Comments on: Electrified trailer cuts fuel consumption in semi-trucks by 36.3%

By: David Foster

David Foster — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 14:45:50 +0000

Financial benefit probably depends largely on route. If there are a lot of steep hill to go up & down, regenerative braking will have a good payback. Same thing if a lot of start-stop driving.

By: Bomag

Bomag — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 13:03:03 +0000

I’ll echo McChuck. They may be saving 36% of usual diesel fuel costs, but how much was the electricity? Plus all the externalities.

By: McChuck

McChuck — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:47:00 +0000

The article fails to mention the weight and price of the system. It does mention that the battery pack takes 10.5 hours to fully charge. What’s the cost of the electricity, and how will the payment system work? Where will the extra supply come from, since we’re dismantling generation capacity? Who is going to install the charging stations, and where will they be? How much weight can the trailer still carry, after adding in the batteries and motors? How explosive are these batteries? What is their performance in heat and cold? What is their performance at actual highway speeds?

By: Bob Sykes

Bob Sykes — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 01:25:14 +0000

Now that is a really good idea, assuming the costs of the trailer are offset by the increased fuel efficiency. Moreover, the fact that the trailer is self-propelled in yard operations looks to be a major improvement in yard operations.

Now, if we get some Huawei/5G/AI optimization, like China has, we might get some big cost reductions.