Recent content by amosbatto

I would guess that the Semi needs to be able to handle lower voltage charging, so that every businesses which buys a Tesla Semi won't have to install an expensive 1000V charger. Big companies like Pepsi and FritoLay can afford to install Megachargers on their premises, but most small businesses...

Glad to see Here's an article about it without the paywall: https://www.bulktransporter.com/green-trends/article/21256094/schneider-ups-the-ante-on-freightliners-batteryelectric-trucks Which is the same as the Schneider press release...

Yes, I agree that I probably should separate the short haul and the long haul trucks. When I first wrote the article, I only compared the Semi with the three longest range models (Freightliner eCascadia, Nikola TRE and Volvo VNR Electric), so there were only long haul trucks in the list, but...

The other thing that Thunderf00t gets wrong is his calculation that the Tesla Semi is only carrying 5 or 6 tons of cargo in the 500 mile test from Sparks, NV to San Diego, CA. A diesel class 8 semi tractor typically weighs 17k or 18k lbs, but can get as high as 25k lbs. A trailer weighs between...

Engineering Explained basically validates the math for the Tesla Semi, but he shows that the Semi has just over the bare minimum of what is needed to achieve Tesla's claims, so I think that the Semi can do what Tesla claims, but it needs perfect conditions. Engineering Explained calculates that...

Thunderf00t makes a couple valid points, but some of his arguments are also hogwash in my opinion. It is true that FSD and convoy mode are not working as promised back in 2017 at the announcement of the Semi. It will probably be quite a few years before Tesla can deliver them. Thunderf00t...

I wrote this article on my blog: Why the Tesla Semi will transform the trucking industry in North America I did a couple calculations about how the Tesla Semi compares with competing electric class 8 trucks that will be sold in North America: I would be curious to know what people think of my...

I don't think that the standard Model 3 will be well designed to serve as an autonomous taxi. Taxis are designed to withstand a lot of abuse and they have to use better components than a standard car. You will need heftier doors and seat cushions that last longer and stronger seat covers (or...

In the supplemental material of Dunn et al (2014, p.10, http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/ee/c4/c4ee03029j/c4ee03029j1.pdf) they estimate that a pioneer battery assembly plant will consume 780 MJ per kg of NMC battery and the Nth plant operating at full capacity will consume 4.5 MJ / kg. Certainly...

I'm predicting that the Gigafactory will consume between 3,229 and 4,688 GWh of electricity per year (or between 367 and 535 MJ on average). The average capacity factor of utility scale PV solar in the US in 2016 was 0.2769. Looking through the EIA data for solar farms around Reno, Nevada...

This is analysis of the Nevada Gigafactory. As far as I know it is not planned to produce more than 105 GWh of cells and 150 GWh of battery packs per year. We need to do an analysis of each planned Gigafactory to check their feasibility in terms of onsite renewable energy, but at this point we...

I can't see any reason why Tesla would have negotiated to get $8 million in electricity rebates over 8 years if the company thought that the Gigafactory would be able to generate 100% of its own energy. I probably should explain my skepticism better in the article. I calculate that the...

Thanks for the link to the video. The Tesla employee leading the tour says that the casing for the cells will be made of steel, but most cells today use aluminum in the casing. Can anyone confirm that the casing will be made of steel? I'm planning on buying a NCR18650BE cell and weighing each...

"...will no longer be viable."

Extraction, transport and refining are included in the Argonne Nat. Lab's estimates for the GHG emissions for gasoline. You will get no argument from me about the unsustainability of gasoline and diesel, but the question is whether EVs are any more sustainable or whether we need to be looking...