Posted on 01/09/2024 10:44:42 AM PST by John Semmens
The rush to replace diesel buses with electric buses is not faring well in colder climates. The city of Skellefteå in Sweden has had to drastically cut short its electric bus service due to sub-zero temperatures. Marie Larsson, chief of the city's bus operations, explained, "at minus 40 degrees it is too cold for the electric buses. In hindsight its seems like we should've taken this factor into consideration before we invested so much time and money converting from diesel buses."
In Minnesota, the cities of Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul are having similar problems. Metro Transit spokesperson Drew Kerr said, "electric buses can remain in service for 70 to 75 miles before needing to return to the garage. Diesel buses have an average range of 690 miles. So, basically, we need a tenfold increase in the number of buses if we're going to go all-electric. However, given that an electric bus costs more than three times the $100,000 price of a diesel bus I don't know whether a total conversion is economically affordable."
Duluth spokesperson Dave Clark said, "the frequency of failure to perform for electric buses has been much higher than for diesel buses. There have been too many malfunctions and glitches. The EVs were extremely problematic right out of the gate. Technical and vendor-related issues have further hindered the transition, but we remain committed to transitioning to all electric no matter what. People will just have to get used to the idea that they can't just go anywhere they want whenever they want."
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg praised "the determination and heroic efforts of these beleaguered cities to save the environment from global warming. Riders will need to learn that some degree of immobility is inevitable if we hope to save the planet from melting."
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As it turns out, -40 C is the same as -40 F.
It’s the one point where the two scales meet.
‘k, dude, you got us all, mostly
Hey JS, what about Kelvin and Rankin?
I one watched a video from the Oymyakon, the coolest place on the earth. Children were waiting for school bus in down to -100F temperatures. Some of the children had to was like a mile to the bus stop!
The school bus must arrive, otherwise the children will freeze to death.
These people can never convert to EV!
Sorry. I couldn’t let that one go without...
Well they can always use them for a chicken coop should sell fast.
I grew up on ‘da Range, 60 miles north of Duluth, MN. As a kid (yes, I was a nerd) I learned the 30-30-30 rule. “At -30 F, with a 30 kt wind, exposed flesh freezes solid in 30 sec.”
Not exactly true but you don’t want to quibble. I snowshoed and camped at -40, and labored in the taconite mine pits. Cold ain’t fun. While I was working on my PhD in biophysics, specializing in how organisms adapted to extremes in their environments, I refined the relationships.
And as a one-generation-removed Norwegian (ishda, Swedes) what the hell do these ‘effing idiots expect? You can’t cheat the laws of thermodynamics.
If I had any sense, I’d stop writing. But I’m getting too old to give a damn. Before ETS, Dept Army personnel wanted me to go RA. “Hey, LT. We can give you a boat company in Panama, or the research post in Greenland.” Both were attractive. My own nuclear reactor? Hot damn. I taught survival at Ft. Sherman.
Yes. In my youth, I lived in some cold places too.
You just dress warm and adjust.
Those furs and fur hats, as politically incorrect they are, are very good for that weather!
But you cannot rely on electricity!
If it goes down, you are dead!
You need a fossil fuel, which is reliable, even in stove!
Nuclear power is the best source of energy right now, but people are scared of it (unnecessary!). About as scared as of UFO and psychic phenomena!
I guess, as partly Swedish, I have to disagree with one of your points.
We can discuss Swedish jokes about Norwegians, if you wish!
Believe it or not, Fairbanks Alaska actually has an electric schoolbus. Utterly stupid.
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