Forum Discussion
78 Replies
Grit dog wrote:
You missed the point was about needing oil (diesel) to run the mines. Sorry I could have been more clear.time2roll wrote:
MikeRP wrote:
The world is changing.
Ok folks this battery craze is just that crazy. So let’s talk about getting the material to make the batteries. Look at the size of mining operations needed to find the metals we need now for these batteries.
Didn't even think about the mining ops for battery materials AND coal for this all to work.
Coal is shrinking due to economics.Grit dog wrote:
Grit dog wrote:
Reisender wrote:
Interesting. You are the first person I have seen mention that the US grid is not a complete catastrophe on the edge of total collapse at any moment. Pretty much everyone else on this board (and a few others) seem to think that even adding a few electric cars will put the whole country in the dark. Glad to hear it’s not so.
No, you are just one of the dreamers that thinks these cars (and RVs, we're talking about bigger rigs here unless your Tesla 3 is going to pull that 5ver) will somehow run on unicorn farts and that a quick cheesburger break will give your Tesla 3500 another 300miles of range.
In moderation, the grid can support EVs, and the grid can improve, and with mass improvements comes cost and the cost gets passed to the end user and now that $5 charge for your Tesla 3 or the $25 charge for the Tesla 3500 will cost $25 or $50 and $125 or $250 respectively and you'll still need to take 5 cheesburger breaks and 3 naps to get across N Dakota westbound into a headwind.
263 mllion passenger vehicles registered in the USA only, today (at least that's what the googler said). How many is a "few" EVs?
LOL. :) Keep diggin dude.- Grit_dogNavigator II
Grit dog wrote:
Reisender wrote:
Interesting. You are the first person I have seen mention that the US grid is not a complete catastrophe on the edge of total collapse at any moment. Pretty much everyone else on this board (and a few others) seem to think that even adding a few electric cars will put the whole country in the dark. Glad to hear it’s not so.
No, you are just one of the dreamers that thinks these cars (and RVs, we're talking about bigger rigs here unless your Tesla 3 is going to pull that 5ver) will somehow run on unicorn farts and that a quick cheesburger break will give your Tesla 3500 another 300miles of range.
In moderation, the grid can support EVs, and the grid can improve, and with mass improvements comes cost and the cost gets passed to the end user and now that $5 charge for your Tesla 3 or the $25 charge for the Tesla 3500 will cost $25 or $50 and $125 or $250 respectively and you'll still need to take 5 cheesburger breaks and 3 naps to get across N Dakota westbound into a headwind.
263 mllion passenger vehicles registered in the USA only, today (at least that's what the googler said). How many is a "few" EVs? - Grit_dogNavigator II
time2roll wrote:
MikeRP wrote:
The world is changing.
Ok folks this battery craze is just that crazy. So let’s talk about getting the material to make the batteries. Look at the size of mining operations needed to find the metals we need now for these batteries.
Didn't even think about the mining ops for battery materials AND coal for this all to work.
time2roll, when's the last time you got a stormwater permit, much less a mining permit?
Better keep Trump in office for the next 20 years and get him to shut down the EPA if you think new mines are going to get approved in droves...or at all.
(Maybe we can mine elsewhere and muck up someone elses countries?)
N WI, where I call "home". Mining industry tanked due to permitting.
Latest attempt, even the governor pulled some strings and did some questionable stuff to get it through. Still tanked....no mine.
Job I built in the Arctic, took over 5 years to get permitted just to build a few bridges and 5 miles of 2 lane gravel road with virtually zero temporary or permanent environmental impact save for the narrow patch or tundra covered by gravel.
Here in WA, you can't even work in waters of the state more than 2 months a year, legally, and just removing fish barriers (undersized culverts) that were mandated by the govt to be removed due to lawsuit from the tribes typically takes about 2 years to permit, again something with zero permanent environmental detriment.
