Want to race a Tesla semi around a test track?

[John___Angela]

Here's your chance. But you have to make a certain amount of referrals first. 🙂

https://teslamotorsclub.com/blog/2018/02/01/referral-program-adds-chance-to-race-a-tesla-semi/

[valhalla360]

John & Angela wrote:

Interesting read on Norway changing all their ferries to Electric and seeing 80 percent cost savings on operating costs. No idea how that would cross to the trucking world though.

https://newatlas.com/norway-electric-car-ferry/25756/

Here's a link to it. A few things that jump out.

More than 2/3 of the fuel savings appear to be due to the new lighter weight catamaran design as the old ferry runs at 1500kw and the new one at 400kw, so it's mostly about a more efficient hull design which could easily be adapted for smaller more fuel efficient diesel engines.

I checked on Google Earth and it's about a 3mile run each way with charging on both ends. The run is about 20minutes (one way) and it does a run approximately every 42 minutes (34 per day) so it has 22minutes of charging between runs on average.

This is a use case where pure electric can work though it sounds like they put in a huge amount of infrastructure to accommodate it as the chargers were too big for the small town electric infrastructure, so they have chargers constantly charging on shore battery banks which then dump thru high speed chargers to the boat battery banks.

Edit: Just found, it's actually a plug in hybrid, so they aren't trusting it yet.

[John___Angela]

valhalla360 wrote:

8.1 Van wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
If it's a tow vehicle, I want to see it pulling something heavy for long distances.

If you want a track day, I'd rather have a Ferrari or Lambo. Maybe a Vette if we need to keep the costs under control.

Electric motors pulling a heavy load

Electric motors drive the Belaz 75710 dump truck with 496 ton payload rating

So what is the range on either of those under battery power?

I never suggested electric motors couldn't pull heavy loads. They actually do great at it. The problem is heavy loads FOR LONG DISTANCES.

I think at least in the mid term the plan is not to get into the long haul market. Most of the costumers that have put down deposits are looking at the 300 to 400 mile hauls. The max range has been cited at 500 miles. There are a couple other competitors using different technologies that have expressed longer range rigs though.

Interesting read on Norway changing all their ferries to Electric and seeing 80 percent cost savings on operating costs. No idea how that would cross to the trucking world though.

[valhalla360]

8.1 Van wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
If it's a tow vehicle, I want to see it pulling something heavy for long distances.

If you want a track day, I'd rather have a Ferrari or Lambo. Maybe a Vette if we need to keep the costs under control.

Electric motors pulling a heavy load

Electric motors drive the Belaz 75710 dump truck with 496 ton payload rating

So what is the range on either of those under battery power?

I never suggested electric motors couldn't pull heavy loads. They actually do great at it. The problem is heavy loads FOR LONG DISTANCES.

[8_1_Van]

valhalla360 wrote:
If it's a tow vehicle, I want to see it pulling something heavy for long distances.

If you want a track day, I'd rather have a Ferrari or Lambo. Maybe a Vette if we need to keep the costs under control.

Electric motors pulling a heavy load

Electric motors drive the Belaz 75710 dump truck with 496 ton payload rating

[Ralph_Cramden]

Oooooops

[Ralph_Cramden]

I hear Marcus Lemonis has a contest going also for signing up the most members to Good Sam. If you win you get to drag a Forest River trailer behind a Thor MH over 500 miles of frost heaved washboard road in the Yukon, and see if anything is left of either when you arrive LOL.

[valhalla360]

If it's a tow vehicle, I want to see it pulling something heavy for long distances.

If you want a track day, I'd rather have a Ferrari or Lambo. Maybe a Vette if we need to keep the costs under control.

[John___Angela]

fj12ryder wrote:
Yeah, it sure is. Prizes for getting people to sign up to a mailing list. Hey, whatever works I guess.

And I read that darned thing over 3 or 4 times and still didn't catch that it was for a newsletter. Duh.

It’s hard to follow. We are not the only ones. A bunch of people on the other board had some difficulty figuring it out as well. It’s not how many entries, for every subscriber you refer it is a chance at a barrel draw. There is one draw per week. Not my thing. I’d still love to take it around a track though.

Sooner or later someone will get one and do a custom paint job to match their fifth wheel. Most fifth wheels come in under 20’0000 pounds. Probably a pretty decent range for that light of load. Honestly I have no idea but should be better than pulling an 80,000 pound load.

[fj12ryder]

Yeah, it sure is. Prizes for getting people to sign up to a mailing list. Hey, whatever works I guess.

And I read that darned thing over 3 or 4 times and still didn't catch that it was for a newsletter. Duh.

[drsteve]

John & Angela wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
Is that a tinge of desperation I smell? Feeling they have to entice people to sign up?

Maybe, who knows. But generally Tesla doesn’t have problems selling vehicles, just in making them in accordance with the schedules they set.

According to the link, it's the prize for signing up newsletter subscribers.

[rjstractor]

I would much rather drive it up the Ike Gauntlet loaded to 80K to see if it really did outperform a diesel truck like as is claimed.

[Lessmore]

I'd like to race a Tesla, but choose my course, climate. Right now it's about -25, I'd like to have a 500 mile race...kind of like Indy and it's important to be comfortable in the Tesla Semi cab.

I just came back from a 200 mile trip in -25 with strong winds...needed to have the heater / defroster full on...I like it set at a little more than room temp. Got about 36 mpg (Imperial gallon), was warm and comfy. Great thing about driving an IC vehicle and not driving an EV, was that I didn't have to worry about how much battery charge and therefore range in miles I would lose, by running in -25 temps and how much further battery power/range I would lose by running the heater/defroster (powered by the EV batteries.. on full...

Would the EV be able to complete the 500 mile race with these conditions ?

I provide my previously posted link about EV's in cold temps.

EV in cold temps

[John___Angela]

fj12ryder wrote:
Is that a tinge of desperation I smell? Feeling they have to entice people to sign up?

Maybe, who knows. But generally Tesla doesn’t have problems selling vehicles, just in making them in accordance with the schedules they set.

I think it would be a hoot to run one of these things around a track. More fun to hook it up to a 40 foot Royals International 6 axle 5 th wheel. Gun it and rip the pin box right out of the 5 th wheel. I wonder if that would be a problem??? Just sayin. 🙂

John.

[fj12ryder]

Is that a tinge of desperation I smell? Feeling they have to entice people to sign up?