Will Tesla build a clean gas generator specifically designed for the cybertruck?

[adiggs]

People are always coming up with these wild use cases where an EV wouldn't work for them... traveling thousands of miles at 100 mph with only 5 minute stops required and no electricity anywhere... etc. These are mostly made up to justify a pre-conceived opinion that the EV would never work for them. I don't think they are serious and I think it's a waste of time to try to explain to them that it could work. They don't seem to want to try to understand the proposed solutions to their "dilemma".
To me, if I did want to go hunting in the CT, I'd just get the solar panel option and you could stay out forever and avoid the zombie apocalypse.

Yes they are. And I've talked to many of them.

One of the hard things about paradigm shifts - I've never had success talking somebody through one. They (I) need(ed) to experience the shift for themselves.


I still prefer to answer questions seriously rather than presuming a particular outlook (or ignore questions when I think somebody isn't seriously wrestling with a difficult situation - just ginning up an excuse rather than trying to understand solutions).

 

[mswlogo]

Highly doubtful. And if you got the 500 miles range one. I think you'd be safe with 150 miles in and 150 miles out with some safety buffer for the cold (maybe).

There are plans to offer a Solar Panel (bed cover) that can charge ~15 miles a day. That's not much but if you're camped out for a week it could add 100 miles. But that is probably full sun in the summer. If you hunt in the winter it might be 1/2 that. And snowing, you're screwed. It's a start. I heard they might consider fold out solar wings for more watts.

There are Propane Generators now that burn pretty clean and quiet. But it would take quite a bit of propane fuel (20 gallons?) to add say add 200 miles to a cybertruck. And a fair amount of time depending on size of generator 12hrs? It's ugly but doable.

 

[mswlogo]

Or the solar panel option.

What if it's snowing?

 

[mspohr]

What if it's snowing?

What if the zombies are spread out over all of your solar panels and they are covered in blood and you can't lure them away with fake meat sausages?

 

[geoffmanley]

What if the zombies are spread out over all of your solar panels and they are covered in blood and you can't lure them away with fake meat sausages?

That's a head scratcher. No help here.

 

[keeney]

You could tow one of these around.
This one off the trailer would also almost fit in the bed with the tailgate down. 91" long x 2200 lbs.
27kw, so not super-fast charging, but would get by in a pinch.

Can a Tesla charge while you are driving it?

 

[MarcusMaximus]

You could tow one of these around.
This one off the trailer would also almost fit in the bed with the tailgate down. 91" long x 2200 lbs.
27kw, so not super-fast charging, but would get by in a pinch.

Can a Tesla charge while you are driving it?

No, it cannot

(One way around the 30 minute limit on A/C before they added “Keep Climate On”/Dog Mode was putting the car in neutral with the parking brake on, and this was sometimes used as a camping mode. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t allow you to do that when plugged in, because the car couldn’t be in anything but park)

 

[Blup85]

Can a Tesla charge while you are driving it?

Better yet, will it charge from the solar vault cover while driving?

 

[ZsoZso]

No, the 500 mile version will still not work even with slow speeds. not only is it very cold way below freezing, and 2 feet of snow, but he will also need to load the truck up with 3500 pounds of meat from the hunt and tow a 10,000 pound camper, so obviously the range will be too low.

And if you think you can come up with some clever trick to extend the range more (e.g. solar panels), there will always be more conditions coming up, e.g. the hunting site being beyond the arctic circle, so it is dark all winter, no sun to use solar panels. Plus, it may turn out that the whole trip is 15+ degree uphill -- in both directions, there and back!

There is just no way an EV can be suitable replacement for a diesel truck for all cases

 

[Webeevdrivers]

Snag a 10 or 12 kw Onan quiet diesel generator that has been salvaged from a Motorhome. It has to be at least that big or it is only a 120 volt output. They burn about 1/2 gallon of fuel per hour at 50 percent load. Bring 20 gallons of fuel with you and you have a portable 250 kWh of battery capacity.

For what it’s worth we have tried with success charging our EV from our onan diesel. Just a test but it worked.

 

[Watts 4 Me]

I never understood why people always want Elon to solve or invent something to fit their own specific dilemma in order to buy his product.

This is my opinion to solve your situation.
Since you only hunt once a year. You could rent a diesel truck for that time frame.

 

[bruce4000]

Agree, rent a ice truck if only once a year. You must be going to the extreme SE corner of Oregon which is truly one of the most remote places in the lower 48. On the other hand, with the Canadian and North Dakota highways getting finished soon, I would expect the Burns and other Oregon SC to get worked next year which should help.

 

[JBee]

There are very many locations outside the USA where a solution is required. The OP question, and request is valid. Although I'd agree renting a truck for the trip would be an option, it's very unlikely it would be insured as that is not covered when vehicles leave sealed roads. Further it wouldn't be possible to setup camping or hunting gear in a rental.

In particular an overlanding option for Australia would be necessary as there is great interest in the CT but the range is most definitely and issue, given the current state of our SC network. A trailered generator, or even better a hybrid driven trailer would help here as it's unlikely batteries will be available in the next 10 or more years to do multi-1000km trips without charging. (even refueling a ICE is sometimes 6-700km). These are not "scenarios" that have been fabricated to point out the limitations of EVs these are real world. The USA is not the only country, nor the most populous, nor the largest market.

In regards to the battery heating it's important to note that the battery capacity diminishes with lower temperature, meaning you actually get more range by "wasting" energy on heating it. I'm not sure why more insulation is used in colder regions, as heat can be stored if you don't let it "leak". This obviously means you need a dedicated cooling system for the total thermal load when warm outside. Another thing is thermal double glass (or at least insulated magnetic covers) and insulation for the interior panels whilst using it in camping mode.

Ideally one would use a DC generator, as they are smaller and more efficient, but this sort of depends if the CT will have a decent AC charger or bi-directional inverter/charger to supply 240V as well. It's definitely not possible to make a hybrid, or Tesla generator with a few hundred dollars anyway.

 

[Electruck]

I am interested in the cyber truck. However, I hunt in remote parts of Oregon. No charging stations, nor any electric grid within 150miles of the area. If you spent a week or two in the woods that cyber truck would become a paper weight. I currently use a diesel truck and I carry 30 gallons of extra fuel. I don't always need it... But, this year there was 2ft of snow and it was treacherous. I used every drop of gas. It took us two days to get from the bottom and edge of the forest to our hunting camp (16hrs of driving). Usually takes us one hour... It is exactly those situations that give me pause.. I've read that even sitting a Tesla can loose charge, especially in 10 below zero weather.

Why would you put gas into a diesel?