Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks Like Tesla Semi EV Make a Perfect Sense?

[kasscon]

One solution to three different problems for logistics companies, fleet owners and Indian citizens:

Issues:

1) Increasing Pollution and to curtail that stringent norms on commercial vehicles
2) Increasing cost of Diesel
3) Import of Crude from other countries and dependency on them along with spending huge amount from reserve


Can be a solution:

A product like Tesla Semi would go a long way in promoting a conducive and healthy environment in India. Here’s a look at how’s EV trucks going to get it done!

Range of Electric Trucks:

As Tesla announced Semi Trucks and going by the range & specifications This EV truck will have an all-electric range of 800 kms (500 miles) when fully charged. A full charge will take approximately 1 hour. But if you are in a hurry, a fast-charge option can give a 650 km range (400 mile) in just 30 minutes.

Now compare it to an ordinary diesel long-haul truck. Mahindra Navistar or Tata Prima, which happens to be one of the country’s most modern trucks has a tank capacity of approx 625 litres, which takes 15-20 minutes to fill.

A fully loaded diesel truck would end up giving a 2 kmpl mileage, which equates to a 1000 km range on an average. So it is safe to say that Tesla Semi is equivalent to a diesel truck, but with lower emissions and also lower cost of operation.

​

Now the Biggest Question, Charging Stations:

I see no reason why a EV trucks can't work in India. We have fantastic highways today. It can only be a win situation for the logistics company. The only problem we have to contend with is power but hey, Heres the solution for that too. The solar-powered Superchargers. We have ample sun in our country. It is perfect. All these companies/government need figure out a plan to place these chargers at Dhaaba's where most of the truck Drivers eat and provide them with a loan with easy EMI's for the installation of the charging units. So until they eat their meals which take around half an hour, the truck will be charged and ready to roll


Now, If our homegrown auto giants can come up with this kind of Truck with EV tech and we can say that these trucks will cost very less as compared to Tesla trucks, Then It makes perfect sense to own an EV truck.

My two cents, as I think its the perfect solution for increasing pollution and low-cost transportation for logistics. what do you think --

 

[ankathil.arjun]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

One solution to three different problems for logistics companies, fleet owners and Indian citizens:

Issues:

1) Increasing Pollution and to curtail that stringent norms on commercial vehicles
2) Increasing cost of Diesel
3) Import of Crude from other countries and dependency on them along with spending huge amount from reserve


Can be a solution:

A product like Tesla Semi would go a long way in promoting a conducive and healthy environment in India. Here’s a look at how’s EV trucks going to get it done!

Range of Electric Trucks:

As Tesla announced Semi Trucks and going by the range & specifications This EV truck will have an all-electric range of 800 kms (500 miles) when fully charged. A full charge will take approximately 1 hour. But if you are in a hurry, a fast-charge option can give a 650 km range (400 mile) in just 30 minutes.

image​

Now compare it to an ordinary diesel long-haul truck. Mahindra Navistar or Tata Prima, which happens to be one of the country’s most modern trucks has a tank capacity of approx 625 litres, which takes 15-20 minutes to fill.

A fully loaded diesel truck would end up giving a 2 kmpl mileage, which equates to a 1000 km range on an average. So it is safe to say that Tesla Semi is equivalent to a diesel truck, but with lower emissions and also lower cost of operation.

image
​

Now the Biggest Question, Charging Stations:

I see no reason why a EV trucks can't work in India. We have fantastic highways today. It can only be a win situation for the logistics company. The only problem we have to contend with is power but hey, Heres the solution for that too. The solar-powered Superchargers. We have ample sun in our country. It is perfect. All these companies/government need figure out a plan to place these chargers at Dhaaba's where most of the truck Drivers eat and provide them with a loan with easy EMI's for the installation of the charging units. So until they eat their meals which take around half an hour, the truck will be charged and ready to roll


Now, If our homegrown auto giants can come up with this kind of Truck with EV tech and we can say that these trucks will cost very less as compared to Tesla trucks, Then It makes perfect sense to own an EV truck.

