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Holy yuan, Batman!
Geely Holding accelerates drive into commercial vehicles by becoming largest shareholder in truckmaker AB Volvo; $3.3B investment
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding), China’s leading privately-owned automotive group, will acquire Cevian Capital’s entire 8.2% share capital holding and 15.6% voting rights in AB Volvo, the leading Swedish manufacturer of trucks, buses, construction equipment, diesel engines, and mari...
The rust free coating is a big advantage for EVs which can have severe problems with rusted brake discs. Infrequent use of friction brakes due to superior regenerative braking often leads to rust on legacy brake discs.
Bosch subsidiary Buderus Guss introduces brake disc that generates up to 90% less brake dust
According to the Baden-Württemberg state environmental agency, brakes and tires are responsible for 32% of driving-related particulate emissions—roughly half of which is brake dust. Significantly reducing brake dust is therefore essential to improving the air, especially in cities. Now, the B...
If reports elsewhere are true (https://electrek.co/2017/11/16/tesla-semi-live-blog/) that the cost will be $200k to $250k, then the payback time versus diesel looks like at least 4 years at 100,000 miles per year (which is on the high side of average applications, which are under 70k miles per year). There are maybe other reasons to buy it, so missing the magic 3 year payback will not be fatal.
No mention of whether this is a day cab or a sleeper configuration, though it looks like the latter.
No mention of energy on board. Assuming 1000 kWh, they must have efficiency down to 2 kWh per mile, which is better than the usual 2.5 kWh per mile for diesel. I assume this is best case, good road conditions are moderate temperatures.
That would put charging rates north of 1 MW. That will be "fun". One plug or two? Or four? North of 1000 V? Time will tell...
OK, so not much technical detail but clearly this is going to take some time. That is to be expected.
With Proterra already putting 0.66 MWh on a transit bus, this should not be so surprising. Two years away seems reasonable. They have lots of work to do in the meantime. The vibration profile is going to be a challenge. The sonically welded fuse wires on the small cells might not survive vibration, so the battery tech might be drastically different compared to passenger cars.
Musk unveils Tesla Semi; 500-mile range at highway speed with 80,000 lbs GVW; next-gen Roadster appears
Emphasizing “BAMF” performance, Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Semi in an evening event. The sleek electric truck, with a 0.36 coefficient of drag (supported by intelligent flaps that support a range of trailers), will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds, charge up a 5% grade at 65 m...
Go go GSO!
Greensboro Transit Authority buying four Proterra electric buses; North Carolina’s first battery-electric public transit bus fleet
Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) is going forward with the purchase of four 40-foot Proterra electric buses this fall, setting in motion the potential to expand its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) fleet over the next four years. This new procurement represents a joint effort by GTA and Proterra t...
It does not sound like this should take long to commercialize, but not a word about that?
UT Austin team develops new family of high-capacity anode materials: Interdigitated Eutectic Alloys
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new family of anode materials that can double the charge capacity of lithium-ion battery anodes. The new family of anode materials, which the researchers dubbed the Interdigitated Eutectic Al...
Looks like Workhorse is getting some competition, although there is no range extender mentioned here. Chanje appears to be California based with some backing from Hong Kong? Nice to see things heat up in medium duty EV trucking, it is about time.
Ryder begins taking delivery of 125 Chanje electric vans
Ryder System, a leader in commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions, has started to take delivery of 125 Chanje medium-duty electric panel vans (earlier post), the first of their kind in North America, now available for lease or rent. These initial 125 E...
The discount for E15 is only 5 cents in my area.
More than 1,000 fuel stations offering E15 in US
Growth Energy announced that more than 1,000 fuel stations around the US are offering E15—a fuel with 15% ethanol—more than doubling the number of stations from the same time last year. E15 is cleaner and cooler burning fuel that works well for cars model 2001 and newer and typically saves up t...
Half a MWh, perhaps Tesla will offer 1 MWh? We will know soon.
I was expecting 400 hp continuous from Tesla Heavy and 800 hp peak, we will see.
Still, a good start from Cummins, it will sell.
Cummins to reveal battery-electric and range-extended-electric systems for transit buses
Cummins will reveal electrified power technology for transit bus applications at the APTA public transportation show opening in Atlanta on 9 October. Cummins will display a new powertrain, configurable for either a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a range extended electric vehicle (REEV) ...
