Electric cars

AdrianC · 9 March 2018 at 8:52AM

zeupater wrote: »

Interesting that they'll have test vehicles on the road so quickly after the concept was first launched.

Not a great surprise at all.

Trucks are big Meccano. These mules will be off-the-shelf chassis, with a fairly rough and ready grp cab, with the "mechanicals" in a fairly early state of development, and the electronics pretty much ripped from the cars.

Martyn1981 · 9 March 2018 at 9:02AM

AdrianC wrote: »

Not a great surprise at all.

Trucks are big Meccano. These mules will be off-the-shelf chassis, with a fairly rough and ready grp cab, with the "mechanicals" in a fairly early state of development, and the electronics pretty much ripped from the cars.

I'm confused, I thought you said there were no Tesla Semi's, just some mock-ups only capable of crossing a stage. Now they are easy ...... and common perhaps?

Next they'll be towing car transporters, loaded with Model 3's that aren't being delivered!

AdrianC wrote: »

He's previously done a similar video on the Tesla semi truck

Wake me if and when it ever exists.

Wakey, wakey.

Martyn1981 · 9 March 2018 at 9:05AM

zeupater wrote: »

With the ability to run the vehicles in convoy to save energy, I'd expect the test vehicles to be operated together soon after the deliveries begin, in which case if they are 500 mile capable, a 540mile convoy return trip could be reported sooner than many would care to anticipate!!

HTH
Z

Apparently the route is downhill (on average), so loaded with batts on the 'easier' bit, then running empty on the return leg, should be easy for the 500 mile version ...... I think. That'll be fun.

Remember the giant mine truck that was converted to batts. It runs loaded, down from the site charging up the batts, then runs empty, back up. It actually 'makes' energy which has to be fed to the grid, cool!

AdrianC · 9 March 2018 at 9:40AM

Martyn1981 wrote: »

I'm confused, I thought you said there were no Tesla Semi's, just some mock-ups only capable of crossing a stage.

That was in November, four months ago. Now there are some mules on the road. Not hard.

In December, I said there weren't any technology prototypes.

AdrianC wrote: »

There still isn't, since there hasn't been even one technology prototype built yet.

And there are now. Not hard.

In January, I said exactly the same as I'm saying now.

AdrianC wrote: »

As for the semi "test drives", I've not found a video of anything beyond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1afVsM-rnk and the like. Perhaps you could oblige with something more convincing? It's almost trivial to swap the drivetrain from an off-the-shelf diesel truck chassis with a decent-size motor and some batteries, which leaves us with a styling mock-up on top of an off-the-shelf cab. <shrug>

This kind of mule is common in the motor industry, of all flavours, and long has been. Usually, they're fairly well disguised - but that's not Tesla's schtick.
http://www.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/collection/freelander/mule-prototype-cb40-brake-test-hack - 1989 mule for a vehicle that first hit production in 1997
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2017/12/here-s-the-first-photographic-evidence-a-new-land-rover-defender-is-in-the-works.html

Do we actually have anything like a reasonably final unladen weight yet? No, not just a wet finger in the air. That is going to be crucial to the viability, as I've also been saying all along, and it's something that isn't going to come until they're vaguely production-ready.

A month ago, St Elon was talking about 100k trucks a year, and being very vague about production dates - a hand-wavey 2019, no more than that.
https://electrek.co/2018/02/08/tesla-semi-electric-semi-truck-production/

100k/year is about half the total annual US market for articulated tractor units, more than any one manufacturer has currently...
https://www.statista.com/statistics/245369/class-8-truck-sales-by-manfuacturer/

And all this while he's still having major production issues with the Model 3? Where are we at with that, anyway? Ooops, further delays even last month.
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/08/waiting-35000-tesla-model-3-patient-gonna/

Martyn1981 · 9 March 2018 at 3:31PM

AdrianC wrote: »

That was in November, four months ago. Now there are some mules on the road. Not hard.

In December, I said there weren't any technology prototypes.

And there are now. Not hard.

In January, I said exactly the same as I'm saying now.

This kind of mule is common in the motor industry, of all flavours, and long has been. Usually, they're fairly well disguised - but that's not Tesla's schtick.
http://www.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/collection/freelander/mule-prototype-cb40-brake-test-hack - 1989 mule for a vehicle that first hit production in 1997
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2017/12/here-s-the-first-photographic-evidence-a-new-land-rover-defender-is-in-the-works.html

Do we actually have anything like a reasonably final unladen weight yet? No, not just a wet finger in the air. That is going to be crucial to the viability, as I've also been saying all along, and it's something that isn't going to come until they're vaguely production-ready.