My two cents, as I think its the perfect solution for increasing pollution and low-cost transportation for logistics. what do you think --

Adding to your points.
1. Lower maintenance - as compared to other trucks, the Tesla semi has lesser moving parts, which means lesser parts that wear out and need maintenance.
Lesser time on workshop means more time on the road which means more profits.
2. Higher mile warranty : Tesla gives a million mile warranty (16lakh kms). I don't think any manufacturer in India can match this.
3. Though the autopilot isn't exactly ready for India, the system may help drivers driving in our expressways.

Things that need to be checked are the price of trucks, which I believe would be significantly higher, and the improvement in the charging infrastructure.

 

[kasscon]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

Adding to your points.
1. Lower maintenance - as compared to other trucks, the Tesla semi has lesser moving parts, which means lesser parts that wear out and need maintenance.
Lesser time on workshop means more time on the road which means more profits.
2. Higher mile warranty : Tesla gives a million mile warranty (16lakh kms). I don't think any manufacturer in India can match this.
3. Though the autopilot isn't exactly ready for India, the system may help drivers driving in our expressways.

Things that need to be checked are the price of trucks, which I believe would be significantly higher, and the improvement in the charging infrastructure.

These days lot of fleet owners replacing their fleets with Scania & Volvo vehicles and the cost is pretty high, So I don't think that the cost matters much when there are a lot of advantages.

Along with that, as I wrote, If Indian companies can come up with same kind of Trucks then the price would be pretty less as we don't need high-end systems ie autopilot and those big screen setup which is there.

 

[carcommentor]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

Here are some mind boggling costs:

• The semi-trucks cost over Rs.1 crore (minimum) based on expected price ($150000 to $200000 ) released by Tesla. Since the main costs is battery, change in size is not going to have much effect on cost . Removing semi-autonomous functions might bring the cost down fractionally.

• Every Super charger set up cost Rs. 1.8 Crore. Unless Government - private companies partnership takes off in this sector, it will be difficult to justify such a huge cost . Solar panels are very inefficient with peak efficiency of just 20%. A 1 m^2 panel will generate only 200 to 300 W if insolation is good enough. Tesla’s plan to change all superchargers to solar powered might work because they will use their powerwall battery packs as primary chargers and the solar panel as secondary chargers.

The truck's battery pack may weigh about 1000 Kg (Model S battery pack is 540 kg), which eats into load carrying capacity of the average truck. The trucks have to be redesigned using ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene - not anti lock braking) or lighter yet stronger material to reduce the unladen weight .
In short, concerted effort by Government, Private power producers and truck manufacturers is needed. The government should force Reliance and Adani to foot the bill since they have been the major beneficiary .We poor citizens are footing the bill of recapitalization bonds and taking ‘hair cuts’ on their behalf.

 

[ankathil.arjun]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

Here are some mind boggling costs:

• The semi-trucks cost over Rs.1 crore (minimum) based on expected price ($150000 to $200000 ) released by Tesla. Since the main costs is battery, change in size is not going to have much effect on cost . Removing semi-autonomous functions might bring the cost down fractionally.

• Every Super charger set up cost Rs. 1.8 Crore. Unless Government - private companies partnership takes off in this sector, it will be difficult to justify such a huge cost . Solar panels are very inefficient with peak efficiency of just 20%. A 1 m^2 panel will generate only 200 to 300 W if insolation is good enough. Tesla’s plan to change all superchargers to solar powered might work because they will use their powerwall battery packs as primary chargers and the solar panel as secondary chargers.

The truck's battery pack may weigh about 1000 Kg (Model S battery pack is 540 kg), which eats into load carrying capacity of the average truck. The trucks have to be redesigned using ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene - not anti lock braking) or lighter yet stronger material to reduce the unladen weight .
In short, concerted effort by Government, Private power producers and truck manufacturers is needed. The government should force Reliance and Adani to foot the bill since they have been the major beneficiary .We poor citizens are footing the bill of recapitalization bonds and taking ‘hair cuts’ on their behalf.

As compared to the Semi trucks sold by Volvo, the prices are not high. I think they have priced it quite competitively, though they cant compete with the local manufacturers like Tata and Ashok Leyland, which may be selling for almost half the price. Also, factoring in the money saved in the running and maintenance, I think a higher price tag can be justified by the Tesla Semi's.