Peter, if this is the same Westport HPDI technology (except that the reliability problems have been fixed?) then it is typical diesel SCR/DPF after treatment. But I don't know that, just guessing.
New Euro6 trucks from Volvo running on LNG offer the same performance as diesel, but with 20-100% lower CO₂ emissions
Volvo Trucks is now introducing Euro 6-compliant heavy duty trucks running on liquefied natural gas or biogas. The new trucks have the same performance, driveability and fuel consumption as Volvo’s diesel-powered models. Furthermore, the new trucks’ CO₂ emissions are 20–100% lower compared with...
If I read between the lines, I am guessing this means that Westport and their suppliers finally got the HPDI technology working?
Either that or Volvo Trucks is looking at spark ignited NG engines for heavy duty, which would be difficult to imagine. But what do I know..
Volvo Trucks intensifying development of LNG trucks for heavy regional and long-haul transport operations
Volvo Trucks is taking the position that by replacing diesel with liquefied natural gas or biogas, CO2 emissions from heavy trucks can be drastically reduced. Volvo Trucks is intensifying its development of gas-powered trucks for heavy regional and long-haul operations. Reducing climate-impacti...
SJC, if I read this correctly, the application is a bit different than what AC Propulsion did. Instead of driving the traction motor, the inverter mode is for operating loads in the body, perhaps such as air conditioning which can be substantial in a bus. But this is much smaller than what AC Propulsion did. Still, a good development. Renault is doing the larger scale bidirectional approach in the Zoe.
TM4 introduces a bi-directional charger inverter
In a strategic move to broaden its product offering, TM4 has introduced a new bi-directional charger inverter, the BCI20. TM4 developed this product in collaboration with Convertronix, a Québec-based company specialized in the design and manufacturing of power conversion equipment. The TM4 BCI2...
Drayage operations in the ports of LA and Long Beach have been reduced to about 7000 trucks, according to recent conversations I had there. They did it with pooling.
Keep in mind that the ports already require many cargo ships to "cold iron" (turn off their onboard diesel generators) while docked and power the ships from shore power. So they do have huge amounts of power available already.
Tractors do not necessarily stay connected to their trailers during loading and unloading. It is more common to drop the trailer at a loading dock and move on to the next trailer that needs to be moved. So charging may well happen elsewhere.
Cummins unveils electric Class 7 tractor; plans for “revolutionary” heavy-duty diesel in 2022
During an event at the Cummins Technical Center, Cummins unveiled its latest power solutions and energy-diverse products, displaying its near-zero natural gas engine technology (earlier post); super-efficient diesel engines (the X12 and X15, earlier post); and shared plans to introduce a “revol...
And not a word about regenerative braking.
Continental introduces new 48V eBike system
Leveraging its knowledge and advancements in 48V automotive technology, Continental is now introducing two 48V drive units to the electric bike market. The 48V Revolution is the first 48V-powered e-bike motor with a fully integrated stepless automatic transmission contained in an all-in-one dri...
People buy EVs because they are COOL. Most American's could not calculate total cost of ownership if you gave them a calculator and the equations. They care about fun and comfort or looking this way or that.
Burning stuff to move your sorry backside around is no longer cool, and it never will be again Get over it.
And prices? Who knows, those are almost as rigged as USA elections.
;)
The Next Oil Price Spike May Cripple The Industry
by Andreas de Vries and Dr. Salman Ghouri for Oilprice.com Two diametrically opposed views dominate the current debate about where the oil price is heading. On the one hand, there is the view that the price of oil will be “lower for longer”, or even “lower forever”, as the electrification of ...
I was just at the port recently. While everyone says it is much better than it used to be, it is still a very sooty place. Maybe that is mostly due to the refinery these days. CARB is doing a great job but there is a long long way to go.
California ARB fines BNSF and Union Pacific $1.25M over drayage truck violations
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) reached settlements with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) to resolve violations of the state’s drayage truck regulation, which requires cleanup of trucks servicing the state’s busy ports and int...
And who paid for that obviously bogus study? (No I did not read it, I only read good books.)
Minnesota B20 biodiesel standard to take effect in 2018
The state of Minnesota will implement a new biodiesel standard next spring, as Minnesota moves to a 20% biodiesel blend (B20) at pumps across the state. This new standard builds on Minnesota’s national leadership—in 2005, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to require all diesel fuel...
Are we talking about light duty only? Or also medium duty and heavy duty?
