OT: How the electric car revolution could backfire

Yeah, I showed that to the Mrs while we were out walking the other day from the footbridge.

True ... except the truck in the link seemed to have a double width 'shoe'(?) on the pantograph?

Quite, and why this new system would have to be cheaper than the alternatives. Road tolls anyone? ;-(

Well, 'rules are made to be broken' so snapping seems better than bending to that effect. ;-)

I've never seen that as a reliable way of going cleanly but maybe that's not the goal?

I bet. ;-(

No fun.

Quite ... and at least you know the trailer is stable at high speeds now. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

I wonder if this 'brave new world' will see us dealing with this sort of thing in a different way? Heated / cooled suits (as on Motorcycles / spacesuits) rather than Climate control where you try to have two different temperatures in the same space? ;-(

We have seen what is basically 'transport' evolve to become an extension of our homes (well better than most homes in the UK as few have aircon) with all the home comforts, effectively isolating us (often including 'feel' of the road and certainly smells and sounds) of the world we are traveling though. This is something any pedestrian, cyclist, horse rider or even motorcyclist (not so much the 'power rangers' or Goldwing riders) can attest. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

They've been suggesting switching home heating from gas to electric for some time. How we will be able to afford to heat our homes that way with the relative costs I don't know.

SteveW

One of the reasons for driving a car rather than using a motorbike is that I can get in and out without having to put layers of clothing on and off. Not only is it timewasting, but not fun next to the car on a rainy day. I also can't stand the constriction of extra layers of clothes when I am driving - I can't stand them in day to day life either and people frequently comment about me wearing a tee-shirt and no coat mid-winter when I am only outside for 5 minutes or so.

SteveW

It was only a 5' x 3' trailer, with quite a lot of heavy stuff and carefully loaded, so I had no doubts about its stability.

I am not so sure that the police would have agreed if they'd caught me doing 90 on the motorway.

SteveW

To be truly green we shouldn't exist.

"....... underground and the batteries issued on a lift, like an aircraft carrier)"

Before the dream is realised the battery tech should improve to assure a safe, fire safe storage and viable. A very long road ahead indeed?!

My point though was that any doubts you may have had (and I have questions about just how any of my many trailers might behave behind different vehicles and under different conditions), until you have 'tested' them as such. ;-)

Quite ...

My 1/2 tonne goods trailer was generally very well behaved even when carrying all sorts of loads (the last being daughters 600cc Suzuki bandit). The one (and only) time it wasn't (in the 40 years I've been using it since I built it) was when a mate had added a large lump of concrete right at the back, unbeknown to me. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

With heat pumps I assume. Then people will use them to cool their homes in the summer which will require extra energy.

Quite, but the idea was that a specialised handling system would have all the relevant protection built in.

Quite. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

And you are certain they won't in 20 years time?

If the intention is to go all electric in 20 years time, refuelling such cars is going to have to be as convenient as refuelling a car today? You may well be able to refuel a petrol car quickly - but that still depends on having a filling station where you need it.

There are other videos out there of the experimental set up, Unlike the pantographs on rail vehicles the ones on the truck are not on fixed mountings and have a degree of side to side movement , this movement is a controlled by a device which I don't know if it is optical or a lazer whch senses the position of the wire and steers them to an extent to track it . obviously if the vehicle deviates too far then do guidance is not going to be effective and the pantographs drop and the normal engine starts. I would think the designers will have allowed some random movement to avoid wearing grooves in the contact strips. Putting pantographs on trucks isn't completly new , less sophisticated ones have been used on some hybrid quarry trucks for some time.

G.Harman

Or Motor homes will get very popular,the propulsion may be electric but you could have a wood burning stove in the back.

G.Harman

So how come it doesn't happen now? What's the difference?

So people who live in towns never go out of the towns? How peculiar.

What utter bollocks.

Bill

With the long range, backup can and rapid refilling, you can easily refuel a petrol or diesel car at some point on the journey and anyway carry enough fuel for the whole journey, so location is not a real problem.

The normal work commute means a fill up at weekend and not again 'til the next weekend or even longer for many. An electric vehicle will need charging at some point inbetween.

Electric vehicles rely on finding a charger that is not already occupied rather than a few minutes wait for a pump to become free at a petrol station.

Charging at home will be difficult if not impossible for many, stopping en-route to work adding a huge delay. Arrive at work and all the parking places may be taken (there have been fewer than needed at most of the places where I have worked) and you can't charge there.

SteveW

Dunno but the new builds here are all air source heat pumps 'oil not allowed' any more apperently.

Or so the builder said...

It is, but its largely true.

The key aspect of tangling is the pantograph horns (the curved edges) not rising above the wire. Interesting to see the pantograph actively aligning with the overhead, I wonder if that is another potential weakness if it gets it wrong.

I agree that the arm is not in the intuitively optimum direction, but I guess this is because they need to keep the assembly above the tractor unit. The actual pantograph head will have a degree of independent movement.

I think they are probably developed from the off-road systems used in some mines:

Chris