Interesting potential variant: trailers for hauling shipping containers. If the container is rapidly loaded/ unloaded from the trailer, the trailer can stay with the cab. Good for inter and intra port operations.
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Interesting potential variant: trailers for hauling shipping containers. If the container is rapidly loaded/ unloaded from the trailer, the trailer can stay with the cab. Good for inter and intra port operations.
I like innovation on the trailer side. Lots of unexpected potential. I was surprised by your en route postal sort idea. A way to generalize this is to recognize that with a stable electricity supply in a trailer en route processing may become an option. Of course, refrigeration and cement mixing have long been done en route, but other things perhaps.
Packing and sorting
Prepared food delivery
3D and other printing
Health care (beyond ambulances)
What else?
Alternatively, an autonomous self-propelled trailer could navigate intermodal terminals for loading with shipping container. Then the trailer goes to designated area to be yoked with a semi. This allows the port to operate really dense logistics on its own time, and then yoking with a semis happens as semis become available and in a certain priority order.
Anyone seen the movie Logan? Basically, it's just autonomous trailers driving around. (Ignore the part where they seem to completely ignore passenger vehicles)In the future with fully autonomous trucks I think just a long trailer with two skateboards could be simple. All-wheel steering. (my sketch, trailer for containers)
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Why not solar sail collectors which also take advantage of the wind, another solar phenomenon?
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
Reciprocity
Active Member
What the heck could that mean. The most recent info from debatable creditable sources is 200-300 miles of range. I'm guess at least 2 variations, one with larger battery and one with standard battery. I'm guessing that is where the 200-300 comes into play. 300 is a little light for long haul but if you could get to 300 at 80% then you have something you can charge in-route with an hour long meal break and something north of 800KWh charging, assuming a mega watt hour of total capacity for the long range version. It's like having extra battery but but for range, but for charging speed where no one every charges over 80% in the field. They could still charge to 100% overnight or while loading/unloading, but for the sake pass charging speed, never more then 1h of charging in route.
Having stated that.. 300 miles is perfect if you start a work day with 100% charge and charge once for 1 hour during a meal break. Follow the math: 300/65mph = 4.5+ hours. 300*80%/65mph = 3.5+ hours. Some buffer is on there for bad weather and hills. Ideally, you have a nice buffer below 0% and the real range is closer to 320-350 which would allow for weather and battery degradation. The next day you start with 100% again. Rinse and repeat for the full work week or well over 120k miles per year for a full time driver.
dhanson865
Well-Known Member
what are you talking about "en route" for? The quote was
The sort in that case happens at a building while the truck drives away. Nothing happens "en route" but the battery pack draining to make the vehicle move.
Now you could put an inverter in a trailer and supply power to the inside for some procedure but the person you quoted didn't suggest such a thing.
dhanson865
Well-Known Member
Stripper/Bar club car Semi
Gambling hall, card club, rolling casino Semi
Spy captured fake out room (camouflaged interior to match whatever room the victim thinks they are in) - while you drive them across the border...
But really you don't need Tesla do do any of these. I'm sure MI6 could have done this decades ago.
The air brake system will presumably needs to match existing semis to meet regulations. In particular, air brakes are normally on, and held off by compressed air. A smaller system would be less safe.
Regenerative braking replaces engine braking.
The photo of the probable Tesla semi on the lowboy suggests a lower than standard trailer height due to smaller wheel diameter. It is confusing how a lower trailer would work with typical docks.
dhanson865
Well-Known Member
Regen braking is stronger than engine braking in a max sense and on average in passenger vehicles. From reading Exhaust brake - Wikipedia it looks like semis can engine brake at a higher rate than cars do. 60% of the motor output is a higher ratio than what the Model S/X do.
But, the Tesla Semi will have multiple motors, bunches of them right? If it has 3 motors the regen will be strong, if it has more than 3 motors the regen will approach, meet, or exceed semi engine braking levels. Maybe that is why they went with bunches of motors. I didn't think it was needed for getting up to speed or keeping the truck going but maybe the extra motors are needed more for braking safety than anything else.
While holding breaks off with compressed air is there any leakage? If not, or if the leakage is minimal, the size of the system doesn't matter. If there is any leakage, it's OK so long as the on board compressor can put air into the system quicker than the leak the system works. If the system fails you have to service the vehicle no matter what.
So I'm not sure how the smaller system is less safe, if the fail safe is that no air is required. Less robust maybe. Less safe, I don't see that.
Whatever the case I'm sure the engineers will cover the need.
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The point of the air reserve is to allow for some leakage without stranding the truck. I don't see the upside of Tesla re-engineering existing air brake systems. They would take on the burden of re-validating a new system with insurers and regulators.
A customer benefit of a BEV semi is less brake wear. Beyond that aspect buyers would want the system they know.
It looks to me by the photo of Tesla semi that the tractor is designed to tow standard and custom (low) trailers. Standard trailers will need a standard air system.
I wonder if traditional semi tire size is a legacy design that allowed higher capacity and tire life in the early years of heavy trucks. It is understandable that Tesla wants to both reduce the frontal cross section as well as control air flow under their new semi.
A customer benefit of a BEV semi is less brake wear. Beyond that aspect buyers would want the system they know.
It looks to me by the photo of Tesla semi that the tractor is designed to tow standard and custom (low) trailers. Standard trailers will need a standard air system.
I wonder if traditional semi tire size is a legacy design that allowed higher capacity and tire life in the early years of heavy trucks. It is understandable that Tesla wants to both reduce the frontal cross section as well as control air flow under their new semi.
While looking at electric trucks, is anyone researching the most vulnerable name to go out first? I know the truck may be a few years away from release and the whole heavy duty trucks market may take a couple more years to really shake up.. but this market is not as widespread in terms of competition as the car business and you have navistar, Volvo, Daimler and a few big names.. and tons of specialized players who provide trailers to transmissions and may have over leveraged or have conservative executives..
I see Allison Transmission as a weaker link as EVs evolve for heavy duty trucking... Any thoughts?
I see Allison Transmission as a weaker link as EVs evolve for heavy duty trucking... Any thoughts?
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