Are we ready for this?

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Since Jasin is backing off a little from his infamous videos, I'll step up and post this video about pallet jacks and elevators.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/...eb2x&context=3

Thanks for picking up the slack my friend!

[dutchmensport]

Hey! New thought on this topic..... when "they" FINALLY make flying cars available to the public, will they be all battery powered to? And what happens when the battery runs out of power and you are up in the air and all the runways are booked solid! .... Hey, I'm just looking into the future!

[dutchmensport]

Originally Posted by jasin1

I wouldn’t mind having an older electric car to putt around in in my neighborhood....

Those cars already exist. They are called "Golf Carts!"

[wiredgeorge]

Am I the only one that HATES everyone with an opinion differing from my own? What were we talking about again?

[dutchmensport]

So, in reference to my post directly above this one, isn't that all electric cars are, nothing more than glorified golf carts, that run just a little faster? Think about it!

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Am I the only one that HATES everyone with an opinion differing from my own? What were we talking about again?

Lol some of the threads are like hitting a golf ball into small building…can go a number of different directions in a split second

[nitrohorse]

I worked for a major trucking company based in Omaha, NE for 20 years. I was a manager during that time. The company was knee deep into LP and eventually electric powered class 8 vehicles. The company received some government funding to facilitate their use as a practical testing platform. The test vehicles were used either as local (trip starts and ends at the same terminal) and short haul trips. Both LP and electric trucks performed well.
The commonality between the two different methods of propulsion was the lack of infrastructure. I have been gone from the industry since 2018, so whatever progress was made on that front is unknown to me. I do remember that many discussions of what direction the company would go in their next generation class 8 truck was driven by the belief that the government was looking to faze out commercial diesel powered trucks. I remember thinking that once the commercial diesel truck market fell, it would be the beginning of the end for diesel powered personal vehicles as well.

[skmct]

I wonder if thors self powered fithwheeh will be self parking.

[nitrohorse]

Originally Posted by skmct

I wonder if thors self powered fithwheeh will be self parking.

Tesla was developing an autonomous class 8 EV. Of course the logistics industry was thrill about the concept. No drivers required in an industry that back in 2018 was over 170,000 driver short.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by DAMILLER_SR

As for running out of electric power in the middle of nowhere, I'm sure we will come up with the same answers for people to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere.

"Your road service coverage doesn't have anybody who services that stretch of highway?"

[Badbart56]

And just how long does it take a Honda gas powered generator to charge up a Tesla on the side of the road? Or can you bring me a couple of gallons of electricity?! Ha!!

Class 8 electric truck? I just can't see it happening anytime soon. I team drive and we knock down about 1000-1200 miles in a 24 hour period. Pretty sure that would be impossible with an EV.

[DAMILLER_SR]

Gee I don't know, what if somebody invented a battery that you can bring out and plug in and the vehicle just drives off. Yep, a process like that could take tens of minutes.
By the way, that's a system I saw at a convention 2 years ago, that Honda already has in mind.

[sourdough]

^^^That will be interesting to see; "just bring out and plug in and the vehicle drives off"?? Is that a skid loader shuffling that thing out there and dropping it in or maybe something the size of a 12v battery that gets them to the edge of the parking lot before it dies.....

[DAMILLER_SR]

Originally Posted by sourdough

^^^That will be interesting to see; "just bring out and plug in and the vehicle drives off"?? Is that a skid loader shuffling that thing out there and dropping it in or maybe something the size of a 12v battery that gets them to the edge of the parking lot before it dies.....

Somehow I think that if you're smart enough to create a tow truck that can carry a car, you can add on an apparatus that will also carry a very heavy battery, like say a winch. But I'm no engineer I'm just do trying to think things through before they become a true emergency
I guess where others see problems, I see revenue streams and long-term opportunities.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by DAMILLER_SR

Somehow I think that if you're smart enough to create a tow truck that can carry a car, you can add on an apparatus that will also carry a very heavy battery, like say a winch. But I'm no engineer I'm just do trying to think things through before they become a true emergency
I guess where others see problems, I see revenue streams and long-term opportunities.

The problem is the size not just the weight of the battery. On EVs the battery is basically the chassis and floorpan for the car. Replacing it requires basically removing the body of the car from the battery. Ideas are great, engineers turn ideas into reality. The reality is that batteries just aren't at the development stage to be replaced in a quick, practical manner.