Again, I don't profess to understand what all needs to be done to convert the majority of the transportation industry from fossil fuels to electricity, but I'm enough of a realist to know what is probable and what is a seriously costly, time consuming, improbable uphill battle.
Prolly why I don't like Subarus and coexist stickers! - Grit_dogNavigator II
Reisender wrote:
Interesting. You are the first person I have seen mention that the US grid is not a complete catastrophe on the edge of total collapse at any moment. Pretty much everyone else on this board (and a few others) seem to think that even adding a few electric cars will put the whole country in the dark. Glad to hear it’s not so.
No, you are just one of the dreamers that thinks these cars (and RVs, we're talking about bigger rigs here unless your Tesla 3 is going to pull that 5ver) will somehow run on unicorn farts and that a quick cheesburger break will give your Tesla 3500 another 300miles of range.
In moderation, the grid can support EVs, and the grid can improve, and with mass improvements comes cost and the cost gets passed to the end user and now that $5 charge for your Tesla 3 or the $25 charge for the Tesla 3500 will cost $25 and $125 respectively and you'll still need to take 5 cheesburger breaks and 3 naps to get across N Dakota westbound into a headwind.
263 mllion passenger vehicles registered in the USA only, today (at least that's what the googler said). How many is a "few" EVs? - Grit_dogNavigator II
Reisender wrote:
Oh. and for the 20 to 30 minutes it takes to charge a modern EV you can eat lunch or have a nap in your car.
And since we're talking electric RVs here, thank go they have a bed and a kitchen, because theres way more napping and eating than driving and sightseeing going to be going on! - MikeRPExplorerThere is a technology out there and it has legs since the developer came up w the lithium batteries. John B Goodenough. He has single handedly changed the entire world with Lithium Ion, He invented ram. Well maybe.
His assistant came up with a new solid state battery. Well if that works I’m wrong.
Check it out! Some of the best stories are too good to be true. Peace. - MikeRPExplorerHey I agree we are going to give it a go, but storm clouds are on the horizon for a large implementation without a breakthrough in battery technology. Maybe we’ll figure it out.
MikeRP wrote:
The world is changing.
Ok folks this battery craze is just that crazy. So let’s talk about getting the material to make the batteries. Look at the size of mining operations needed to find the metals we need now for these batteries. These pits are as big as iron ore mines If not bigger, look it up on Chile it China. Look at the mining equipment using diesel, damage to the environment like you’ve never seen before, processing the earth and then making it into a useable product for the batteries.
We will never have our transportation system fully on batteries with our present batteries. Plus charging these batteries is still 35 - 40 percent coal. I’m almost 100 percent sure it is adding to the carbon in the atmosphere. We continue to lie to ourselves about batteries unless there is a major breakthrough coming.
Enjoy your trucks we will be driving them a while and the campground s don’t need to do squat.
Peace
reuters.com/article/us-mining-electric-goldcorp/first-new-all-electric-mine-dumps-diesel-cuts-costs-pollution
https://www.cat.com/en_US/by-industry/mining/articles/ug-battery-electric-concept-lhd.html
https://im-mining.com/2018/12/10/future-mining-equipment-demand-move-electric-power/
swedish-mining-equipment-manufacturer-will-be-100-electric-in-5-years/
why-electric-mining-vehicles-are-starting-to-take-off/- MikeRPExplorerCanada has a lot of hydroelectric power and you can’t compare their needs to ours.
What we never do is celebrate our accomplishments. I mean Coal at 27.5 %. There was a time folks didn’t think that was possible. I mean look at the usage, every time an air conditioner, furnace, dishwasher, fridge etc. is replaced it’s more efficient. My home is full of LED’s and so is my RV. And energy efficiency is the cheapest power plant.
Businesses, homes, have all worked hard to improve sustainability and that work across the country has shown tremendous results lowering capacity needs. My point is if we understood and celebrated our victories Wes see more clearly on where we need to target our resources to continue the improvement.
About Travel Trailer Group
44,043 PostsLatest Activity: Jul 24, 2025