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Freightliner unveiled thier ecascadia due out in 2021

WOW.
All this Current and Future Technology to give Truckers A WHOPPING 250 MILES, THEN Your 30 minute "break" becomes a 90+ minute "break", (provided your Truck can locate a Charging Station), after which you can go another whopping 200 miles for a astounding 450 mile day (provided no traffic, weather or presidential interference problems).
FREIGHTLINER: What Innovation.:lmao:

(only applies to seat warmers, steering wheel holders and solar drivers)
Your Mileage May Vary.
 
Might make a good day cab,for a P & D route.
I don't see it making any turns on line haul,it would run out of juice on the return trip.
Also wounder how a battery would hold up in the Northern winter months?

Maybe from now & 2021 they will have all the answers.
 
Battery technology has come a long way in the last few years but it has a way to go to being practical for long haul trucking. I think it would be feasible for local & city delivery power units.
 
I've seen drivers carry those gasoline generators for rest breaks so they can watch satellite TV so what's going to stop them from recharging thier rig ?
Where there is a will there is a way
 
I think electric trucks will start taking over local delivery routes very soon. If they save money using electric over diesel and these trucks do indeed vastly reduce maintenance costs then it's only a matter of time.

Long haul its a different story. Range will have to go up drastically and charge time will need to drop significantly.
 
Linehaul3Life said:
I think electric trucks will start taking over local delivery routes very soon. If they save money using electric over diesel and these trucks do indeed vastly reduce maintenance costs then it's only a matter of time.

Long haul its a different story. Range will have to go up drastically and charge time will need to drop significantly.
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then given say, a large number of company's buying up dozens for the fleet, people had better hope the truck stops install more than 1 charging station, and you also know, many dimwits will park in those spaces, just cuz they are not filled with electric trucks...
 
kboomarang said:
Well it just might be a good way to get rid the pesky check engine lights that plague the newer trucks, but I would miss the light show you get when the DEF freezes overnight in the winter.
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i seriously do believe, that nearly all of us (at least me ) will be long retired before these things come out in droves.

the first "few" will be still (to me) known as prototypes and test units. they have to prove themselves, not to me, i could care less, but to the trucking companies.

funny thing too, is that some companies will swear by them and others will swear AT them, when they start breaking down (and they will) and the costs of the electrical repairs will be about as much as a new truck with a diesel engine AND the DEF tank...lol
 
pro1driver said:
i seriously do believe, that nearly all of us (at least me ) will be long retired before these things come out in droves.

the first "few" will be still (to me) known as prototypes and test units. they have to prove themselves, not to me, i could care less, but to the trucking companies.

funny thing too, is that some companies will swear by them and others will swear AT them, when they start breaking down (and they will) and the costs of the electrical repairs will be about as much as a new truck with a diesel engine AND the DEF tank...lol
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Or when someone hacks its computer, and takes it on a joyride, remotely....
 
pro1driver said:
i seriously do believe, that nearly all of us (at least me ) will be long retired before these things come out in droves.

the first "few" will be still (to me) known as prototypes and test units. they have to prove themselves, not to me, i could care less, but to the trucking companies.

funny thing too, is that some companies will swear by them and others will swear AT them, when they start breaking down (and they will) and the costs of the electrical repairs will be about as much as a new truck with a diesel engine AND the DEF tank...lol
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I honestly don't think itll take very long for electric trucks to take over local trucking. By all accounts they are infinitely more reliable than today's diesel trucks with their complicated fuel and emissions systems. They are relatively simple machines. Electric motors to drive the thing, air compressors for the brakes, etc. they wont have more sensors than today's trucks, just different sensors for the driver assist features, and they won be subjected to the exhaust, fuel and vibration of today's trucks.

Running on electricity is also likely to be much cheaper than running on diesel. Look how expensive diesel is right now. Yes, electric trucks will be more expensive up front, but if they offer significant cost savings over the life of the truck and even potentially last longer than a diesel, companies will jump on them. Like it or not this is the way things are going.

