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Cummins Semi Truck: 100% electric

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September 22nd, 2017 at 6:20:11 PM permalink

kenarman

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 14
Posts: 4516

Quote: reno
Yes, it's true that this particular scenario (with the mine at a higher elevation) is not nearly as common as an open pit mine. Nevertheless, mountaintop removal mining still exists in West Virginia, Kentucky, & Tennessee, much to the outrage of environmentalists.

And even in an open pit mine where the truck is empty going downhill, surely there must be some benefit to using regenerative braking.

If we assume Tesla's battery cost of $190 per kWh, the battery on this thing is upwards of $133,000. Obviously, that's a lot of diesel to offset before you'd recoup that in fuel savings.

On the other hand, these machines aren't very cheap to begin with: a single tire is over $40,000.

Since they are already electric vehicles the conversion might be relatively economic compared to the overall cost of the vehicle. The large ones have an electric motor on each wheel and an onboard diesel generator to power them. They usually have to be shipped to the mine in sections and then assembled on site which normally takes several weeks of work by a speciality crew of electricians, millwrights and mechanics.

"but if you make yourselves sheep, the wolves will eat you." Benjamin Franklin

September 23rd, 2017 at 9:37:23 AM permalink

reno

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384

I could also see this concept being useful for any timber companies harvesting wood at higher elevations-- (i.e., British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California). Logs are loaded in the mountains and then transported via electric semi truck to sawmills, sea ports, railroads, or markets at lower elevations. The trucks would be completely empty going uphill, and full of heavy cargo going downhill.

November 17th, 2017 at 9:32:05 AM permalink

reno

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 58
Posts: 1384

Quote: AZDuffman
I would say 600-700 miles of range is needed to be viable.

Last night, Tesla announced that their semi truck will have 500 miles of range fully loaded with 80,000 lbs of cargo. It can maintain 65 mph going uphill a 5% grade. Production of the semi will supposedly begin in 2019. (They will also offer a version with just 300 miles of range.)

Their first customer? Wal-Mart has announced that they have placed pre-orders for 15 Tesla semi trucks. J.B. Hunt Transport and Meijer Stores have also placed orders for the truck.

November 17th, 2017 at 10:15:13 AM permalink

AZDuffman

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18212

Quote: reno
Last night, Tesla announced that their semi truck will have 500 miles of range fully loaded with 80,000 lbs of cargo. It can maintain 65 mph going uphill a 5% grade. Production of the semi will supposedly begin in 2019. (They will also offer a version with just 300 miles of range.)

Have to add the "supposedly" as Tesla now has a bad record there. I still say 500 miles is a little tight.

Quote:
Their first customer? Wal-Mart has announced that they have placed pre-orders for 15 Tesla semi trucks.

That is no surprise. WMT might be an ideal customer as they have predictable range needs. WMT always experiments with this kind of thing, but you can bet they will not adopt it wider unless it makes financial sense. With probably the largest or second largest national fleet, they gotta be careful. One question I'd have is do their trucks sit long enough? If they make one trip a day then sit to be loaded, this may work. OTOH, if they slip-seat their trucks and reload/turn them in just a few hours, then not as much.

The President is a fink.

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