The new Tesla Roadster

[2o6]

2000 lb battery pack is its downforce.

No.

[Soup DeVille]

I thought they ran off a generator which ran off the engine?

Most have their own diesel generator.

[Soup DeVille]

Tesla clearly has little idea of the duty cycle of a typical long-haul rig.  They do very little stop and go out on the highway, meaning that there will be little regenerative braking unless they are in a hilly area with a lot of downhills.  Something like a local delivery truck/van (like a Sprinter or UPS van) would be far better suited to all-electric.

I've long said postal vans should be electric. It would be a huge contract to get too.

[Payman]

No.

Yes.

[MX793]

I thought they ran off a generator which ran off the engine?

Some do, some don't.  Diesel/electric hybrid reefer units for over the road tractor trailers are relatively new (I think Carrier introduced their's within the past 10 years or so) and wholly mechanical units are still being sold.  Most of what you see on the highway are likely older, entirely mechanical refrigeration units.  And the ones that do use electric compressors still have an onboard diesel engine to drive the generator (so that product can remain refrigerated while the trailer is sitting in a yard, detached from the truck or when the truck is parked for the night at a rest stop).

[CaminoRacer]

2000 lb battery pack is its downforce.

1. Downforce is only a small part of the aero package needed to go 250+
2. Too much downforce hurts top speed performance
3. Weight is not the same as downforce, added lbs have many other effects as well

[giant_mtb]

"Covers more miles in the same amount of time?"

How does that work? Truckers are almost always up against the speed limit or their own truck's speed limiter; and their hours of service are limited by law.

How the hell does making the truck electric make it faster?

And honestly; what asshole in their right mind wants a truck weighing 20,000 lbs empty to do 0-60 in 5 seconds?

Furreal.

[Payman]

No.

Downforce is only a small part of the aero package needed to go 250+.

Ok, we're long overdue for a sarcasm smiley. Jesus.

[CaminoRacer]

Tesla clearly has little idea of the duty cycle of a typical long-haul rig.  They do very little stop and go out on the highway, meaning that there will be little regenerative braking unless they are in a hilly area with a lot of downhills.  Something like a local delivery truck/van (like a Sprinter or UPS van) would be far better suited to all-electric.

Cummins' electric model will be for around-town hauls. Makes a lot more sense IMO. It can come home every night and charge.

[FoMoJo]

I've long said postal vans should be electric. It would be a huge contract to get too.

https://jalopnik.com/heres-the-secret-new-electric-u-s-postal-service-truck-1819339421

I recall when milk delivery trucks were electric; a bunch of car batteries.  This goes back to the '50s.  I also remember when they were motivated by horses.

[Payman]

School busses. They typically do under 20 miles a day with lots of stops.

[12,000 RPM]

1. Downforce is only a small part of the aero package needed to go 250+
2. Too much downforce hurts top speed performance
3. Weight is not the same as downforce, added lbs have many other effects as well

Sidebar, R35 GT-R engineer seriously tried to pass off its  BMW X3 curb weight as "downforce". I wish I was kidding.

[CaminoRacer]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-25/elon-musk-lied-about-performance-targets-new-tesla-roadster-semi-truck

[giant_mtb]

I just wish Tesla wasn't so full of shit.  They'd have a lot more fans if they were just straight-up instead of doing all this vaporware deposit fundraising bullshit.

[Soup DeVille]

I just wish Tesla wasn't so full of shit.  They'd have a lot more fans if they were just straight-up instead of doing all this vaporware deposit fundraising bullshit.

Not sure about that; GM is playing it straight, and delivering on what they promise; and nobody really cares.

[MX793]

I just wish Tesla wasn't so full of shit.  They'd have a lot more fans if they were just straight-up instead of doing all this vaporware deposit fundraising bullshit.

Read an article in which somebody did the math and found that at their current burn rate, unless Tesla can raise significantly more capital (like, by selling pre-orders for electric trucks and roadsters, or actually start building and selling Model 3s en mass), they will be complete broke within the next 12 months.

[giant_mtb]

Not sure about that; GM is playing it straight, and delivering on what they promise; and nobody really cares.

Sure, but GM sells more cars in a month than Tesla has sold in its entire existence.  Surviving on deposits and BS hype cycles can't and won't last forever in the automotive space.

