Electric vehicles catch-all thread

[whomever]

Maybe of interest: Canadian startup making new and retrofit diesel electric trucks. Replace the diesel motor+transmission with a half-the-displacement diesel+generator, with electric motors as input to the differentials. The idea is you run for a while on batteries, when they get low the diesel fires up and runs at optimal load charging the batteries, then shuts down. There isn't anything wrong with the physics: IC motors are most efficient at full-ish loads.

Kind of a neat twist for logging trucks - the batteries drive the unloaded truck to the usually higher elevation logging site, load a big bunch of logs, then you use regenerative braking going downhill to charge the batteries. Vaguely like the pump-water-uphill as energy storage but with logs.

Also making a retrofit kit for smaller trucks, aimed at e.g. pipeline welders and other utility trucks.

https://www.edisonmotors.ca/

No idea if it will catch on, but a neat idea.

[mmc45414]

Replace the diesel motor+transmission with a half-the-displacement diesel+generator, with electric motors as input to the differentials. The idea is you run for a while on batteries, when they get low the diesel fires up and runs at optimal load charging the batteries, then shuts down. There isn't anything wrong with the physics: IC motors are most efficient at full-ish loads.

I know in this country one of the challenges has been the EPA requirements for stationary things like generators differing from road going vehicles. One guy I was trying to sell to summed it up as "If we could just go buy a genset from Yanmar and bolt in the back of a bus it would be simple", and another company I was trying to sell to was trying to program a controller to fire up the genset when the truck was put in park, since then it wasn't part of the driveline, not sure if that ever flew.

I have always thought this could be a great approach, wires are easier to route than driveshafts, and AWD with torque vectoring becomes a lot simpler. And it seems like the nav system could tell the genset when to fire up based on the destination.

[HeavyDuty]

I’ve often thought an inexpensive electric mini-truck (like a Kei truck) would be a useful additional vehicle for around the property - use it for grocery shopping and Home Depot runs, things where a limited range wouldn’t be an issue.

[JohnO]

How's this for a Kick in the Pants to EV's?

https://evclubct.com/proposed-ct-bil...ial%20garages.

Proposed CT Bill Would Ban EV Parking Indoors
March 6, 2024


CGA SB 343

The Connecticut General Assembly has raised a bill, SB 343, that proposes to “prohibit parking electric vehicles in parking garages.” This applies to residential and commercial garages. It is part of a larger bill that is about fire safety more generally, which is possibly why the committee of cognizance is the Public Safety Committee and not the Transportation Committee. Regardless, as ridiculous as this sounds, the bill has been raised. Public hearings are scheduled for March 7.

[RoyGBiv]

How's this for a Kick in the Pants to EV's?

https://evclubct.com/proposed-ct-bil...ial%20garages.

Schadenfreude

[JohnO]

Schadenfreude

I have a friend (Sucker) who texted me this EV info last night. He is a new Tesla owner and rather upset. Is concerned about being able to go to the hospital for his appointments and park.

[Bucky]

How's this for a Kick in the Pants to EV's?

https://evclubct.com/proposed-ct-bil...ial%20garages.

Great! I was just telling a friend of mine that the honeymoon is over with my Tesla model three. I am not hating it, however, I am not enamored with it as I once was. Things that used to work, don’t work anymore. As a software developer, I understand that goes with the territory with over the air updates. They’re just not tested as well, because you could just roll out another update. If the recall required your car to come to be serviced, they would be much more frugal to make sure that the update worked. No plans to get rid of it, but not sure I do it again.

Now this. From day 1 it was on purpose that the Tesla goes in the detached garage and not the garage attached to the house.

[Navin Johnson]

As mentioned up thread (I am in EV nirvana land) Insurance companys are beginning to tell building owners no ev's do to fire concerns and not being easy to put out when the batteries think its July 4th

I also think many battery fires arn't covered much in the EV loving media

[GJM]

One of the best things about Tesla is their charging network.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a6...a-evs-details/

[4RNR]

I was always curious how charging was going to work in places line NYC where apartments are the main housing. Or any apartment complex for that matter. NYC is mostly underground parking or parking garages but here its mostly outside parking spots. Is each parking spot going to get a charger? Are people going to start unplugging their neighbors to plug their own in (longer cord)?

And another thing, apartments here are typically low income and while most people are live and let live and go about their lives, there is a subset of criminals and hooligans. Vandalizing the chargers seems like would be an obvious issue.