Baby steps but for those hoping for an "Electric Pusher" the technology seems to be getting closer. I would be interested in seeing maintenance reports on this type of machinery in 5 years. I suspect there will be a steep learning curve...and probably pricey. It will be interesting to see how the maintenance and repair industries develop and adapt over the next 10 to 20 years. Even automotive parts stores. What would they stock for electric vehicles. I suppose shocks and springs will still need changing but even brakes don't wear out fast as regenerative braking does most of the braking etc. The drive units are small and sealed. No transmission, plugs, hoses, filters, lubricants, oil, antifreeze. In eighteen months all I have done is add washer fluid to one of our electric vehicles although I suppose I'll have to change the wipers in a few years. I suspect heavy equipment like as seen in the article though will have a lot more stuff going on...and so would an "Electric pusher" Interesting stuff though.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/first-electric-mine-goldcorp-chapleau-site-1.3873711

I have little hope that I will see this technology in my lifetime. When I was growing up in the 80's Popular Science and other magazines had all the electric cars showing there... battery technology is so much more advanced now, yet longevity of the batteries is still the main issue along with price.Isn't the cost of disposal higher for lithium than lead-acid? And lithium is relatively rare, although I will admit that we should have enough for 350 years at current production rates.Also in the article, it's not mentioned how the company will get the electricity. I'm assuming since it's in Canada it's hydroelectric, but there are still a ton of coal plants in the US and people still don't like nuclear power plants.

MNGeeks61 wrote:I have little hope that I will see this technology in my lifetime. When I was growing up in the 80's Popular Science and other magazines had all the electric cars showing there... battery technology is so much more advanced now, yet longevity of the batteries is still the main issue along with price.Isn't the cost of disposal higher for lithium than lead-acid? And lithium is relatively rare, although I will admit that we should have enough for 350 years at current production rates.Also in the article, it's not mentioned how the company will get the electricity. I'm assuming since it's in Canada it's hydroelectric, but there are still a ton of coal plants in the US and people still don't like nuclear power plants.All good points. But twenty years comes and goes pretty quick and on like 5 years ago pretty much every manufacturer is now on board with the technology. And like you say, depending on the country more or less power comes from coal. But coal has been in continuous decline for a couple decades now. Canada will have no coal power by 2030 and many European countries have earlier deadlines than that. There are a few European countries that have 2025 and 2026 set for the final year you can buy am internal combustion engine. I would think that heavy equipment comes with some special challenges though in terms of energy. In north America electric vehicles also have more challenges than europe because of the distance we travel. We also don't have modern cross country public transportation like they do in Europe. Our trains are all 1960's era technology and lumber along at a blistering 60 mph while the 200 mph plus trains in europe are a comfortable alternative. Many in europe simply won't take their personal vehicle if they have to travel more than 150 KM..they take the train. This is why manufacturers are all planning a variety of battery pack sizes for their cars depending on the market they will be sold in. Big battery packs just like big gas tanks will be King in North America. Having said that depending on the person, many won't need more than 150 KM of range. I know we don't.

It will be here before you know it- it virtually has to be, if we have the slightest hope of still having a civilization a hundred years from now.Tomorrow Nikola Motors is set to unveil their new hydrogen/electric semi tractor- 100 percent ZERO EMISSIONSHYDROGEN POWERED800 - 1,200 MILES RANGE15 MINUTE REFILL TIMENEVER PLUG IN100 percent ELECTRIC DRIVETHE END OF DIESEL ENGINES1/2 THE OPERATING COST COMPARED TO DIESEL2,000 FT. LBS TORQUE1,000 HORSEPOWER320 kWh BATTERY1 MILLION MILES FREE* HYDROGEN FUELREGENERATIVE BRAKINGhttps://nikolamotor.com/

Powerful electric drivetrains have been around and proven for many years. Think diesel electric locomotives where the diesel only provides electric power. The only thing holding back powerful electric driven equipment to the typical consumer is batteries. The availability of high voltage/high current and yet lightweight batteries is still being developed.

Some very large equipment has been all electric for over 60 years.Do a google on the Big Muskie. One of the largest Drag Lines ever made.I was an Electrical Engineer for General Electric and had the pleasure to work on that beast back in the 70's.

Heavy equipment going electric instead of diesel.

46 Replies

time2roll
Nomad
Dec 03, 2016
TyroneandGladys wrote:
Just a simple country boy here and I have a question on electric vehicles. If everyone switched over to electric how would people in some areas of the country charge them considering that right now during high demand days some areas of our country have had rolling blackouts and brownouts. It would seem to me if everyone in those areas started charging eclectic vehicles daily then every day would become a high demand days and the current high demand days would go off the chart.
Yes charge at night.

BTW how do you fill a gasoline vehicle when the electric power goes out?
OK a few service stations have generators but not many.
John___Angela
Explorer
Dec 03, 2016
TyroneandGladys wrote:
Just a simple country boy here and I have a question on electric vehicles. If everyone switched over to electric how would people in some areas of the country charge them considering that right now during high demand days some areas of our country have had rolling blackouts and brownouts. It would seem to me if everyone in those areas started charging eclectic vehicles daily then every day would become a high demand days and the current high demand days would go off the chart.

Good morning. I can't speak to your area of the world as I don't know which country or continent you are on but it will depend on the area you live in. We live in a province that has a large surplus capacity of power. The power company has calculated that the average north american electric vehicle household uses the equivalent of a household electric water heater over the year.

