Posted on 09/19/2023 6:00:29 AM PDT by Cronos
Pepsico explained how it uses its fleet of Tesla Semi electric trucks in a fascinating video that gives us a glimpse at the future of trucking.
Tesla has only delivered a limited number of its electric semitrucks, and most of them are believed to be in operation in Pepsico’s fleet – primarily in its Sacramento facility, which has been completely electrified and is solar-powered. .
Pepsico explained that it uses most of its 21 Tesla Semi electric trucks for deliveries within 100 miles with several stops. They operate for up to 12 hours a day.
Dejan Antunovic, electrification program manager at Pepsico, explained that three of the Tesla Semi trucks are dedicated to long-haul trucking, with routes that vary between 250 to 450 miles.
To support that, Tesla has been installing 750 kW Megachargers at Pepsico facilities. They enable charging to 80% capacity in less than 45 minutes. ...
Antunovic says that the company has been pushing the trucks to their limits, and they have been impressed. They find Tesla Semi’s regenerative braking to be particularly beneficial. As an example, he explained that, on the way down Donner Pass when going to Nevada, the Tesla Semi was able to be energy neutral by recuperating energy from braking.
The program manager noted that they have been able to achieve an efficiency of 1.7 kWh per mile on average with Tesla Semi. Pepsico specifically mentioned that this level of efficiency was achieved “over the last few months,” meaning that it has been improving.
That’s incredible, considering a rate of $0.14 per kWh, the off-peak rate in Sacramento – this would result in a 23% fuel cost reduction over the most efficient diesel trucks. You can imagine how those savings could add up pretty quickly on a large fleet of trucks.
(Excerpt) Read more at electrek.co ...
“Your caption for the photo, not mine.”
Not my caption. Quoting the post I responded to.
“I have worked with trucking firms that are testing battery technology in their fleets even now, and I can assure you that nobody has produced a battery-powered Class 8 tractor that provides a lower life-cycle cost than a conventional diesel tractor.”
If true how do you explain your ignorance of EV dynamic braking going downhill?
How many 10 year-old trucks/vans do you think FedEx, Schneider, Swift Trucking, etc. have out on the road? The number is so small that it rounds off to 0% of their fleets.
Fair point.
“How many 10 year-old trucks/vans do you think FedEx, Schneider, Swift Trucking, etc. have out on the road? “
You are referring to diesel and gas trucks ...
They carry batteries instead of cargo.
I understood the statement clearly. But did I take the term "zero out" too literally? Gaining energy doesn't yield a net of ZERO.
” If I need my vehicles running 24 hours a day or traveling greater distances, “
THAT is the niche market!!!
Not hardly, particularly in Trucking. Most Semis are not driving 100 miles a day, they are driving the max allowed by law if they only have 1 drive, and twice that if they are team.
CDL haul truck driver is doing 11 hours of driving a day, and putting 500-600 miles a day or more on their vehicles... they are not driving 100 miles a day.
100 miles a day is a commuter vehicle. 6:30am to about 10:30Pm, stopped for gas and to piss 3 times (less than 10 minutes a stop), one stop just for food, 20 minutes, and 2 additional rest stops to piss < 5 minutes. 1000 miles in about 16 hours... If I had an electric vehicle this day of travel would have been a multiple day trip, with charging time grossly exceeding driving time.
Electric vehicles are a niche vehicle, only short distances where large and long recharge times between them are possible. Fleet of service vehicles with limited area to service, a perfect use case to consider electric. Someone who needs purely a commuter vehicle, that does nothing else... fine... but most private owners do not just use a vehicle for that.. sure that might be 70-80% of what they use a vehicle for, but it doesn’t remotely cover their needs.
Pure electrics are just not viable as a general purpose vehicle, nor are they going to be anytime soon for a multitude of reasons.
Most days I drive my care less than a hundred miles, last week however I put 1000 miles on it in 1 day. I own a single vehicle, Yes, an electric commuter vehicle would fit my needs maybe 70-80% of the time, but it doesn’t fit the typical drives needs fully and can’t
I have a Dell Latitude D820 from 2006. That would make it 17 years old. It’s a stand-alone machine I use for one software package that doesn’t work on anything in my office newer than that.
16 hours I traveled 1000 miles in 1 day...
Ah, a perpetual motion semi truck. It can drag tons of weight up and down the pass for free.
Even the most advanced dynamic braking system in the world doesn't do anything to help EV technology bridge the gap with ICEs for heavy trucks.
Here's all you need to know about the trucking industry when it comes to heavy truck EV applications:
1. Nobody is buying EVs through their regular fleet procurement processes. They're all being purchased on a pilot basis through their corporate "sustainability" initiatives.
2. See Item #1. The only companies buying heavy EV trucks are the ones that are big enough to even have corporate sustainability departments.
3. Money Quote (heard repeatedly in the trucking industry): "If the government didn't require us to use these in State X or Port District Y, we wouldn't even think of buying them."
Exactly. And that technology is far more mature and reliable than EV technology.
Every trucking fleet manager knows that the EV truck procurement process is a crap shoot with terrible odds. Look at the history of video cassette recorders back in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1975 Betamax had 100% of the video cassette market. VHS was introduced the following year, and within ten years it had supplanted Betamax as the preferred technology for VCRs.
Battery-powered trucks will face a similar future, but with much worse odds. For trucks, there will be one winning "VHS" technology and at least a dozen "Betamax" losers. The trucking firms that are purchasing the "Betamax" models today will be the biggest losers of them all.
Apparently those battery-powered trucks are more energy-efficient driving over mountain passes than they are on flat ground.
Lol- could be. A backup battery pack, just incase, and a backup to the backup pack lol
I would think a diesel truck would be more difficult to automate driverless functions. Electric trucks have a legitimate place in the commercial transportation industry. I personally have no idea about the final numbers but would think employing the driver would be just behind fuel when it comes to operating costs.
Unfortunately, on the way up the Donner Pass all recuperated energy was consumed.
Keep it up Pepsi and I’ll sell all of my Pepsico stocks!
What these corporate Wokeists need to consider is where in the hell is all the electricity coming from? The more American idiots keep buying these firebombs the less Americans will have to cool and heat their homes.
If true how do you explain your ignorance of EV dynamic braking going downhill?Using your "dynamic braking" logic Pepsico should have their distribution facilities at the top of Donner summit.
Then their heavy deliveries will all be down hill in both directions to Cal. and Nevada.
They can charge their dead batteries on the down slope and return empty on fully charged batteries never needing charging stations.
How much extra CO2 is generated to create the additional electrify to charge the trucks? About 80% of US electric power is generated by non renewable source. So where would the power be coming from to charge fleets of new electric cars and trucks?
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