[DAMILLER_SR]

Originally Posted by flybouy

The reality is that batteries just aren't at the development stage to be replaced in a quick, practical manner.

YET!
I don't own and EV right now, but the ones that I rode in gave you plenty of warnings as well as showed you where to recharge before things went to crap. I can't foresee that the amount of information available would be lessened.
Of course I also believe in the adage, as soon as you make something foolproof, the world invents better fools.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by DAMILLER_SR

YET!
I don't own and EV right now, but the ones that I rode in gave you plenty of warnings as well as showed you where to recharge before things went to crap. I can't foresee that the amount of information available would be lessened.
Of course I also believe in the adage, as soon as you make something foolproof, the world invents better fools.

I didn’t say wouldn't be ready in the future, stating that they aren't AT the point is a present tense term. The "fuel guage"? Well I don't blindly beleive in them either. Ask any pilot or boat captian and you'll get the same answer on the use of fuel guages. Don't trust them. Always know your rate of of fuel burn (reguardless of the fuel) and confirm what the guage is indicating.

I'll bet if you ask the "average" EV owner how long will the battery last if you are setting still with the heater or the air-conditioning running you'll get a blank stare back. The issue is the unforseen. That cute display may tell you that there's 50 miles range left but stop in traffic for a couple hours and see how that dissapears. I agree that SOMEDAY they will become viable but for today no. Unless you have the enormous funds of NASA to obtain the batteries, solar chargers, or nuclear reactors that they use an EV just doesn’t have the practicality of the fossil fueled internal cumbustion engine.

You can have all the infastructure in the world, a charging station on every corner, that doesn’t solve the most critical issue, time. Time is the one commodity that's always running out. The value of time increases with time. Utilizing time is the very reason for the sucess of things like microwave ovens, washing machines, fast food restaurants, home delivery, streaming services, etc. Ask any muscle car owner of a 1960's era car if range prevented their use of the car. It wasn't uncommon to have a 12-16 gallon tank and get less than 10 mpg. It was an inconvenience, it was expensive, but it only takes a minute or less to pump that much gas.

So CURRENTLY, CURRENTLY, let's say you get in your EV and head out to work and a few miles away from home you realize the car isn't charged for whatever reason. You thank your government for spending your hard earned money and building that nearby charging station. You stop, plug in, and then what? We can all arm chair postulate and "but, but, what if, they need to" untill the cows come home but the fact is it isn't ready yet. If it were, beleive me it would be marketed and sold. EV have been around for well over a 100 years. Now, as they were then, they are only practical for short trips with lots of time needed to recharge or as a novelty.

So while we can talk about it, dream about it, "see the potential opportunity ", whatever that won't change it. There are currentlymany, many companies with PhD physicist, engineers, and scientists working on a solution because it means a huge payoff for the breakthru. While battery storage capacity has come a long way I think the "finish line" has yet to become visible.

[Northofu1]

The only finish line is death. It doesn't stop us from trying to find alternate ways to live and travel.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Northofu1

The only finish line is death. It doesn't stop us from trying to find alternate ways to live and travel.

Death is a personal finish line, most things for outlive us mere mortals.

[DAMILLER_SR]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I didn’t say wouldn't be ready in the future, stating that they aren't AT the point is a present tense term. The "fuel gauge"? Well I don't blindly believe in them either. Ask any pilot or boat captain and you'll get the same answer on the use of fuel gauges. Don't trust them. Always know your rate of of fuel burn (regardless of the fuel) and confirm what the gauge is indicating.
TRUNCATED
So while we can talk about it, dream about it, "see the potential opportunity ", whatever that won't change it. There are currently many, many companies with PhD physicist, engineers, and scientists working on a solution because it means a huge payoff for the breakthrough. While battery storage capacity has come a long way I think the "finish line" has yet to become visible.

I am not implying that you said said anything different. However, a couple of points. Being in the "Air or open sea" has very different consequences than running out of fuel on the road. Having run my Jet Ski and Drone out of fuel on multiple occasions is my reference point. MY truck has an extra 6 gallons of fuel in the tank when reading empty, my point is, you are right, folks will learn their fuel gauges and the reliability they have.
As I hear about the shortage of Commercial Truck drivers, and like many on here, my observation is that EV is a partial solution. My limited observation is that the profession is getting older.
On another note, I guess if things go to crap on the road, thank goodness for AAA.