TESLA Electric Truck?

[Jchonline]

You could always throw a nice quiet Diesel Generator in the bed and charge the truck yourself.

No you can get one with a solar panel on the bed cover. It adds 15 miles to the range per hour in direct sunlight. So you would only have to charge it 10 hours to gain 150 miles!

 

[Fuddy1952]

I think this is a fantastic discussion, food for thought, great replies, etc. But for every suggestion there's a downside (imho). A solar panel I'm thinking could be easily damaged especially on a truck. The generator in back now defeats the truck purpose but a diesel truck would be more efficient. A good generator would extend range (now you have a hybrid) but not all that much and it's now polluting.
My bad downtown example is if someone were visiting here, or driving through and needed a charge. It would be really bad. What would you do...leave it hooked up 3 hours and take a cab somewhere?
Now a small electric car just for daily grocery, doctor, get parts, etc trips usually 40-50 miles max, plug in at home. IF the car was reasonably priced, IF it had a good warranty, IF batteries lasted and IF new ones not expensive and handled well in bad weather I may would consider it.
Of course, providing the power company doesn't start raising rates!

 

[lilranch2001]

And then if they actually got popular, and then the grid failed due to over consumption

 

[Jim Nelson]

About 5 or 6 years ago I got pretty interested in the Japanese Kei size mini trucks but ran into the problem of making them street legal.I found a guy on Craig's List that had one for sale that he had converted to electric.This intrigued me so I went to look at it. The guy was really up on all this stuff and had 2 of the mini trucks he had converted and licensed for street use plus a Ford Ranger that he had done. He was a handy man who worked for a property management co. in San Diego so he used the Ranger for work and mounted 2 solar panels on the fiber glass bed cover. He said it worked pretty well except when he had to park in a parking garage out of the sun. He was just starting to get into lithium batteries and said it looked promising.

It was a really neat deal and he offered to help me convert my little truck so I could legalize it but the cost was just too high for what little I would use the truck. I could only use it in town as the top speed was about 45 mph and I would be afraid to drive it on the crazy Ca. freeways anyway.

 

[California]

You could always throw a nice quiet Diesel Generator in the bed and charge the truck yourself.

Then you have a diesel locomotive!

 

[California]

I just posted this in another thread but its more relevant here:

Here's a video of Tesla's Cybertruck which shows it is much bigger than I imagined. The top of the presenter's head is only halfway up the truck's side windows.

There are lots of other Cybertruck and Tesla videos in that site also.

 

[zing]

I think this is a fantastic discussion, food for thought, great replies, etc. But for every suggestion there's a downside (imho). A solar panel I'm thinking could be easily damaged especially on a truck. The generator in back now defeats the truck purpose but a diesel truck would be more efficient. A good generator would extend range (now you have a hybrid) but not all that much and it's now polluting.
My bad downtown example is if someone were visiting here, or driving through and needed a charge. It would be really bad. What would you do...leave it hooked up 3 hours and take a cab somewhere?
Now a small electric car just for daily grocery, doctor, get parts, etc trips usually 40-50 miles max, plug in at home. IF the car was reasonably priced, IF it had a good warranty, IF batteries lasted and IF new ones not expensive and handled well in bad weather I may would consider it.
Of course, providing the power company doesn't start raising rates!

This is the key market for EV's. Those who don't travel too far and come home each night. Now consider if you have solar on your home too. A battery bank in the house charging all day, then you plug in the car at night and it recharges from the battery bank. Free and emission free driving, aside from the up front cost of course. If you have already banking the cost of your house solar setup against the savings in household electricity and you have excess capacity (some people are able to sell back their excess to the grid), then the upfront cost may be minimal. For a two car family, the EV can be the go-around-town car, while the second vehicle can be used for longer trips. City driving, stop and start, is where you spend most of your gas, and is also where most people do 90% of their driving. Los Angeles is 8 times the population of Wyoming, so even if it is never a good mountain car/truck, there is plenty of market to support these EV's with urban and surburban dwellers that have their own house and room for some solar panels.

As solar panels and batteries continue to drop in price and increase in durability, this is going to happen more and more. 20 years ago a solar house was mostly for die-hards who were willing to balance the long term (or never) pay-back against the enviro benefits. We are getting closer and closer to the time when solar makes fiscal sense for any new build, and even retrofits can be balanced over a 10-15 year term.

 

[jjp8182]

Seems there's a lot of confusion information out there, given the information in this article: Tesla Unveils the Stoner Truck. Sorry, Cybertruck. It's as Big as an F-15. - ExtremeTech

The other thing that's been overlooked (which I admit I missed as well) was the fact that the truck doesn't appear to be road legal as noted here: Why the Tesla Cybertruck Looks So Weird | WIRED

Given the lack of side mirrors and headlight configuration..... which means it will have to have a few changes before it goes into production and deliver in 2021.

The picture of the interior in the wired article also makes me wonder what the driver visibility actually is .... makes me think of some vehicles that have horrible visibility/large blind spots.

