Electric coming to your transit company?

[JAKES.]

Sorry about my last post I was all over the map Ranting about solar panels and such; first post in awhile .I just wanted to jump in... Anyways I was at a recent town meeting and there is talk of having a charging station at the Hwy.dept. garage for the future fleet of electric plow trucks. Which as DMiller mentioned last post for every 4 hours of use it takes 6 hours to recharge. The decision to buy a new wheel loader was delayed while they explore the possibility of an electric version. I left the meeting wondering is this equipment already on the ground working anywhere? Because I have not seen it here in my area yet.

 

[kshansen]

I was at a recent town meeting and there is talk of having a charging station at the Hwy.dept. garage for the future fleet of electric plow trucks. Which as DMiller mentioned last post for every 4 hours of use it takes 6 hours to recharge.

Well hope you live very close to the town barn if you expect to see your road plowed! Might better just take a lesson from the bears and hibernate until the snow melts!

 

[Shimmy1]

If the power grid failed people would be at each others throats in no time.

That day can't come soon enough, IMO.

 

[crane operator]

I think anyone in colder climates needs to really seriously think about it before going electric. Everything I read, indicates a electric snowplow truck would be a bad idea. Granted, if its a tax funded entity, that just means they need to up the taxes a little to pay for it- so the $$$ doesn't really matter.

40% of the average range once its below 0 F. Sounds like a lot of people on the side of the road with a dead battery in a snowstorm. And maybe the snowplow too.

 

[Truck Shop]

Well to add to our problem-the U.S. hasn't accepted the idea of real mass transit other than flying. High speed rail should have been developed
years ago. Instead we like the idea of hopping in the car and doing road trips, sometime or another that has to change.

 

[Shimmy1]

Well to add to our problem-the U.S. hasn't accepted the idea of real mass transit other than flying. High speed rail should have been developed
years ago. Instead we like the idea of hopping in the car and doing road trips, sometime or another that has to change.

And what could be realized by this? Less demand for petroleum due to less vehicular traffic? Because high speed rail requires an energy source. Just asking the question...

 

[kshansen]

And what could be realized by this? Less demand for petroleum due to less vehicular traffic? Because high speed rail requires an energy source. Just asking the question...

I'm thinking that there would be some reduction in the net energy needed in some areas with more wide spread use of high speed rail over that of air travel.

Plus I can imagine the rail system would allow a bit more flexibility in the number of people being moved or the number of people required to run it.

 

[DMiller]

The entire basis of society will need to change, not just adjust. All too many need to be nowhere in particular as of yesterday, freight picks are always three days behind and with inventory taxation will be next to nothing on shelves as soon as they implement this nonsense unless do implement a basis time frame change. Train travel can return, just have to be able to accept three days travel time as opposed to one for flying. And yes a flight from STL to SLC or SF only takes a few hours but then also have travel time to/from airports, lag time getting acclimated, seat time awaiting flight after being two hours early to accommodate DHS requirements. Trains already are switching to AC Electric Generators, can easily highline the lines and set up pantograph run the motors on Line Voltage. Electricity is being generated where being used or not, may as well use some effectively.

I prefer slower anymore, where been touring on the bike, miles did not mean as much as comfort, made less than 250m in a day or up to 500m in 12 hours, dependent on necessity but mostly Slow and Steady backroads and touring, train would be similar and could transport ride with us, use it to get to the train then use to tour at destination.

 

[John C.]

The expense of high speed rail that is frequently thrown out by the media neglects to include are the capital costs of planning and engineering, acquisition of land, listing an obtaining materials, legal issues, construction costs and finally maintenance costs that will have to be carried by the taxpayers. Operation costs are also never fully covered by the people using the system either. Then the end of life costs should also be factored in. An example of that is the thread on the dismantling, reduction of waste and disposal of wind mill blades.

Right now we don't have enough power to run all the air conditioning units without burning out transformers and sagging the power lines that start wild fires. No one has bothered to provide an estimate of total energy required by the nation as opposed to total energy available. Add to that an old transmission system patch worked to nearly 100 year old requirements geared to metropolitan areas and add in protections for fish, agriculture and industry. Right now there are no viable alternatives to fossil fuel and hydro power. Coal is on the way out but the replacement for it at this time is natural gas.

 

[Shimmy1]

Right now there are no viable alternatives to fossil fuel and hydro power. Coal is on the way out but the replacement for it at this time is natural gas.

It will be an interesting time this next 10 or so years, and I'm sure glad I live in bum-frick ND, where when the SHTF we can sit back and enjoy the show, for the most part. Some of you will not be so lucky.

