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

 

[Jstpssng]

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

When I was a kid my mother would never let me run one of those alone. I"ve always wondered why. :mischievous:

 

[dragoneggs]

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

Yep that was the most fun ride at the amusement park. T-boning unsuspecting drivers was a blast!

 

[prof fate]

Ever have an issue with a gas/diesel engine? I mean, blown head gasket, timing chain, etc? Most of us have at some point - though they are getting better.
Transmission problems? Sure.
Rust? here in PA, you betcha.

The tesla is (according to my friend that owns one) - alum body on a titanium frame. Will last for ever.
No oil changes, no radiator, with regenerative braking the brake pads will last much longer.
NO fuel - well, not exactly of course, but the cost per mile of electric seems to be WAY lower than gas or diesel.

When the batts wear out he says they're $8k to replace - about 10 years they tell him. So $800/year. Googling tells me it's $7ish to charge one's tesla. 3c per mile. At current local prices it's 12c/mile for gas on my subaru. Plus oil changes. Emmissions inspections annually too.

I drove 16k miles last year - so $1920 in gasoline. And the time to stop and refuel many many times.
The electricity for a tesla would be just under $500, plus say the $800 in 'battery replacement' costs - $1300. And fueling happens while I sleep.

OK, you wanns take a trip? Use the Tesla's GPS and it will factor in range, locate 'super chargers' and route you accordingly, you'll recharge (fully in 2 hours) only long enough to get to the next charger. I need a break every 4 hours..the range of a fully charged batt on the hiway, give or take, so no big deal really.

And when was the last time you wore out an electric motor? I got through more transmissions than I do starter motors, blower motors, wiper motors or window motors in my cars.

A elec fan (frothing at the mouth type) says your gas car has 20,000 moving parts. An elec car 2,000.

A tesla 3 is $35,000. A subaru is $30-35,000. PLUS $700 a year MORE in fuel..over 10 years that makes the car cost $7,000 more PLUS 500 or so in oil changes...

Electric wins on economic grounds!

A neighnor bought a hybrid minivan. I goes 40 miles on a charge. The wife is a stay at home mom and no longer buys gasoline...runs the kids all over town. They took a trip from Pittsburgh to Buffalo NY, used gas up and back of course, but charged at their parents house so used no gas there. Used 1.5 tanks..vs 3 on their last trip with a regular vehicle.

Audi says 1/2 their cars will be elec by what, 2025? Maybe sooner.

Amusing thing on that note is that a fair number of the fuel uses of hydrogen (rockets, fuel cells, etc) are also seeking to move to simple hydrocarbon fuels (e.g. methane, propane) as the energy density (energy per volume) is higher, and it has simpler handing considerations when compared to liquid hydrogen. While hydrogen has a higher specific energy (energy per mass), the support requirements, associated hazards, and handling requirements tend to make it costly to use. ...which if I recall correctly is part of the reason SpaceX uses a liquid fuel (similar to kerosene/diesel) with liquid oxygen on their launch vehicles.

So really even if the modern internal engine ever actually gets made obsolete (which I suspect is unlikely any time in the foreseeable future.... despite what some countries are already trying to legislate) I seriously doubt hydrocarbon fuels will ever go away as they're just too convenient as an energy storage method. ...hence my semi-tongue-in-cheek calling diesel/gasoline/hydrocarbons a "liquid battery"

 

[Industrial Toys]

Those Tesla cars are extremely complicated and they keep anything to do with them a secret and proprietary. I'm sure, they won't be loosing any money over conventional technology. Apparently, you can't even have body work done on them by another shop. I heard that anyway.

You wait. Soon you will have to get a software license for these vehicles.

 

[davrow]

The tesla is (according to my friend that owns one) - alum body on a titanium frame. Will last for ever.
No oil changes, no radiator, with regenerative braking the brake pads will last much longer.
NO fuel - well, not exactly of course, but the cost per mile of electric seems to be WAY lower than gas or diesel.
A tesla 3 is $35,000. A subaru is $30-35,000. PLUS $700 a year MORE in fuel..over 10 years that makes the car cost $7,000 more PLUS 500 or so in oil changes...

prof fate, while I very much appreciate that you on the side of EVs, having better facts will improve your message.
1) It was speculated the Cybertruck might have an aluminum body on titanium frame. It has neither. For one thing, no frame. The exoskeleton is stainless steel,
2) Still has differential oil, and it does have a radiator, to cool the batteries.
3) Tesla no longer sells the $35,000 Model 3. The current lowest price is $39, 490.

 

[davrow]

You wait. Soon you will have to get a software license for these vehicles.

I'm pretty sure you do, now.
'you do not own the software, you are licensed to use it, you cannot reverse-engineer it, etc.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Yep that was the most fun ride at the amusement park. T-boning unsuspecting drivers was a blast!

I always headed for the guy riding holding a chocolate milkshake!
I was a kid who watched the Three Stooges a lot.

The roller coaster...always some kid right in front who just finished 3 corn dogs and cotten candy all washed down with grape soda!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Tesla Truck - why we're all wrong about the Cybertruck design - YouTube

Pretty Interesting.

I will never hate that Tesla Truck as much as the Avalanche though.

 

[cqaigy2]

Those Tesla cars are extremely complicated and they keep anything to do with them a secret and proprietary. I'm sure, they won't be loosing any money over conventional technology. Apparently, you can't even have body work done on them by another shop. I heard that anyway.

You wait. Soon you will have to get a software license for these vehicles.

No more complicated then cars are now with all the electronics and such. I wonder about the proprietary software in the computers on board my current vehicles. Ones 20 years old and the other 5.

 

[Jstpssng]

Tesla Truck - why we're all wrong about the Cybertruck design - YouTube

Pretty Interesting.

I will never hate that Tesla Truck as much as the Avalanche though.

I'm not sure what you have against the Avalanche. I wouldn't own one because it wouldn't suit my needs; yet it was good choice for some. (many, apparently, with over 1/2 million sold).