
Just a thought.
When EVs get to 50% of vehicles on the road will the traditional suppliers of ICE batteries 12v, filters etc still bother with the market shrinkage, let alone the gas stations trying to be staying in the black?
When EVs get to 50% of vehicles on the road will the traditional suppliers of ICE batteries 12v, filters etc still bother with the market shrinkage, let alone the gas stations trying to be staying in the black?
All the major landscaping/building entrepreneurs have been running Electric hgvs here for 2-3 years, lots of Volvo's. They haul plenty of rock and aggregates with them. Most other lorry deliveries in town are also EV lorries from food to furniture. Not sure of range or spec, I am guessing that this is purely a Oslo (or other major city) green politics ruling.
I have noticed that most of them have stickers stating rear loading only to avoid damage to the batteries.(for rocks/ aggregates)
Rasputin
Well-Known Member
Sorry just crunched the numbers as just hit 1k miles ( in 3 bloody weeks thanks to the missus ) cost £37 for 850 driven and 150 left in the “tank”. Compared to my hilux that would have been probably 2.5/3 full tanks at todays price and 250/300 ish quid.
The plan has always been to use it as much as possible for basically everything bar long journeys ie stalking so the mileage we did across both cars will get moved to one.
Been very enjoyable so far hopefully get a deer in the back of it tomorrow
The hatred for electric cars expressed by some forum members is approaching the level of hatred for Blasers - and with similar levels of justification 
Cheers
Bruce
Cheers
Bruce
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
I do not hate them but with far fewer moving parts how come they cost 20K more than ICEs?
When there is an infrastructure in place to give me a 500km range between fill ups that will take less than 45 minutes then give me a call.
When there is an infrastructure in place to give me a 500km range between fill ups that will take less than 45 minutes then give me a call.
Ev's as they currently are have 10 years before we move to a different power source, For the following reasons,
lit-ion is very dirty, As in the manufacturing process.
transportation and recycling of dead batteries (currently) works out at £2.50 a kilo, plus transport. And the xxxxing paperwork involved, oh dear God.
lit-ion is limited. Unless they come up with a method of manufacturing batteries using sodium safely or something else then we can’t continue as current.
motor manufacturers are losing money on ev,s
they are kin expensive.
Batteries should be capable of lasting 10 years, but currently, scrap your car and you will get £200 a ton. Scrapping an ev? See price above, who is gonna pay for that?
I am not anti ev. The power from electric motors is great. I tent to think a small engine running a generator is a better idea, but don’t know a lot about the technology as I’m not a super clever engineer.
A lot in the industry tend to think that hydrogen is more likely to be the long term solution. Yes there are issues with infrastructure. I think the cost for a hydrogen plant, pre covid was about 1/2 a mill. Can’t remember for sure, but I had to price one up.
regarding electric trucks, I just can’t see it, the weight of the batteries kills it. It you want the range, them more batteries are needed. Where they could work is with heavy fork trucks where the batteries could replace the counterweights.
lit-ion is very dirty, As in the manufacturing process.
transportation and recycling of dead batteries (currently) works out at £2.50 a kilo, plus transport. And the xxxxing paperwork involved, oh dear God.
lit-ion is limited. Unless they come up with a method of manufacturing batteries using sodium safely or something else then we can’t continue as current.
motor manufacturers are losing money on ev,s
they are kin expensive.
Batteries should be capable of lasting 10 years, but currently, scrap your car and you will get £200 a ton. Scrapping an ev? See price above, who is gonna pay for that?
I am not anti ev. The power from electric motors is great. I tent to think a small engine running a generator is a better idea, but don’t know a lot about the technology as I’m not a super clever engineer.
A lot in the industry tend to think that hydrogen is more likely to be the long term solution. Yes there are issues with infrastructure. I think the cost for a hydrogen plant, pre covid was about 1/2 a mill. Can’t remember for sure, but I had to price one up.
regarding electric trucks, I just can’t see it, the weight of the batteries kills it. It you want the range, them more batteries are needed. Where they could work is with heavy fork trucks where the batteries could replace the counterweights.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Just for laughs ( caution - you might need the redacting pen!)