I'm not cheering it on. I'm old school, I like hearing the exhaust note.and the rumble. But I'm also not going to put my head in the sand and poopoo all over new tech. Times are going to change, even if someone decides to live in the past.
 
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Linehaul3Life said:
I honestly don't think itll take very long for electric trucks to take over local trucking. By all accounts they are infinitely more reliable than today's diesel trucks with their complicated fuel and emissions systems. They are relatively simple machines. Electric motors to drive the thing, air compressors for the brakes, etc. they wont have more sensors than today's trucks, just different sensors for the driver assist features, and they won be subjected to the exhaust, fuel and vibration of today's trucks.

Running on electricity is also likely to be much cheaper than running on diesel. Look how expensive diesel is right now. Yes, electric trucks will be more expensive up front, but if they offer significant cost savings over the life of the truck and even potentially last longer than a diesel, companies will jump on them. Like it or not this is the way things are going.

I'm not cheering it on. I'm old school, I like hearing the exhaust note.and the rumble. But I'm also not going to put my head in the sand and poopoo all over new tech. Times are going to change, even if someone decides to live in the past.
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i could care less if these hunks of metal, and plastic are coming. i am retired. i do not have to deal with any of the industry anymore. i just feel that the costs of repairs for NEW electric motors will be more than the truck will be worth, mostly due to what i think, will be a shortage of used electric motors available, and even a shortage of shops that can rebuild an electric motor, and the turn around time, from removing, to rebuilding, back to installing...if a motor has to be "sent out" to a specialist, and at what cost, will that specialst be.???

i think in the very beginning, only NEW electric motors will be available, driving up the operating costs.

let's face facts too, everything depreciates once it drives off the lot, electric trucks may depreciate MORE than a diesel, maybe less, who really knows, until that day.

the too, in it's "basic" configuration, it'll just be "a truck body on a frame, all the same".....meaning, the brakes will need replacing/servicing, the drive train will need servicing, etc,etc. what if one of these POS's is in a wreck and is totaled?

will the devaluation at the time, warrant a total loss? and if so, what will be the replacement costs, over say a totaled diesel engine truck?

at the very least, a diesel engine can be salvaged. i am not putting any bets on an electric motor being salvaged, and run as well as a diesel in that situation.
 
pro1driver said:
i could care less if these hunks of metal, and plastic are coming. i am retired. i do not have to deal with any of the industry anymore. i just feel that the costs of repairs for NEW electric motors will be more than the truck will be worth, mostly due to what i think, will be a shortage of used electric motors available, and even a shortage of shops that can rebuild an electric motor, and the turn around time, from removing, to rebuilding, back to installing...if a motor has to be "sent out" to a specialist, and at what cost, will that specialst be.???

i think in the very beginning, only NEW electric motors will be available, driving up the operating costs.

let's face facts too, everything depreciates once it drives off the lot, electric trucks may depreciate MORE than a diesel, maybe less, who really knows, until that day.

the too, in it's "basic" configuration, it'll just be "a truck body on a frame, all the same".....meaning, the brakes will need replacing/servicing, the drive train will need servicing, etc,etc. what if one of these POS's is in a wreck and is totaled?

will the devaluation at the time, warrant a total loss? and if so, what will be the replacement costs, over say a totaled diesel engine truck?

at the very least, a diesel engine can be salvaged. i am not putting any bets on an electric motor being salvaged, and run as well as a diesel in that situation.
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Tesla is guaranteeing their truck for a million miles.

I dont think you're getting the point. Electric motors are far more reliable than internal combustion engines. They have far less moving parts. As in, like one moving part. These trucks dont even have transmissions.