In all, I have to say if Elon Musk is one thing it's a brilliant marketeer..... other than that I'd say he may end up making Howard Hughes seem sane/normal (though personally I doubt either was/is capable of thinking big enough to colonize another planet realistically - but that's another topic entirely).

 

[zing]

I just posted this in another thread but its more relevant here:

Here's a video of Tesla's Cybertruck which shows it is much bigger than I imagined. The top of the presenter's head is only halfway up the truck's side windows.

There are lots of other Cybertruck and Tesla videos in that site also.

Yeah, I was watching one and noticed the huge amount of headroom. It looks like there would be no headroom for the person in the back seat, but there is actually so much headroom in the front that it just looks that way. In this video they do a drive around and there are a couple spots to see this.

At 3:30 you can see the cameraman in the back seat has plenty of headroom while using a camera, and it looks like the guys in the front have a foot of clearance over their heads. Shaq or Yao Ming could drive this truck and still have room to comfortably wear a cowboy hat!

 

[Grumpycat]

To me there is a lot of smoke and mirrors involved. I just searched "Tesla charging stations near me". There's one downtown, 20+ miles away, in a part of town where there is...nothing. A place you would NOT want to be after dark.
It's a 16kW station, charge time from 10% to 90% would be about 3 hours. Three hours! In downtown slum area!
This is from Tesla...
"A full*recharge*of an 85 kWh Model S will*cost drivers about $22"
$22 of gasoline fills my car with a 400 mile range. I can fill it anywhere in 5 minutes.

One does not "recharge" an EV. There is no point in undoing a charge in order to re-charge.

85kW at $0.26/kWh is $22.10. That is the average rate charged at Superchargers. Sometimes it is $0.13/kWh but for me it is free. The thing you are missing in allowing yourself to be deluded is that "Superchargers are not gas stations." You are not expected to depend on Superchargers. The purpose of the Supercharger is to make it possible to travel between cities. Is not a "gas station" for daily use. And the 16kW station you refer to is not a Supercharger.

The only 16kW "station" I can find near Forest, VA is on the BRP. And it is free at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Most Teslas can not charge at 16kW on an AC EVSE such as this. Some early Model S can charge at 19.2kW on AC, most 9.6kW. Newer (Model S 100) can charge at 17.3kW.

A Model S 85 does not have 400 mile range.

EPA rated (and an honest rating) at 0.380 kWh/mile. At the outrageous $0.26/kWh that works out to $0.10/mile. If you pay $2.50/gallon then that is the equivalent of 25 MPG. That is only par for an equivalent gasoline car, but with the added inconvenience of slow fill. But many of us pay $0.10/kWh at home where the $2.50/gallon equivalent works out to 65 MPG.

Besides, most Model S 85 owners (such as myself) got free lifetime Supercharger subscription with the car.

 

[Jchonline]

One does not "recharge" an EV. There is no point in undoing a charge in order to re-charge.

85kW at $0.26/kWh is $22.10. That is the average rate charged at Superchargers. Sometimes it is $0.13/kWh but for me it is free. The thing you are missing in allowing yourself to be deluded is that "Superchargers are not gas stations." You are not expected to depend on Superchargers. The purpose of the Supercharger is to make it possible to travel between cities. Is not a "gas station" for daily use. And the 16kW station you refer to is not a Supercharger.

The only 16kW "station" I can find near Forest, VA is on the BRP. And it is free at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Most Teslas can not charge at 16kW on an AC EVSE such as this. Some early Model S can charge at 19.2kW on AC, most 9.6kW. Newer (Model S 100) can charge at 17.3kW.

A Model S 85 does not have 400 mile range.

EPA rated (and an honest rating) at 0.380 kWh/mile. At the outrageous $0.26/kWh that works out to $0.10/mile. If you pay $2.50/gallon then that is the equivalent of 25 MPG. That is only par for an equivalent gasoline car, but with the added inconvenience of slow fill. But many of us pay $0.10/kWh at home where the $2.50/gallon equivalent works out to 65 MPG.

Besides, most Model S 85 owners (such as myself) got free lifetime Supercharger subscription with the car.

The supercharger concept is ridiculous. If it takes me more time to charge my car than fill it up with gas then it is a step backwards and just a waste of time. Show me an electric vehicle that has BETTER range and quicker refueling than the gas/diesel counterparts then I will give it a look.

