Interesting Video About Tesla Motors

[booboo]

Interesting Story About Tesla, and Elio Motors
https://theweeklydriver.com/2017/11/commentary-is-elon-musk-masking-teslas-troubles/

 

[johnsnownw]

Interesting Story About Tesla, and Elio Motors
https://theweeklydriver.com/2017/11/commentary-is-elon-musk-masking-teslas-troubles/

The truck and Roadster were under development LONG before the Model 3 woes. On top of that, Elon has maintained throughout Model 3 development that production was going to be difficult.

Both reveals were going to happen regardless of the Model 3. It's no doubt true that the awesomeness of both vehicles are capturing people's attention, however.

 

[Elio Amazed]

The Tesla semi certainly sounds good, but the fact that Elon did not take any questions at the reveal sends up red flags. What is he afraid of, questions that he doesn't want to answer? You would think he would want to talk about it. Strange behavior. He mentioned the mileage at 500 hauling 80,000 lbs, but how much of that is truck with battery and how much is payload? He also said how fast it would charge using megachargers. Again, no details. Some basic calculations show the semis to have about a 1 MW battery. The amount of current needed to charge these batteries is indeed "mega". It will be interesting to watch Tesla for the next few years.

Usually the max load weighs around 40,000lb. by state law and the ICE tractor trailer usually weighs in at around 37,000lb.

 

[Rob Croson]

I thought they said 80,000 payload.

Tractor/trailers top weight is 80,000 lbs, max. That includes the tractor and empty trailer, plus all the cargo. there are various schemes to get the weight a bit higher, such as extra axles. (You often see this on cement trucks and the like.) But you're talking a hell of a lot of extra axles to get to 80,000 lbs cargo. And then you end up with some weird arrangement that won't necessarily fit on all roads.

He also said how fast it would charge using megachargers. Again, no details. Some basic calculations show the semis to have about a 1 MW battery. The amount of current needed to charge these batteries is indeed "mega".

A 1MWh battery charging in an hour, using 480VAC, would pull just a hair over 2,000 amps. That assumes 100% efficient transfer/conversion/storage/etc. That is an insane amount of power. Enough to power almost 1,700 typical houses. (Average home power usage of 6kW, or about half of a typical 100 amp service.)

This is why I ignore nearly all of these "miracle battery" stories. I don't care how fast they can charge the batteries in some theoretical mega-charging facility. I don't have that much power available at my house, so those charge rates are unobtainable for me, and >99.99% of all home owners. You'd have to drive to a commercial facility to get them, paying exorbitant rates for the privilege of spending a not-insignificant amount of that charge just driving back and forth to the charging station. (The nearest DC Fast charger from my house is about 15 miles away.)

 

[johnsnownw]

Tractor/trailers top weight is 80,000 lbs, max. That includes the tractor and empty trailer, plus all the cargo. there are various schemes to get the weight a bit higher, such as extra axles. (You often see this on cement trucks and the like.) But you're talking a hell of a lot of extra axles to get to 80,000 lbs cargo. And then you end up with some weird arrangement that won't necessarily fit on all roads.


A 1MWh battery charging in an hour, using 480VAC, would pull just a hair over 2,000 amps. That assumes 100% efficient transfer/conversion/storage/etc. That is an insane amount of power. Enough to power almost 1,700 typical houses. (Average home power usage of 6kW, or about half of a typical 100 amp service.)

This is why I ignore nearly all of these "miracle battery" stories. I don't care how fast they can charge the batteries in some theoretical mega-charging facility. I don't have that much power available at my house, so those charge rates are unobtainable for me, and >99.99% of all home owners. You'd have to drive to a commercial facility to get them, paying exorbitant rates for the privilege of spending a not-insignificant amount of that charge just driving back and forth to the charging station. (The nearest DC Fast charger from my house is about 15 miles away.)

That's why Tesla's model is so great. The station costs are rolled into the vehicle for S/X owners, and relatively inexpensive for Model 3 owners. I believe I posted this before, but it costs $0.14/kWh at any SC in the state of MN. At the reveal, Elon said they would guarantee $0.07/kWh at the Megachargers.

 

[Donnyboy]

The truck looks great. What's the cost? That's the most important aspect for a trucker and the banker giving him the loan. And I really hope we don't see big rigs running on auto pilot! Sounds like a really bad idea. haha

 

[Johnny Acree]

This ex-trucker has some questions about the Tesla Semi
and
Watch this guy lose it during Tesla Roadster 0-to-60 test drive

 

[Elio Amazed]

And I really hope we don't see big rigs running on auto pilot!

Too late. It's already being worked on.

 

[Rickb]

If it's between meeting a vehicle on the road with a fully tested autopilot, I'd prefer an autopilot over a texting teenager or an adult texting like a teenager pilot any day......or a DUI offender.

 

[W. WIllie]

I wonder if the truck's computer has a "Failure to yield" mode?