 

[carcommentor]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

As compared to the Semi trucks sold by Volvo, the prices are not high. I think they have priced it quite competitively, though they cant compete with the local manufacturers like Tata and Ashok Leyland, which may be selling for almost half the price. Also, factoring in the money saved in the running and maintenance, I think a higher price tag can be justified by the Tesla Semi's.

Tesla semis are definitely priced right for US market. However the cost has to come down drastically for Indian market where the comparably priced Volvo hardly sells 40 units per month. Hope Indian automakers are able to develop home grown solution for long range and quick charging battery packs. The supercharger cost can also be brought down to nearly half with Chinese components. All this will happen only if government – private company partnership takes off in this sector. The success of electric trucks will predominantly depend on battery range and wide supercharger network.
Like most critics of Tesla, I too believe Tesla should have started off with medium haul trucks instead of long haul fleet. It is difficult to convince long haul fleet owners to convert to electric than medium haul owners.

 

[twinturbo]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

Hello all,

I have been following up on the Tesla Semi ever since it's unveil. True game-changer it is, without doubt! I still cannot comprehend the fact surrounding the drag coefficient of this truck (0.36). Apart from the sharply-styled nose section, this still looks pretty much like any other American truck. So, what hidden design features does this truck possess to achieve that drag coefficient that undercuts even the mighty Bugatti Chiron?

I did come to know that the drag coefficient for the Chiron is a bit higher for it's class due to the massive amount of air intake. But still, this truck's aerodynamics look out-of-this-world!

I would like to hear the views of fellow members on this.

Thanks,
twinturbo.

 

[carcommentor]

Re: Air Pollution – How Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi EV Makes a Perfect Sense?

Hello all,

I have been following up on the Tesla Semi ever since it's unveil. True game-changer it is, without doubt! I still cannot comprehend the fact surrounding the drag coefficient of this truck (0.36). Apart from the sharply-styled nose section, this still looks pretty much like any other American truck. So, what hidden design features does this truck possess to achieve that drag coefficient that undercuts even the mighty Bugatti Chiron?

I did come to know that the drag coefficient for the Chiron is a bit higher for it's class due to the massive amount of air intake. But still, this truck's aerodynamics look out-of-this-world!

I would like to hear the views of fellow members on this.

Thanks,
twinturbo.

Tesla semi is able to achieve lower drag coefficient compared to other trucks due to the design of the cabin. The driver is placed in the center of the cabin so the profile is more symmetrical. By using large wrapping glass windshield area , the laminar flow is made smoother. These changes help in achieving lower drag coefficient. However comparing it with Bugatti Chiron is moot as there are many other cars which have lower drag coefficient than Bugatti.
Audi A6: 2011-present (Cd 0.26)
BMW i8: 2014 (Cd 0.26)
Mazda3 Sedan: 2012-present (Cd 0.26)
Mercedes-Benz B-Class: 2012-present (Cd 0.26)
Nissan GT-R, 2011 - present (Cd 0.26)
Peugeot 508, 2011 - present (Cd 0.25)
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 2013-present (Cd 0.25)
Toyota Prius, 2010-present (Cd 0.25)
You can get more cars drag coefficient here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient

 

[kasscon]

To me, the Design of Semi looks like a Bullet train, not a Truck and the way they designed the cabin & the upper part of the hood makes it good in terms of aerodynamics thus the results are great.

Comparing it with Chiron is a great marketing and eyeball rounding.

Good Job Tesla!

 

[kkn13]

The drag coefficient with the superior Tesla motor makes it insane fast, faster than some cars
Surely if the design,for the drag coefficient etc, is kept the same and a cheaper, less powerful motor thats localized is added, it can be very viable for India especially areas like Delhi

I know electrics arent as green as theory but at least in areas like Delhi, the pollution levels will come down if not overall carbon footprint by this move

Elon Musk is a genius and I really wish he had taken India over China for his recent expansion plans

Who knows, maybe with the Japan-India relations, we might get a "Tesla" of our own in the making via JV or FDI via a partner like Mahindra or Tata