Should your next truck be gas or electric?

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mikeames

Senior Member
Location
Gaithersburg MD
Occupation
Teacher - Master Electrician - 2017 NEC
When gas was above $100 CNBC had an "energy expert" who said the estimates say the current grid can only take 1-2 million electric vehicles. I have no idea on the validity of that statement I am just writing what I heard on CNBC.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
The UK has a F150 plug-in electric that delivers 600 Hp and has a 100 mile range. http://www.hipadrive.com/sema.html
Bit of a stretch to say that the UK has this. It's a prototype.

It has room for a 40 kWh battery.
And 600HP.
And a range of 100 miles.
Bold claims.

At 600 HP, the battery would last just over five minutes. To get the 100 miles in that time is approaching mach 2 speeds.
Different claims I know, but the association is there.

The 100-mile range* would suit the daily journey for many. Recharge overnight. Go again the next day. All good. Maybe.....
In UK, the maximum output from a regular power outlet is about 3kW. Allowing for a little loss in the system, recharging would take around 16 hours. Having your vehicle out of use 16 hours a day wouldn't suit many who depend on it for their livelihood.

I quite often make a 400 mile round trip in a day and spend some hours on site. Sure, it's a long day. But one day. If I had to stop for 16 hours every 100 miles it would be a long week.

Electric vehicles have some way to go before they become mainstream.
I'm not knocking the idea.
As manufacturer of the motors, controllers and chargers used in some of them, an expansion in the field could be very good for our business.

But, being pragmatic, I accept that it isn't a short term market for volume production.


*up to
 

morganjoseph

Member
Location
Wyoming
Aren't battery powered cars (without combustion engines) mainly coal powered cars?? Burn the coal, generate electricity, send the electricity, power a battery... there are some serious efficiency penalties in all these processes...
 

SmithBuilt

Senior Member
Location
Foothills of NC
Aren't battery powered cars (without combustion engines) mainly coal powered cars?? Burn the coal, generate electricity, send the electricity, power a battery... there are some serious efficiency penalties in all these processes...

Maybe, probably.


But hey at least there's that feel good factor.:D





The one good thing would be that we are keeping our money here instead of sending it to terrorist countries. Plus I all the electrical work that would need to be done just for charging. I need to learn about photovoltaics anyways.
 

ohm

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, AL
Bit of a stretch to say that the UK has this. It's a prototype.

It has room for a 40 kWh battery.
And 600HP.
And a range of 100 miles.
Bold claims.

At 600 HP, the battery would last just over five minutes. To get the 100 miles in that time is approaching mach 2 speeds.
Different claims I know, but the association is there.

The 100-mile range* would suit the daily journey for many. Recharge overnight. Go again the next day. All good. Maybe.....
In UK, the maximum output from a regular power outlet is about 3kW. Allowing for a little loss in the system, recharging would take around 16 hours. Having your vehicle out of use 16 hours a day wouldn't suit many who depend on it for their livelihood.

I quite often make a 400 mile round trip in a day and spend some hours on site. Sure, it's a long day. But one day. If I had to stop for 16 hours every 100 miles it would be a long week.

Electric vehicles have some way to go before they become mainstream.
I'm not knocking the idea.
As manufacturer of the motors, controllers and chargers used in some of them, an expansion in the field could be very good for our business.

But, being pragmatic, I accept that it isn't a short term market for volume production.


*up to
I don't understand how the 600 Hp claim is a problem. That would be like saying if you have a 200A service on your house your power bill would be: 200*240*24*30*.1= $3,456,000 per month.

As you stated a car w/ the same specs could be a very useful to a mom who only travels a few miles a day for milk, bread & eggs. A car gets terrible gas mileage for the first few miles. IMHO if even a third of the cars in US fell in this group a lot of problems would go away.
 

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
I'm going to Denver next week. That's 60 miles... 1 way! But what about traffic jams... which happen a LOT! Are we talking 100 miles fully charged... take a look at the "can't decide" thread which talks about tools and their battery issues.

How long would this battery last? Full charge today is 100 miles. Tomorrow is... 70... 80 miles?

Then in Colorado, it got to -4, which is warm compared to some of you... What's the range there? 20-30 miles?

How long to charge? 8 hours?
Quick charge?

Then the parking lot where I have to park and pay $10 for, doesn't have this.... when they do, it will probably be a $25 charge for this.

I dont think the battery is going to drain if you are just sitting in traffic, you should get almost exactly the same amount of milage, its not like you have an engine idling the electric motor will only use power when you are driving.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
I don't understand how the 600 Hp claim is a problem.
I didn't say it was a problem, more like guilt by assocoation if you see what I mean.
But I do have just a little problem or two with this article:
http://www.sema.org/Main/ArticleDetail.aspx?fc_c=1209857x2654523x62448720&contentID=60751
For 600hp total, each motor would have to be capable of 150hp, short term at least. From a 66 lb motor, that would be challenge but not impossible. We make permanent magnet brushless DC motors in that ball park. They run at typically 20,000 rpm and are water cooled.
The artice states "over 150 lb.-ft. of torque where it matters most?in the wheel?at any speed. ". That torque infers a shaft speed of about 5300rpm for the 150hp. To match this with wheel rpm, you'd need a reduction gearbox between the motor output shaft and the wheel. From the same article:
Hi-Pa Drive effectively replaces the mechanical drivetrain, gearbox...
So is this reduction gearbox included in the 66 lb unsprung weight thus making the actual motor less than 66 lb or the unsprung mass greater?
I think I read too, that the controller for each motor is incorporated on the motor itself.
An additional 66 lb added to the unsprung weight of each wheel isn't insignificant.

Battery voltage, maybe 300V?
That would equate to 1600A or so allowing for minimal losses.
Or around a 400A cpacaity for each controller.

PR hype maybe.
Short on technical detail.
 
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