TESLA Electric Truck?

[cqaigy2]

You don't live on a dirt road. I do. Limited colors here. White, silver and light brown with light brown being top choice. I'd run the well dry with a black vehicle.

Actually i do live on a dirt road. Any color is good. I just don't care if my vehicle looks dusty or muddy. To be honest, black would be my last choice too.

 

[sd455dan]

Think that is where the extra tow vehicle would be needed for TESLA owners. They would have to tow a big generator to their 'out of charge' stranded $100K car. :laughing:

That is the Big white elephant in the room with these electric trucks,



All Of Them.



Many people use their trucks to tow and the watt hour usage goes through the roof when towing a laden trailer .
TFL did a couple tests with a model X and was burning through a whole charge in around 100 miles.

The reserve charge for towing a substantial weight is going to take some time to overcome.

I think electric cars already are past the tipping point.

Trucks No not Yet.

Hybrid trucks make more sense for now. Or I guess if a person has the money an electric truck can work for towing short distances like under 80 mile round trip, anything farther not so much- better keep the gas or diesel burner for the longer runs with a load.

 

[zing]

That is the Big white elephant in the room with these electric trucks,



All Of Them.



Many people use their trucks to tow and the watt hour usage goes through the roof when towing a laden trailer .
TFL did a couple tests with a model X and was burning through a whole charge in around 100 miles.

The reserve charge for towing a substantial weight is going to take some time to overcome.

I think electric cars already are past the tipping point.

Trucks No not Yet.

Hybrid trucks make more sense for now. Or I guess if a person has the money an electric truck can work for towing short distances like under 80 mile round trip, anything farther not so much- better keep the gas or diesel burner for the longer runs with a load.

I don't think it is a white elephant, it is just the nature of electric right now and so it determines whether or not it is the right vehicle for you. There is nothing secret about it though, or that people are afraid to talk about. As a matter of fact, that is the whole conversation really. Not really that different from deciding if you need a half ton, or a 3/4 ton, gas or diesel, regular cab or crew, etc. There are lots of choices depending on what you plan to do with your truck. As Ultrarunner said on page three of this thread, there have been electric mail trucks and Fed-ex trucks in his area for many years. This is just another iteration of that, making an EV truck more akin to the mass produced pickup, that will be an option to those who have a certain usage for their truck.

It will not be the right truck for people who
- travel long distances
- tow RV's and horse trailers more than a couple hundred miles (I don't even know if a gooseneck or 5th Wheel can go into that Tesla bed)
- want a flatdeck or toolbox on the back
etc

It might be the right truck for
- suburbanites who commute/cottage with their truck
- contractors who are at a different site every day/week, but generally stay contained to their metro area.
- deliveries
- fleet trucks that do stuff like roadwork traffic control
etc

This truck is a concept and not ready for delivery for 3 years, so you can expect that the capacity numbers will be better by then, plus the body is possibly subject to change as well depending on the feedback they get from the current release.

I totally agree with your last sentence, just not your first one.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Or this. Make electrics like the pantograph trains and trolleys.

 

[ultrarunner]

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.

Lots of electrics here and number one reason is single occupant use of carpool lane which has tremendous value for some

 

[Industrial Toys]

If I go to the city (Toronto) I have to negotiate a terribly congested (410) highway and often would be able to have clear sailing if allowed in the "special" lane. An automated dummy passenger would be cheaper than an EV. Have it wear a kabibe and it wouldn't even have to be very lifelike.

 

[Big Barn]

If I go to the city (Toronto) I have to negotiate a terribly congested (410) highway and often would be able to have clear sailing if allowed in the "special" lane. An automated dummy passenger would be cheaper than an EV. Have it wear a kabibe and it wouldn't even have to be very lifelike.

Around here we just use clothing store mannequins when a store closes up. Might start selling them on eBay......

 

[Fuddy1952]

Lots of electrics here and number one reason is single occupant use of carpool lane which has tremendous value for some

I have a good friend in Palos Verdes, math professor at two colleges and yes, that's mainly why he bought an electric car.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Here's a thought! (My brainstorm?!?!?)...
The more EVs there will be over time, everyone's electric rates will go up. It will have to at some point.
I was joking about the 1950s electric bumper cars. But they worked, no battery. The floor was metal as well as ceiling, so a contact between them ran the motor. I remember the ozone smell to this day.
Trolleys and pantograph trains work by overhead wires, they're on rails so even contact.
But...there is inductive charging. There's a unit for your phone. No connection, place phone on it and it charges by induction.
So why not wire coils underneath asphalt on major highways? An EV would get charged by driving along. Talk about a long range...even for tractor trailers or towing a trailer.

 

[Industrial Toys]

If you built a metal ceiling over the roads here, you could solve the snow removal problam too. I loved those bumper cars. Especially if you could get enough speed to give some unsuspecting person whiplash! lol