Re timing. Most of us just plug the car in when we get home but the timer in the car is set so that it charges during off peak hours. OUr EVSE is in our garage and it is only a single garage so we alternate the vehicles. Each one gets charged twice a week. We program them to only charge to 80 to 90 percent as it is easier on the battery. If we know we are going on a longer trip we charge to 100 percent. The one car has DCFC (Direct current fast charge) so we can use a commercial fast charger in a pinch. We do use community level two chargers (malls, stores, shopping areas, usually free) but 80 percent of our charging is done at home at night using our own EVSE. (Electric vehicle supply equipment)

Hope that helps.
bob_nestor
Explorer III
Dec 03, 2016
Chris Bryant wrote:
Really truly check out the link I gave- they are introducing their tractor tomorrow. Uses a hydrogen fuel cell giving around a thousand mile range, with 15 minute fillup. 1,000 HP (software limited due to tire limitations), 2,000 ft/lb torque. Zero emissions.
They have like $2B (as in billion) in preorders.
https://nikolamotor.com/

To me at least, the exciting part of this is their plan to build hydrogen refueling stations all over the country that will be available for cars to use as well as trucks. The two things holding back hydrogen powered vehicles are lack of refueling facilities and safe high density storage, but a lot of progress has been made on that already.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Dec 03, 2016
TyroneandGladys wrote:
Just a simple country boy here and I have a question on electric vehicles. If everyone switched over to electric how would people in some areas of the country charge them considering that right now during high demand days some areas of our country have had rolling blackouts and brownouts. It would seem to me if everyone in those areas started charging eclectic vehicles daily then every day would become a high demand days and the current high demand days would go off the chart.

Charge at night.
TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Dec 03, 2016
Just a simple country boy here and I have a question on electric vehicles. If everyone switched over to electric how would people in some areas of the country charge them considering that right now during high demand days some areas of our country have had rolling blackouts and brownouts. It would seem to me if everyone in those areas started charging eclectic vehicles daily then every day would become a high demand days and the current high demand days would go off the chart.
westend
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
time2roll wrote:
This is where distributed solar and home battery systems will come into play.
Everything does not have to be provided at the utility scale level of service.

And yes my home installed solar is lower cost that what the utility charges with NO subsidy. Of course I did take the credits and the payback is just that much faster.
Brings up another interesting aspect about future electricity production. If we can decentralize the grid sources, is it more efficient? Offhand, I would say yes it is just from the distribution standpoint. Maybe some of the grid operators could weigh in on that.
time2roll
Nomad
Dec 02, 2016
This is where distributed solar and home battery systems will come into play.
Everything does not have to be provided at the utility scale level of service.

And yes my home installed solar is lower cost that what the utility charges with NO subsidy. Of course I did take the credits and the payback is just that much faster.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2016
Having been a Control Operator in power plants during my career I can tell you one thing for sure.......
AC power must be produced at time of use.

Wind/solar power it limited and basically a side line source of power as it can NOT be counted on, relied on or anticipated as to amount that can be available at anyone time.
Plus if you remove the 'subsidies' it isn't as cheap as reported.

Hydro......
Some of same issues as wind/solar.
Flow rates available and come winter.frozen water doesn't produce MWs

YES....
ALL electric heavy equipment/commercial industries have been around for years
As illustrated by 'Big Muskie' which also came with 200MW demands.
One power plant I worked at provided direct power to a foundry that had electric arc furnaces.....250MW swings when on-line.
It was fed via a dedicated 13KV transformer bank tied to a 66KV switchyard

All electric...
Not until power plants are upgraded and even then the current high voltage transmission system would need increased (more lines, more towers, more switchyards, more distribution systems, more more )
That takes MONIES.....PLUS RIGHT OF WAYS.
Monies are hard to come by due to 'capital expenditures' and not recoupable via rate increases
RIGHT OF WAYS.........NIMBY (that KILLS every project when NEW transmission lines are involved)

Current GRID is tasked. WAIT for it-----won't take much to cause a cascade effect that the eastern one will pale in comparison. CHAOS.

Studied it, trained for it, seen it, dealt with it......and it happens FAST and becomes wide spread quicker then you can imagine

No such thing as 'All Electric'
Ernest
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
RCMAN46 wrote:
Some very large equipment has been all electric for over 60 years.

Do a google on the Big Muskie. One of the largest Drag Lines ever made.

I was an Electrical Engineer for General Electric and had the pleasure to work on that beast back in the 70's.

You forgot to tell everybody about the 2' diameter cable that feeds the beast power. I did the tie line controller for the Tar Sands project. If all 3 draglines where pulling at the same time it was 200 MW swing. They generated 125 MW being dropped into the "hole". Drove SAS power crazy till I got it worked out.
John___Angela
Explorer
Dec 02, 2016
westend wrote:
I love me some trains. Took the family by train through Europe one summer. You haven't really experienced what trains can be until you ride in the First Class TGV car. I think they're something like 60' long and you can hear a whisper in the back from the front. Really a wonderful system!

It would be great to ride from say, Chicago, to LA in a high speed train. Mpls/St.paul to Seattle would also be a great ride.

I was reading that Tesla did some crash testing in the regular insurance safety center and got the highest ratings possible. The article I read say they broke the roof collapse machine during the testing. They state there has never been a fatality in their Model S.

We took a Tesla P 90 D for a drive last year. The rep took us to a flat spot and told us to give her. 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds. Angela couldn't keep the camera straight. It is a game changer. One million dollar Ferraris and lambourghinis with two seats and 12 cylinders have a hard time keeping up with a 90 thousand dollar 5 passenger American sedan that needs next to no maintenance. Kinda cool.