Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

If past electric buses are any example, you won't be seeing any team-driven battery-powered semis or even day cabs in places that have round the clock utilization. They basically spend about the same amount of time charging as they do driving, so for 12 hours of operation, you're looking at about 12 hours of charging.

One other thing about hydrogen - you can convert internal combustion engines to run on it, so you don't have to buy an all new fleet. Kind of a big concern if you don't want to waste money or if you don't like seeing thousands of tons of vehicles sent to the junkyard for no good reason.

Quoted for truth.
 
By the way. For those that don't know it, rockets have used a conventional internal combustion engine running on hydrogen and liquid oxygen for sometime to power a fuel pump for the main rocket engines. There is an episode of Autoline After Hours I can dig up where Jack Roush talks about his company building a new one for a newer rocket system.
If we are talking rocket powered delivery trucks I am singing the eff up!
 
We will send you to Mars on a test mission. ;)
 
That is about the most expensive way to run a truck there is. It would be far better to convert it to use LPG or CNG than to use hydrogen.

Mostly due to lack of economies of scale at current. However, a converted truck can use HFC fueling stations and such, so you can go with one infrastructure for your fleet of both new build HFC vehicles and converted ICE vehicles. Fleets spend millions and millions of dollars on new trucks every year, and getting them to just throw away their huge investments without the usual 10-20 year amortization is basically not going to happen. That's before you consider the 'total lifecycle cost' of throwing all those nearly new trucks in the garbage.

And before you say that "pre-HFC/BEV vehicles would be grandfathered", California has already got a similar mandate for their harbors - where they now require "clean diesel" which has evolved/is evolving to "LPG/CNG only". No grandfathering and it is wreaking absolute havoc with the trucking industry in CA.
 
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Change is inherently disruptive. Electrification wreaked havoc with the kerosene industry and lamplighters, the Internet disrupted print media. Change is inevitable.
 
Batteries on the roof? Doesnt that make the whole car extremely top heavy? I know it's a bus do handling is a non issue, but tipping over is?

Haven?t seen one tip over yet

Probably not an issue is most of the country, but we have areas out in the west with winds that blow semi trucks over every year. A top heavy load would definitely be an issue.

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And here's a nice dashcam video from back home. Skip ahead to about 30 seconds.
 
Probably not an issue is most of the country, but we have areas out in the west with winds that blow semi trucks over every year. A top heavy load would definitely be an issue.

qpy8Yxs.jpg


And here's a nice dashcam video from back home. Skip ahead to about 30 seconds.

Not a likely scenario for a city bus ;)
Change is inherently disruptive. Electrification wreaked havoc with the kerosene industry and lamplighters, the Internet disrupted print media. Change is inevitable.
Yes clearly superior technology ORGANICALLY replaced clearly inferior technology, there was no legislature trying to cram electricity or internet down people's throats. In this case we are not talking about a clearly superior technology, at best it's a not inferior technology when all factors are taken into account. If we had batteries that last for 500 miles, weigh as much as a full gas tank, take 5 minutes to fully recharge, last for a decade and don't cost a whole lot then you could make that argument. Would it be nice to replace all but enthusiast vehicles with electrics and breathe fresher air? Of course it would, who doesn't like having healthy lungs? Is it currently practical? Not even remotely.
 
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Change is inherently disruptive. Electrification wreaked havoc with the kerosene industry and lamplighters, the Internet disrupted print media. Change is inevitable.

Electrification was gradual and was rarely made mandatory or competing offerings legislated out of existence. Print media still exists and hasn't been legislated away. However, we already know this would not apply with ICE should BEVs approach what unqualified ignorant morons both in and out of government consider "adequate replacement" status.
 
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I really, really want one of these:

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I think it would fit in the back of my Bronco. :evil:
 
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Hydrogen is combustible, an ICE doesn't care what is being combusted as long as the combustion is done in a way that it can work with. BMW built a 7 series like that in early 00s it could run on either gasoline or hydrogen - http://www.hydrogen-motors.com/bmw-750hl.html of course it had terrible range on hydrogen...

I AM THROWING MY MONEY AT THE SCREEN BUT NOTHING IS HAPPENING!
 
I really, really want one of these:

giphy.gif


I think it would fit in the back of my Bronco. :evil:

OMG! What the hell is that ... and yea, everyone should own a mini tank. DO WANT!
 
I really, really want one of these:

giphy.gif


I think it would fit in the back of my Bronco. :evil:
Yeah, I always liked the B3 Passat as well.
 
This will anger all the euro folks on this board but... I hate stupid summer tires, they are entirely too inconsistent in their grip when it was 75+ I could floor it in any gear and never get any wheelspin despite murrica stang. As soon as temps drop below 60 or so you end up having to big toe it on every take off. Last night I got wheel spin giving it the beans from 20ish mph in 2nd gear.
And before you euro lot child in with winter tires BS, temps have been consistently in low to mid 50s here winters wouldn?t help much either.
 
I only ran into wheel spin when I went to fill the tank for winter in the mustang last weekend. It was 35. Maybe it?s the tread design?
 
I only ran into wheel spin when I went to fill the tank for winter in the mustang last weekend. It was 35. Maybe it?s the tread design?

What tires do you have? I'm on the stock P0s that came with the car, could also be weight distribution and power difference.
 
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