[FoMoJo]

Not sure about that; GM is playing it straight, and delivering on what they promise; and nobody really cares.

Shiny new objects.

[Galaxy]

I've long said postal vans should be electric. It would be a huge contract to get too.

https://jalopnik.com/heres-the-secret-new-electric-u-s-postal-service-truck-1819339421

I recall when milk delivery trucks were electric; a bunch of car batteries.  This goes back to the '50s.  I also remember when they were motivated by horses.

The car industry has really dropped the ball here. The German post office was forced to build its own electric delivery vehicle, well actually they bought a startup firm. They now also sell this car to other customers.




Well, perhaps the postal industry has always been difficult for car companies. UPS of course also built it's own vehicle.


There is also a british company called Arrival which is building an electric delivery vehicle.







As for Tesla, the Roadster is a sharp looking little thing. What I also found interesting, which has not been talked about much, is the picture they showed of a potential Tesla pickup truck.



I think it looks gorgeous, not sure the F, Ram, Silverado crowd would like that though.

[giant_mtb]

As for Tesla, the Roadster is a sharp looking little thing. What I also found interesting, which has not been talked about much, is the picture they showed of a potential Tesla pickup truck.



I think it looks gorgeous, not sure the F, Ram, Silverado crowd would like that though.

Except nobody is cross shopping an F-series with a truck that can fit an F-series in its bed... lol

That's more like one of these...

[Soup DeVille]

The car industry has really dropped the ball here. The German post office was forced to build its own electric delivery vehicle, well actually they bought a startup firm. They now also sell this car to other customers.




Well, perhaps the postal industry has always been difficult for car companies. UPS of course also built it's own vehicle.


There is also a british company called Arrival which is building an electric delivery vehicle.







As for Tesla, the Roadster is a sharp looking little thing. What I also found interesting, which has not been talked about much, is the picture they showed of a potential Tesla pickup truck.



I think it looks gorgeous, not sure the F, Ram, Silverado crowd would like that though.

UPS contracted their vehicles, they don't actually build them.

[Galaxy]

UPS contracted their vehicles, they don't actually build them.

Okay, but they were built to their spec. One would think the car industry would have had something in petto considering the volume. How many thousands did UPS buy? They where not just used in N. America, they also deployed them in Europe.

[MrH]

Read an article in which somebody did the math and found that at their current burn rate, unless Tesla can raise significantly more capital (like, by selling pre-orders for electric trucks and roadsters, or actually start building and selling Model 3s en mass), they will be complete broke within the next 12 months.

Yeah, the rate they're going through money right now is incredible.  The infiniti world take over is nigh.  Tesla will crash and burn.  Some OEM will buy them up for cheap, and then the process will start.

[AutobahnSHO]

Yeah, the rate they're going through money right now is incredible.  The infiniti world take over is nigh.  Tesla will crash and burn.  Some OEM will buy them up for cheap, and then the process will start.

+1

[Soup DeVille]

Okay, but they were built to their spec. One would think the car industry would have had something in petto considering the volume. How many thousands did UPS buy? They where not just used in N. America, they also deployed them in Europe.

Which is why it's confusing to me;
They could of course specced an electric vehicle. Companies like General Dynamic have a lot of experience with electric vehicles; more than most people realize.

[AutobahnSHO]

Electric isn't viable in many cases. Our UPS guys drive 10miles just to get to base. Then deliveries everywhere. Then 10 miles back.

[Galaxy]

Electric isn't viable in many cases. Our UPS guys drive 10miles just to get to base. Then deliveries everywhere. Then 10 miles back.

In many cases they are though. UPS is converting 1,000 trucks to electric in New York City alone till 2020.

[CaminoRacer]

As long as they're noisy electrics. I get excited when I hear the UPS/Fedex truck coming down the street and know they have car parts for me.

[Soup DeVille]

Electric isn't viable in many cases. Our UPS guys drive 10miles just to get to base. Then deliveries everywhere. Then 10 miles back.

At low speed, stop and go and lots of chances for regen braking; on a limited shift and not 24 hour service. It's a pretty good candidate for an electric vehicle.

[565]

I think it looks gorgeous, not sure the F, Ram, Silverado crowd would like that though.

That thing seems awesome, especially if it runs 0-60 in 5 seconds and can tow a billion pounds like the semi truck.