Re:Tesla Semi, a Deep Dive
by rippercushions on Monday December 05, 2022 @07:01AM
(#33864433)
In the UK, and most of Europe for that matter, you're also not dealing with 2000 mile runs like the US.
Re:Tesla Semi, a Deep Dive
by VBprogrammer on Monday December 05, 2022 @07:12AM
(#33864542)
Sure but even within the UK there are people who "tramp" in trucks. They set off on Monday morning and don't return home until Friday night taking mixed loads between premises and sleeping in lay-bys and industrial estates each night without so much as access to a toilet. They don't do 2000 mile runs but they still cover 2000 miles in a week. It's hard to imagine acceptable infrastructure being added to make this work.
Re:Tesla Semi, a Deep Dive
by ClumsyPilot on Wednesday December 07, 2022 @10:42AM
(#33895617)
> It's hard to imagine acceptable infrastructure being added to make this work.
This is such a typical 1st nation problem,
While China battles droughts and build world's largest high-speed train network in 10 years.
Apparently maintaining toilets for truckers is beyond our capabilities.
Eastern Europe companies operate for months with the drivers living in the trucks. It’s brutal how money is made there. German highways are full of these trucks. 2 guys in a truck do 1000 miles every day except Sundays when the trucks can’t move on highways.
In 10 years we will be deep into the decarbonization of transportation.
Maybe that doesn't mean electric. But if you can get 500miles today at reasonable efficiency then this is one of the really really easy things to decarbonize early. All you need are truck stops with good charging every couple of hundred miles. There are other sectors that are infinitely harder and almost certainly won't work with electric barring unforeseen breakthroughs (e.g. aviation).
Re:Tesla Semi, a Deep Dive
by VBprogrammer on Monday December 05, 2022 @08:57AM
(#33865667)
In reality most truck drivers struggle to find an overnight parking space with access to a toilet or shower. Drivers work long hours and don't have any flexibility to just drive onto the next place if they can't plug in at one station, often only having minutes left of their allowed driving hours. The availability of charging stations would need to be far better than even existing parking spots.
It might not be impossible but it's not easy by any stretch.
Easy is relative.
I'm not convinced we'll see electric trucks take over the world in the medium term but I'm sure they'll be visible on our roads in the next 10 years, if only in limited roles.