You act like companies are expecting to recoup their cost of ownership when they sell off a ragged out POS 2 million mile truck. They literally sell them for pennies on the dollar. Why do they sell them in the first place? Because they cost too much to keep them on the road. AGAIN, the maintenance cost of an electric truck is going to be much, much lower. This could mean that fleets will.keep these trucks around even longer than they do current trucks.
 
pro1driver said:
i could care less if these hunks of metal, and plastic are coming. i am retired. i do not have to deal with any of the industry anymore. i just feel that the costs of repairs for NEW electric motors will be more than the truck will be worth, mostly due to what i think, will be a shortage of used electric motors available, and even a shortage of shops that can rebuild an electric motor, and the turn around time, from removing, to rebuilding, back to installing...if a motor has to be "sent out" to a specialist, and at what cost, will that specialst be.???

i think in the very beginning, only NEW electric motors will be available, driving up the operating costs.

let's face facts too, everything depreciates once it drives off the lot, electric trucks may depreciate MORE than a diesel, maybe less, who really knows, until that day.

the too, in it's "basic" configuration, it'll just be "a truck body on a frame, all the same".....meaning, the brakes will need replacing/servicing, the drive train will need servicing, etc,etc. what if one of these POS's is in a wreck and is totaled?

will the devaluation at the time, warrant a total loss? and if so, what will be the replacement costs, over say a totaled diesel engine truck?

at the very least, a diesel engine can be salvaged. i am not putting any bets on an electric motor being salvaged, and run as well as a diesel in that situation.
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Costs and maintenance for these long drop cords will skyrocket and be such a major tripping hazard for pedestrians, this concept will soon become extinct as the dodo bird.
will become extinct as the dodo bird.
 
Linehaul3Life said:
Tesla is guaranteeing their truck for a million miles.

I dont think you're getting the point. Electric motors are far more reliable than internal combustion engines. They have far less moving parts. As in, like one moving part. These trucks dont even have transmissions.

You act like companies are expecting to recoup their cost of ownership when they sell off a ragged out POS 2 million mile truck. They literally sell them for pennies on the dollar. Why do they sell them in the first place? Because they cost too much to keep them on the road. AGAIN, the maintenance cost of an electric truck is going to be much, much lower. This could mean that fleets will.keep these trucks around even longer than they do current trucks.
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where would you go for service? a tesla auto dealership, if even one exists..???

his cars tend to catch fire, what about his trucks, and a driver sleeping inside?

will insurance companies want to insure a known fire hazard.??
 
Still will have to change out the batteries some time. and how many recharge cycles will they last for? Plus the recycleing of the batteries, may work good for the "warm" states don't think so well in the cold and very hot states. These things will have just as many sensors and stuff on them as the diesels and we see how that's working out,just wait until the salt and stuff gets into the connections/relays/switch's /etc off the grid it will go.
 
pro1driver said:
where would you go for service? a tesla auto dealership, if even one exists..???

his cars tend to catch fire, what about his trucks, and a driver sleeping inside?

will insurance companies want to insure a known fire hazard.??
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It will take a decade to set up dealerships here in the US to service/repair these tractors. Till such a time there will be huge towing charges to get one to a dealership when one has a malfunction.
 
DCM_Doc said:
It will take a decade to set up dealerships here in the US to service/repair these tractors. Till such a time there will be huge towing charges to get one to a dealership when one has a malfunction.
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soooo....you break down in maine....the nearest dealership is in New Mexico......''

i'd hate to get that tow bill...........

best to get (maybe) independent repair shops and major makers dealerships, on board for servicing them, but then comes training those mechanics first. then build up a dealer network.

i dunno........not gonnabe my problem. but i pity the company that buys up a bunch of them. they will have drivers sitting in motels for a long, long time.............
 
seabreeze said:
Costs and maintenance for these long drop cords will skyrocket and be such a major tripping hazard for pedestrians, this concept will soon become extinct as the dodo bird.
will become extinct as the dodo bird.
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Drop cords tripping people won’t be an issue. Patel Tech Products division is working with Tesla on designing a service truck, that will be towed behind the trailer. The service truck will be equipped with a generator, solar powered, to keep the battery in the tractor charged, and will plug into the back of the trailer. It will also have a camera mounted on it to record daylight, so at night they can turn on the camera, hooked into the solar panels and feed the recorded daylight into it, having the same effect as actual sunlight....
 
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