 

[Fuddy1952]

One has to factor in lots of things to consider electric. Solar panels, enough to run a typical home is probably going to be $20-$30K. An electric car would start at about $40K.
One car we have is a Hyundai Accent. They're pretty cheap, about $18K averages about 35mpg.
So not having solar+ev that's about $50K difference.
My electric bill averages $75/month. Home+garage+horse stable+barn (we're conservative), that's about $1K/year.
Now $50K @ 5% interest is $2,500/year. (Invested in the market exceeds that.)
Buying from power company I have no maintenance. I have a generator (stupid waste of money since in 40 years we've been without power a total of 10 days...maybe).
Gas for car...9k miles/year about $580. I change oil+filter myself 3k...so about $90.
Electric is Interesting but doesn't add up.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

This is the key market for EV's. Those who don't travel too far and come home each night. Now consider if you have solar on your home too. A battery bank in the house charging all day, then you plug in the car at night and it recharges from the battery bank. Free and emission free driving, aside from the up front cost of course. If you have already banking the cost of your house solar setup against the savings in household electricity and you have excess capacity (some people are able to sell back their excess to the grid), then the upfront cost may be minimal. For a two car family, the EV can be the go-around-town car, while the second vehicle can be used for longer trips. City driving, stop and start, is where you spend most of your gas, and is also where most people do 90% of their driving. Los Angeles is 8 times the population of Wyoming, so even if it is never a good mountain car/truck, there is plenty of market to support these EV's with urban and surburban dwellers that have their own house and room for some solar panels.

As solar panels and batteries continue to drop in price and increase in durability, this is going to happen more and more. 20 years ago a solar house was mostly for die-hards who were willing to balance the long term (or never) pay-back against the enviro benefits. We are getting closer and closer to the time when solar makes fiscal sense for any new build, and even retrofits can be balanced over a 10-15 year term.

Your take on EV's is similar to mine.

Realizing recently that most remarks today about why EV's will never go mainstream are coming people who do not own an EV or have never maintained even a small bank of Lead Acid batteries for backup systems/solar so six weeks ago I bought a used EV. It is a 2016 Nissan Leaf SL showing just under 22,000 miles and a 35% degradation of the lithium ion 30 kWh battery pack.

While it is no Tesla in price or range Nissan was the first EV maker to sell about 500,000 EV's worldwide since late 2010 when the Leaf first went on the market in the USA. Having experienced the value of Nissan autos since 1973 I was already sold on the brand since this is the 6th one I have owned but the first one without a gas tank.

EV trucks have been of interest to me since reading the story about the F-150 EV with 600 HP at a car show like 10 years ago.

Updated: Hi-Pa Drive Ford F-15 Is All Electric - PickupTrucks.com News

One remarks that cracks me up is posted below. While it is over 10 years ago today one can still hear the same mindset today. Anyone that has been following EV progress since the 80's and 90's understands we are moving in the direction of mainly EV's in the world.

"If any of you think this vehicle will be for sale in your lifetime you are living in a dream world; the oilies won't permit it and they own the auto companies. So go back to sleep.
Posted by: Lance | Feb 27, 2009 1:24:44 PM"

Lance may have been a Baby Boomer that has pasted over and can not realize how wrong he was for others still alive today.

Technology evolves. Some minds evolve and others do not. More and more of Star Trek stuff is reality today. Will some version of this Tesla truck ever see the light of day? If I wanted one and thought I would be wanting it 2 years from now I would get on the list today. Hopefully our 2010 F-150 with 220,000 mile and 10K tow rating will be the last truck I will need for towing a few times a year based on the way I drive mainly the Leaf over the last 6 weeks.

In the next few years I hope to see 3 more EV's added to the family and is one reason I stepped in to the reality of the EV world last month in a real and tangible way even if it was at the low end.

 

[cqaigy2]

Looks like they used Minecraft to design it.

 

[California]

Looks like they used Minecraft to design it.

I like the theory that Musk pencilled it out after dreaming about Lara Croft version 1.0.

 

[davrow]

I'll be buying one. Bought the license plate for it last night.

 

[crazyal]

Here's what will never make the news. Toyota is going to sell a plug in Rav4 that will get up to 40 miles on just battery power. They will sell more of them and sales will increase than Tesla will sell model 3s. If Toyota (the big 3) were to make a plug in hybrid truck that could get 50 plus miles on a charge with a real engine in it for when you needed the range or power it would sell much better than an EV truck. As Tesla fans love to say, most people don't drive that far each day. Even if you drive 75 miles to and from work that would be 1 vs 3 gallons of gas.

 

[ruffdog]

In all, I have to say if Elon Musk is one thing it's a brilliant marketeer..... other than that I'd say he may end up making Howard Hughes seem sane/normal (though personally I doubt either was/is capable of thinking big enough to colonize another planet realistically - but that's another topic entirely).

Maybe a mix between a carnival barker and a snake oil salesman?:laughing:

 

[California]

Here's what will never make the news. Toyota is going to sell a plug in Rav4 that will get up to 40 miles on just battery power.

For anyone interested, here's a discussion of those on a non-Toyota EV site. Clearly not the answer for everyone but it might be just the answer for the suburban soccer mommy shuttling children around all day. Much better than the traditional Suburban for that use! Always charging at home overnight, never at a slow expensive public charger. That's a pretty big niche market, just look what's on the road around you in the midafternoon.

 

[Fuddy1952]

My 2 cents is I'm so grateful living in the USA, hopefully our Constitution will remain intact!
The good thing is there really isn't a right-wrong one size fits all since everyone's situation and needs are different. I may add an EV to our collection of cars but hope those of us who love old cars which we have some 50s, gasoline will be available and environmentalists in power won't say they're obsolete!
Vive La Difference!