Methinks the large load, coupled with energy required to crush each pickup, would yield a range shorter than a true sentence from Dorkbama.
Many fleets have already been converted to LPG and are considered to be ‘clean air’ type trucks. Now they want to convert them to battery power, again at the cost to the consumer, where the consumer gets little to no benefit. It doesn't pick up trash any quicker or cheaper, it just adds to the cost.
So while this is fascinating, and I'm glad that private commercial enterprises like FedEX are experimenting with this technology at their own cost, I see little to no reason to support outfitting even more vehicles at the cost of taxpayers or consumers where they don't have any input (IE competitive competition) to turn to.
Municipal vehicles like garbage trucks, street sweepers and busses are great candidates for use of alternative fuel technology. The energy demands can be defined clearly (X miles or Y hours of operation); they can return to centralized depots regularly for refueling and regular maintenance; and technicians can maintain extensive records for evaluating newer technology in the field.
Forcing the general public into adapting expensive golf carts as daily drivers offers none of these advantages, but it does give car companies plenty of opportunities to cozy up to their government overlords.
Ya know what we could go to Steam powered trucks and cars...
What happens in the cold weather? Severe thunderstorms?
I’m all for quieter hydraulics, which they ALWAYS seem to do at our house at 6:00 in the morning...
school buses, city utility vehicles, taxi cabs, any non-emergency city vehicle,...it could be done..so why NOT?
That would make a great name for a band.
The constant stop start make this a good fit for electric drive and regenatrive braking. But the energy requriments for a working day will need that gas engine to keep the batteries up through the working day.
Quiet. Not good, really.
Morning walkers and joggers and bicyclists and kids walking to school, all with plugs in their ears will be run over flat.
No to mention that dogs will lose the entertainment of anticipating and chasing them.
Think federally funded incentive programs. There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.