Lux Research: question is when--not if--a diesel ban will happen
Based on its analysis of government responses to the Volkswagen diesel scandal as well as to the ongoing publication of research highlighting the adverse effects of NOx and particulate matter on public health, Lux Research has concluded that the question is when—not if—a diesel ban will happen....
mahonj, I suspect they are using 48 V, do you think not?
Buick adding new eAssist mild hybrid to 2018 Buick LaCrosse as standard powertrain
The Buick LaCrosse is adding eAssist light electrification for the 2018 model. This new eAssist system, when coupled with the four-cylinder engine, has a 19% increase in city fuel economy compared to the LaCrosse’s advanced V-6 and leverages a compact lithium-ion battery pack to provide select ...
Many 48 V strat-stop applications appear to be moving to Lithium Ion, I suppose these guys think they can slow that trend...
Aqua Metals acquires Ebonex IPR and its bipolar ceramic lead-acid battery technology; less lead, lighter weight
Aqua Metals, which is commercializing a non-polluting electrochemical lead recycling technology called AquaRefining (earlier post), has acquired UK-based Ebonex IPR Limited for 123,776 shares of Aqua Metals common stock and $100,000 in cash. Ebonex is a pre-revenue IP-based company that has deve...
Stormy weather in Shortville, as Elon Tweeted. Stormy indeed.
Tesla deliveries set new quarterly delivery record in Q1; 25,000+ units
Tesla delivered just over 25,000 vehicles in Q1, of which approximately 13,450 were Model S (54%) and approx 11,550 (46%) were Model X. This was a new quarterly record for the company and represents a 69% increase over Q1 2016. Tesla’s delivery count is slightly conservative, as it only counts a...
Not a word about all-electric range, battery size, nor piston count? Maybe the vehicle specs are not final and this is just a facility announcement...
London Taxi opens £300M plant for range-extended EV taxis; announces second model, an LCV
The London Taxi Company (LTC) officially opened the UK’s first car plant dedicated solely to the production of range-extended electric vehicles. The new vehicle plant in Ansty, Coventry, will build the world’s first purpose-built, mass-market electric taxi. LTC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geel...
"a typical truck on the road ... gets around 5.8 mpg" but post 2010 tractors might get >7 mpg more often (can anyone help me out here? I don't drive them). And the test track numbers are usually more optimistic than real-world numbers.
Still we are seeing good progress in long-haul configurations, and the trailer skirts are becoming ubiquitous in some markets so the most cost-effective techniques are making it through to the fleet quickly.
Personally, I am more interested in short-haul, where regenerative braking can dramatically improve efficiency and reduce brake dust. Urban transit buses are seeing some market penetration of EVs, but we need short-term incentives for big-payback applications like urban EV refuse trucks. The market volumes are small compared to passenger cars, making it difficult to make big engineering changes without external "encouragement".
Lawrence Livermore Lab researchers significantly boost truck fuel efficiency through improved aerodynamics
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers, as part of a Navistar SuperTruck I team, helped design a new type of tractor trailer truck that improves fuel economy by 124%, compared to heavy vehicles on the road today. Seventy-four percent out of the 124% improvement comes from a...
Workhorse is already building triple digit quantities of UPS delivery vans with a similar drivetrain, except two wheel drive if I recall.
SCPPA signs letter of intent for 500 Workhorse W-15 4WD range-extended electric pickup trucks
Workhorse Group Inc. (WKHS), an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of battery-electric vehicles, received a Letter of Intent from Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) for 500 W-15 Plug-In Electric Pickup trucks. (Earlier post.) The Workhorse W-15 light duty platform design is a...
For long haul, it is all about the hills. This would help in the Alps, not so much in Nebraska.
Volvo Trucks testing long-haul hybrid powertrain in Concept Truck
With the Volvo Concept Truck, Volvo Trucks has developed its first hybrid vehicle designed for long-haul applications. In combination with the vehicle’s other improvements, the total reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 is around 30%. (Earlier post.) Volvo Trucks estimates that in long haul ...
There is almost no useful information there at all. Anode variant? We will see when SAE finally publishes it. This is just an abstract.
Ford researchers to present paper on fast-charging Li-ion batteries at SAE WCX
At the upcoming WCX 17: SAE World Congress Experience (the re-imagined SAE World Congress) in April, Xiao Yang and Ted Miller from Ford will present a paper on the fast recharge capability of Li-ion batteries and its effect on capacity degradation. Of note in the abstract: We find out that 5 Ah...
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