Focus Electric tech becomes a big 18-Wheeler Truck!

[electrons]

https://globenewswire.com/news-rele...-Electric-Interstate-Trucking-in-the-USA.html

I was stunned when I saw this. Same technology thats in our Focus Electric, becomes an 18-wheeler type truck for interstate travel. Must take a huge amount of kW to charge it, for sure the DC fast charge option used to get it restored each night after its 400-mile route run.

We are entering a new era in trucking. Less and less belching diesel, gradually happening.

 

[jmueller065]

Doing it in Europe as well:
http://cleantechnica.com/2016/05/09/e-force-develops-18-ton-electric-truck-300km-range/

 

[electrons]

I'm surprised heavy Class 8 trucks like that would go all-electric.
Always expected more of something like http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/129019/Locomotive_Technology_to_Power_Class_8_Heavy_Trucks becoming the norm, or maybe the Honda Accord's series+parallel hybrid arrangement which eliminates complicated and heavy gearboxes.

(The Accord hybrid's arrangement is cleverly simple, acting as a series hybrid for low speeds, and a parallel hybrid for high speeds, with only one clutch, ........ and an over the road trucker could reap the benefits of a diesel operating efficiently at high cruising speeds, while allowing the series hybrid electric motors to work at low speeds (traffic, in-town, etc.), just like the Accord's.) Optimizes the high-speed and low-speed regimes outlined in http://articles.sae.org/11853/

Car and Driver's Accord hybrid diagram (note one automatic synchro-clutch makes it a parallel if engaged):

 

[electrons]

Doing it in Europe as well:
http://cleantechnica.com/2016/05/09/e-force-develops-18-ton-electric-truck-300km-range/

No, Europe is behind, despite what that article mistakenly says. Your article was for a 36,000 lb truck, and the subject of this thread is a full Class 8 80,0000 lb truck, over twice the mass.

I don't see how the cost can be low enough when considering an all-electric, Class 6 or Class 8 for that matter.
We'll see if they can make it feasible.

 

[electrons]

The more I look into it, the more it appears this is a fraud. I don't know what's going on, like maybe they want to issue false press releases and get investor money and then run?

Running basic numbers: We Focus Electric drivers need about 30kWH to go 100 miles, and 120kWH to go the 400 miles claimed by this press release. Now, the big truck weighs 20 times as much as our Focus Electric. Given the truck's CD is probably much worse than our Focus's CD (very blunt rear end), say give the truck the same CD to "help" the claims! Frontal area of the big-rig truck is probably 5 times our Focus's area, so a lot of wind drag.
Maybe something like 700 kWH in a battery set would be needed, at a cost of $100,000 or so in batteries alone.
I guess it's possible, but this story just seems too weird AND the company too unavailable and dodgy.

 

[electrons]

THIS one looks like it's for real. Its a series hybrid semi truck, using a turbine engine to keep 320 kWH batteries charged up as you drive.
Maybe a year away from the roads.

Maybe something like 700 kWH in a battery set would be needed, at a cost of $100,000 or so in batteries alone.

l
Back to my previous statement, I meant 700 kWH to go 400 miles in a semi. This Nikola red truck has 320 kWH, so I estimate it would get you about 200 miles or so on a charge, then the gas turbine would need to continuously run steady, maybe kicking in when you're down to 20% useful charge left and turning off once in a while. I think Nikola claims a 1,200 mile range with turbine engine fueled up and an overnight charge. Hope it makes it to market!