Kip Hansen news summary – April 16, 2022
According to the US Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had “nSoon 12.5 million commercial large trucks and buses was registered in 2016”. There are more now.
Governments around the world are considering or actually enacting laws, rules, and regulations to phase out petroleum-powered transportation (gasoline and diesel) and replace it with fewer cars, trucks, and buses. or no emissions.
Jack Ewing, writes in the New York Times about the auto business and the transition to electric vehicles. His latest article is titled:
“Truck manufacturers face a technological dilemma: Battery or Hydrogen?”
“Under pressure to cut emissions, truck manufacturers are having to choose between batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Improper salary setting can cost them billions of dollars. ”
He said that the major truck manufacturers, in the US and Europe, have decided that they will be asked to forego the reliable source of diesel engines with which they have a lot of experience and turn to alternatives. low emissions.
“The truck manufacturers are divided into two camps. One faction, including Traton, Volkswagen’s truck unit, is betting on batteries as they are considered by many to be the most efficient option. Other camps, including Daimler Truck and VolvoThe two largest truck manufacturers, argue that fuel cells that convert hydrogen to electricity – which emits only steam – make more sense because they will allow long-haul trucks to be refueled quickly.”
Battery-powered long-haul trucks cost more than diesel trucks – up to three times according to Ewing – but there is at least a short-haul version one can buy. “For example, Daimler Truck began production of an electric version of the heavy duty Actros truck, with a maximum range of 240 miles, late last year.”
Yes, production, but they only sold 712 units in 2021 worldwide, compared with 455,000 ICE trucks the same year. “Daimler has a new Mercedes-Benz eActros long-range commercial van that costs three times the price of the petrol version.” [ source ]. These lorries have a range of around 400km or 240 miles – it’s not clear if this is highway mileage or distance covered in more pragmatic average driving conditions, such as London deliveries. or NY City.
And hydrogen fuel cells (HOT2) version? “In April (in 2021), Daimler began testing a long-distance truck prototype “GenH2” capable of traveling 600 miles between visits to the hydrogen pump. But much needs to be done to reduce the cost of the equipment, and there are still no networks of hydrogen refueling stations or adequate hydrogen supplies produced in a way that doesn’t cancel out the environmental benefits. ” [ source ]
Electric city buses, short-distance passenger vans such as airport shuttles or local delivery vans all have fundamental implications for batteries, as these types of vehicles return to the central depot every day, where they can be recharged and serviced.
Paul Gioupis, CEO of Zeem, a company that is building one of the largest electric vehicle charging depots in the country, about 1.5 kilometers from Los Angeles International Airport. Zeem will recharge the trucks and services and clean them for customers such as hotels, tour operators and delivery companies. ” [ source ]
Ewing points out that THEY2 trucks will be lighter and can be refueled (when a refueling station is available) in the same way as diesel trucks.
Either of these two technologies can win big, or these two technologies can share the market. Only time will tell.
The winner of the technology war will dominate the truck market in the future, worth billions of dollars. . . Win billions or lose billions if a manufacturer chooses a loss-making technology.
These big corporations have invested millions of US dollars and euros in research and put their best brains to try to predict the future.
Which technology do you think will come out on top?
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Author’s comment:
I have an unformed, unformed opinion. Battery power seems to have an advantage for the time being. Batteries are available and getting better and better. Electricity for charging is already well distributed along major trucking routes and is common even in less populated areas.
H2 very difficult to deal with – it comes out of containers and pipes and, ultimately, can cause an explosion. A leak can act as a FAE, a fuel-air explosive. Anyone with a little background in chemistry can make enough H2 stay home for danger (ask me, I have three of my sons at home school). That said, it burns clean only to generate energy and H2UMBRELLA.
I don’t think I would want to drive a car on existing US highways with a tank full of pure hydrogen mounted under the saddle.
Yes, I know, gasoline is also dangerous… .but not quite in the same way. Maybe it’s just me.
Thanks for reading.
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