A month ago, St Elon was talking about 100k trucks a year, and being very vague about production dates - a hand-wavey 2019, no more than that.
https://electrek.co/2018/02/08/tesla-semi-electric-semi-truck-production/

100k/year is about half the total annual US market for articulated tractor units, more than any one manufacturer has currently...
https://www.statista.com/statistics/245369/class-8-truck-sales-by-manfuacturer/

And all this while he's still having major production issues with the Model 3? Where are we at with that, anyway? Ooops, further delays even last month.
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/08/waiting-35000-tesla-model-3-patient-gonna/

Oh ...... so the trucks at the launch weren't real, but these are!

So none of these are the same trucks we saw at the launch? The launch trucks were definitely not prototypes capable of driving around, and perhaps giving test rides? Do you have any proof?

Perhaps, if you didn't keep posting nonsense, you then wouldn't have to double down a few months later, with more nonsense and excuses ...... unless you can support your claims (old and new)?

More vids:

Tesla Semi!!!8217;s Taking Off

Following the Tesla Semi!!!8217;s

zeupater · 9 March 2018 at 3:56PM

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Apparently the route is downhill (on average), so loaded with batts on the 'easier' bit, then running empty on the return leg, should be easy for the 500 mile version ...... I think. That'll be fun.

Remember the giant mine truck that was converted to batts. It runs loaded, down from the site charging up the batts, then runs empty, back up. It actually 'makes' energy which has to be fed to the grid, cool!

Hi

It may be downhill on average, but there's still plenty of climbing involved .... the last time myself & MrsZ were in that area we drove from Reno to Sacramento (probably on the same interstate) winding our way through passes & valleys in some pretty mountainous country having ~7000'-10000' peaks with plenty of snow on the tops ... quite spectacular scenery really! ... :cool:

HTH
Z

Martyn1981 · 10 March 2018 at 8:32AM

AdrianC wrote: »

That was in November, four months ago. Now there are some mules on the road. Not hard.

In December, I said there weren't any technology prototypes.

And there are now. Not hard.

But this guy who was at the launch, is saying they are the very same trucks, so I'll ask again, are you still claiming the trucks at the launch were mock ups barely able to cross the stage, whilst the 'delivery' trucks are different ones, quickly built after (not before) the launch?

First 3 minutes

For once, I would appreciate some actual facts and supporting information from you, not more anti-EV nonsense. Thanks.

System · 10 March 2018 at 5:09PM

I have asked all over the internet and nobody can tell me what the unladen weight of the trucks are. This is one of the biggest important factors to a haulier as it ultimately dictates the maximum weight of load they can carry and therefore money they can earn. I can go to the website of the truck manufacturer of the truck I drive, DAF, and I can find out the unladen weight of every single variant of tractor unit and chassis cab they do down to the kilogramme yet with the Tesla Semi there's not even any information about what it is to the nearest tonne. Every kilogramme an empty lorry weighs is a kilogramme of load it can't carry and can't charge for carrying and Tesla are being very quiet about it.

I did some rough back of fag packet maths from the specs that have been released and on the 500 mile version of the Tesla truck the weight of the batteries alone would be 85% of that of my entire tractor unit.

The other downside for the Tesla Semi Truck is that to do a 30 minute recharge that Tesla state you're going to need a 1.2MWh charge point for the 300 mile range and a 2MWh charge point for the 500 mile range variant. To put it into context when you go to the motorway services and see the row of half a dozen Tesla charge points that entire row doesn't even come close to using half that rate. 1.2-2.0MWh charge points requires some serious electrical infrastructure being put in place where the charge points are.

Gloomendoom · 10 March 2018 at 8:16PM

Tarambor wrote: »

I have asked all over the internet and nobody can tell me what the unladen weight of the trucks are.

I read somewhere that they are about two tons heavier than the equivalent diesel tractor unit.

gzoom · 10 March 2018 at 8:49PM

12 months since we changed the Leaf for the Tesla. 15K miles covered, one trip from Leicester to Edinburgh amounts usual family outings, despite the snow/cold winter haven't come close to problems with range/charge even in our cheapest/lowest range Tesla. Have not used any public charging points apart from Tesla Superchargers.

Just treated the car to a detail/paint protection, looking forwards to another 12 months of happy family motoring

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