eActros

[Geo.Lander]

Just going to leave this here, I wonder when we will start seeing conversations that have 1000km plus ranges..

Mercedes-Benz eActros spec (initial prototypes):

two versions – 18 or 25 tonnes
up to 200 km (125 miles) of range
240 kWh battery pack
ZF AVE 130 twin-motor drive axle – the system output stands at 250 kW and 970 Nm
fast charging at 150 kW takes less than two hours, at 80 kW it takes three hours (at least 11 hours at 20 kW)

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[charlieaarons]

I greatly support de carbonization.
However, I would need ~1800kwh to match my current range. With those charging rates it would take 15-80 hours to completely recharge. My entire 320 m^^2 house has 2x100a input breakers at 240v = 48kw.
I don’t think I’ll have an all electric Unimog camper in my lifetime.
And then there’s the 230v/50hz vs 110v/60hz issue (although the input to a residence in a 110v country is 2 phase 240v. But mfgs of chassis designed for worldwide travel will come up with dual voltage transformer/rectifiers.
And battery energy storage densities have to improve 3-5x to work on big camper trucks.

 

[Joe917]

Sure, we have a 2000 km range and we can refill quickly (diesel) in some very remote places, but these vehicles are not aimed at the overlander market. They will fill the needs of 90% of the heavy truck market though.
I remember shooting Kodachrome saying I will never go digital, it will never be as good. How things change!

 

[RiderBloke]

I still think that hybrid vehicles are the way to go at present. I wish there were a decent hybrid pickup truck to haul my TT RV. Distance is not a problem with hybrids.


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[Geo.Lander]

I greatly support de carbonization.
However, I would need ~1800kwh to match my current range. With those charging rates it would take 15-80 hours to completely recharge. My entire 320 m^^2 house has 2x100a input breakers at 240v = 48kw.
I don’t think I’ll have an all electric Unimog camper in my lifetime.
And then there’s the 230v/50hz vs 110v/60hz issue (although the input to a residence in a 110v country is 2 phase 240v. But mfgs of chassis designed for worldwide travel will come up with dual voltage transformer/rectifiers.
And battery energy storage densities have to improve 3-5x to work on big camper trucks.

I echo these arguments, and btw upto 200km range is nothing, the Jags, Mercedes and Tesla SUVs here with a claimed 600+km range only last about 150km between charges in -20C and winter conditions on the roads.

For myself I think Gen2 (and soon 3) liquid biofuels (so called advanced biofuels by definition not based on food crops) are and excellent middle term solution in my humble opinion.

 

[Geo.Lander]

I still think that hybrid vehicles are the way to go at present. I wish there were a decent hybrid pickup truck to haul my TT RV. Distance is not a problem with hybrids.


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the problem is they become a real liability on long haul trips. They are incredibly inefficient once the battery is consumed due to their combination of normally gasoline engine, heavy battery and electric motors being dead weight once their short ranges are past.

 

[DiploStrat]

Sure, we have a 2000 km range and we can refill quickly (diesel) in some very remote places, but these vehicles are not aimed at the overlander market. They will fill the needs of 90% of the heavy truck market though.
I remember shooting Kodachrome saying I will never go digital, it will never be as good. How things change!

As I sit here scanning old negatives into digital ...

We are in the early days of electrical vehicles, but the change is underway. Remember when?

-- Sailing ships crossed the ocean because steam ships lacked the range?
-- Ships burned coal because oil wasn't available?
-- Horses pulled wagons because engines weren't powerful enough and gasoline was not available?
-- Airplanes could barely lift the pilot?
-- ETC.

We are still a long way from continent spanning electric trucks, but most motor trips are less than 50 miles and most electric cars can do more than 100 miles. A PITA for a long road trip, but virtually infinite range for daily use.

The next steps will be longer range, faster charging batteries, and a charging network as extensive as the present gasoline distribution net.

Ironically, some of the first cars were, in fact electric, but the oil companies supported Ford's gasoline vehicles.

 

[charlieaarons]

I can certainly see all electric Unimogs soon for their common usage of maintenance, construction and even agriculture. Where they return to home base every night. The standard U500 tank is 200L. That’s ~800kwh. Charging at 80kw would require 350a @ 230v or 175 @ 460v. Not impossible, full charge overnight.
But they will keep the diesel option as long as possible.

 

[charlieaarons]

A calculation while laying in bed last night waiting to fall asleep with cat laying on me: to convert entire US car and truck fleet to electric would increase average consumption of electricity by ~50%. This would require significant upgrades in generation and distribution down to outlets in residences and businesses.
A look at my breaker box shows for example an unused 6.6kw capacity 220v circuit (replaced electric dryer with gas; in S Central Alaska generation is gas thermal =~40% efficient with very small wind contribution) and a used 11kw circuit for cooking stove. Therefore I could easily handle a 60kw capacity Tesla (if I were still driving 14.2 km each way to work) but NOT an eMog for instance. Or even an eF350 or 550, they require 50-80% as much power as a U500.
Where I used to live in SW Alaska I used to help run the Dillingham rural electric coop = Caterpillar 35 and 36 series diesels. There’s been a dormant project for decades to extract 12-58MW hydro power from Nuyakuk falls by partial bypass of flow through a penstock. It’s the outlet of Tikchik Lakes, please Google images.
Average sockeye run including catch up that waterfall ~500k-1M. Annual economic value including value added ~$20M. So local people and others (local economy depends on fishing) are quite ambivalent. Even though proposal only involves smallish fraction of flow. Shutting down flow to completely protect adults going up and smolts going out would have to be 4 months May-August; highest power demand in summer. Fish processors require lots of power; total regional run up to 60M sockeye. Total economic value of fishery >$1B/yr. Hopefully Pebble mine is dead.
Sorry for the tangent but I thought you all might be interested.

 

[Neil]

Maybe some sort of sleep aid medication would work better than complicated maths.

Neil

 

[Geo.Lander]

Maybe some sort of sleep aid medication would work better than complicated maths.

Neil

or simply more beer ? just kidding, would love to have those electrical calculation skills when it comes time for my install @charlieaarons

 

[charlieaarons]

It keeps my mind in shape.
Re-studying physics etc in the last 18 months since quitting full time work as a biological maintenance technician (MD), while under self imposed house arrest since 3/8/20 (minus daily 2.2 mile walks in low density neighborhood) has kept me sane. Although some close relatives would disagree about the sane part.

 

[Sitec]

That's one seriously busy mind! I don't know how you do it. Maths was a failing of mine... unless I actually needed it for what I'm doing, then I was interested! ?

 

[Iain_U1250]

It keeps my mind in shape.
Re-studying physics etc in the last 18 months since quitting full time work as a biological maintenance technician (MD), while under self imposed house arrest since 3/8/20 (minus daily 2.2 mile walks in low density neighborhood) has kept me sane. Although some close relatives would disagree about the sane part.

You own a Unimog Charlie, you cannot possible be classed as sane

 

[grizzlyj]

Years ago I drove an electric Crown forklift with a big heavy lead acid battery. You could get about six or seven hours out of it, then left on charge until my next shift sixteen hours later. If one of them didn't get charged for some reason there was a spare battery sitting on a kind of pump truck, roller bearings under the metal battery case. One person could just about roll the old battery out onto an empty pump truck and shove the new one in.
People talk about electric car sharing so they will be in full use all day, but ignore their charging. You could charge new lithiums with ever higher currents but as far as I've ever read a faster charge decreases battery life.
Someone like Mercedes seems well placed to create a fleet of trucks with swappable batteries. Fairly easily mechanised too perhaps?
If a standard unit of battery was created big hurdles for EVs would be removed.