 

[DMiller]

Glad I live Rural, can see for a few thousand feet, no freeloaders will make it across the fences.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

I think anyone in colder climates needs to really seriously think about it before going electric. Everything I read, indicates a electric snowplow truck would be a bad idea. Granted, if its a tax funded entity, that just means they need to up the taxes a little to pay for it- so the $$$ doesn't really matter.

40% of the average range once its below 0 F. Sounds like a lot of people on the side of the road with a dead battery in a snowstorm. And maybe the snowplow too.

View attachment 242033

That's nice in theory but in reality batteries namely Lithium Iron Phosphate LiFePO4 batteries which are used in such applications due their discharge rate of 1-25C won't be affected by the cold as that chart shows, some will some won't depends on who makes them. Reason I say this is Tesla batteries for example sit in a coolant solution that can be warmed up for adverse temperatures below so you aren't on the side of the road in snow storm. Many reasons they do this is they need to be above 32 degrees to be charged or damage can occur if your BMS (Battery management system) can't readjust current coming in based on temperatures and when they get too warm it cools them off.
Also don't know which battery system this chart is on as each battery type is affected by the cold differently on their capacity i.e. Pb (lead acid) would drop about 50% capacity at 32 degrees and LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) would be only 10%.
I never meant to fall into the world of electricity or batteries, EV,s and solar I just fell into it due to living off grid and EV's, PV systems all mesh together on same principals so one learns a lot if they can retain the information. Yes we have to do something to offset what we take from this planet and is this the answer, no, but it's the direction things are going just as the people who rode horse and buggy days were against automobiles. Truthfully they were right to do so, look where we are now.
As for those who think they can sit back and watch the show all I can say is you won't be for long. It's only time for someone invades this country for resources or the war parties start up raiding and looking for resources and claiming territory. Being further out is just buying time is all, I've seen in war torn countries time and time again.

 

[Truck Shop]

And what could be realized by this? Less demand for petroleum due to less vehicular traffic? Because high speed rail requires an energy source. Just asking the question...

What doesn't require a energy source? But instead of X amount of vehicles on the road with one or two people wouldn't it be better to move 600
at one time requiring a lot less fuel? If there was a high speed rail that ran from SW Wash to Seattle or Portland you could bet I would use it.

It will be an interesting time this next 10 or so years, and I'm sure glad I live in bum-frick ND, where when the SHTF we can sit back and enjoy the show, for the most part. Some of you will not be so lucky.

When the SHTF happens-don't fool yourself. Where do you think people will run to-rural america. Plus better stock up on all parts-three of everything
and any used junk laying around. You will be lucky to find fuel filters and the like.

 

[Truck Shop]

Read the facts folks.

https://simplicable.com/new/high-sp...nger kilometers with 1 kilowatt hour of power.

 

[Shimmy1]

When the SHTF happens-don't fool yourself. Where do you think people will run to-rural america. Plus better stock up on all parts-three of everything
and any used junk laying around. You will be lucky to find fuel filters and the like.

If SHTF, we won't be worrying about filters and parts because there won't be any fuel anyway. Hopefully it happens in the spring when the bulk tanks are full At least then we will have the summer to figure it out.

 

[Truck Shop]

Sorry it won't be that easy because things never happen at the correct time. John Steinbeck-Cannery Row, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men.

 

[Truck Shop]

U.S. population in 1929--121,767,000. -----today 331,000,000 plus.

 

[kshansen]

Read the facts folks.

https://simplicable.com/new/high-speed-rail#:~:text=Energy Efficiency High-speed rail typically uses less energy,passenger kilometers with 1 kilowatt hour of power.

Those are the kind of things I was thinking of but did not have the ability to put in word!

And no! They will not be able to replace cars or planes for every area but if used to replace where viable they could be a positive addition.

 

[crane operator]

. Many reasons they do this is they need to be above 32 degrees to be charged

So if you have a tesla, it has to be in a heated garage to charge it, if you live in northern climates? What if you live in a apartment complex with no garages? If/ when we get to fleet vehicles- do they all have to be inside also?

I haven't read up on the tesla's too much, but there aren't many in my area. I think So. Cal is probably a great location to try them out and get the bugs worked out, their climate is ideal for EV.

 

[DMiller]

Power company I retired from has several EVs in service testing to see if can be useful, according to the garage techs they are not. Had to put emergency charging stations at feeder substations so the users can recharge enough to get back to head quarters, that said the users have to remain with the vehicle and remain 'On the Clock' unproductive. Last winter was a cold bear at two facilities, the EVs in those sat as would not charge adequately under the shelter structures(Covered but exposed to temperatures) and reverted back to conventional machines.

Be better off to make Bio Gasoline and Diesel replacements than use batteries.