Internal Combustion is Dead
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Not quite dead, and Marielle Segarra's title is as not quite accurate as this one is.
And a thing in their future.
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Interesting. Isn't Volvo now owned by China?
It is still a Swedish company, but wholly owned by a Chinese company. This was actually the best thing that happened to Volvo. They now have access to deep pockets to fund additional R&D.
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The old Saab Automobile is now....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electric_Vehicle_Sweden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electric_Vehicle_Sweden
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Also a Chinese company.
R
To be clear, Volvo heavy trucks are a completely different company and still swedish owned.
Exactly, Ford was killing them slowly. The new Volvos are far more appealing than anything Ford did (which was in part ruining them by making them FWD).
To be clear, Volvo heavy trucks are a completely different company and still swedish owned.
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Internal combustion engine vehicles are not dead. You are forgetting the Gorilla Majority in the United States' population and Electoral College.
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Wait until cars reach a greater than 50% electrical and then the power companies will crank up their rates as they will think of themselves as the new Mobil/Exxons of the world...
Long on dividends from D and SO...
Long on dividends from D and SO...
Mercedes Benz manufacturing positions itself for shift to battery electric vehicles:
http://www.industryweek.com/competitiveness/mercedes-metal-stampers-brace-fight-electrics-star-rises
http://www.industryweek.com/competitiveness/mercedes-metal-stampers-brace-fight-electrics-star-rises
Mercedes AA Class EV (SNL Parody): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AlndKQSs6Q
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Until really large batteries are available long haul pickups will be ic engine. It takes a lot of energy to move large heavy objects long distances. The energy density of current batteries won't do the job.
Smallish commuter cars will probably go electric quickly as it works well for shortish trips with 50kw+ batteries. Even in the cold you can safely do 50 miles per day easily.
Smallish commuter cars will probably go electric quickly as it works well for shortish trips with 50kw+ batteries. Even in the cold you can safely do 50 miles per day easily.
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Tesla has announced a HD semi which will be available later this year.
Also if you google "electric bus fleets" you'll find several stories about municipalities that are going all electric.
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http://insideevs.com/tesla-electric-semi-truck-colossal-battery/
<An electric semi truck? Is that even practical? Certainly, the obstacles are enormous. The Knights of the Highway haul tons of cargo over long distances in all weathers. For an electric vehicle (EV) to make a dent in the current diesel fleet, it will need power, long range and durability – and building a viable vehicle isn’t the only challenge. There is no highway charging network suitable for heavy-duty vehicles, and with diesel fuel currently so cheap, there’s little incentive for operators to switch from conventional trucks.>
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And if you look at how many miles these vehicles can travel before retiring for the day to recharge, you'll have a better perspective on the subject of OTR hauling.
ICE might be dead (or dying), but that doesn't mean that fossil fuels are dead. I believe that the most likely short-term is a transition from ICE to fossil fuel-fuel cell technology.
Imagine if the Volt, instead of having an ICE range extender, had a ~50 kW adaptive fuel cell stack that could run anything from LPG to diesel? It would see reduced weight; provide increased fuel efficiency; allow for a skateboard style battery (maybe even larger capacity?); and reduce the number of harmful emissions and particulates. Yeah... ICE is dead.
Imagine if the Volt, instead of having an ICE range extender, had a ~50 kW adaptive fuel cell stack that could run anything from LPG to diesel? It would see reduced weight; provide increased fuel efficiency; allow for a skateboard style battery (maybe even larger capacity?); and reduce the number of harmful emissions and particulates. Yeah... ICE is dead.
Trucking could change even faster than anyone is yet imagining. Long haul trucks travel well known routes for the majority of their miles. Creating an infrastructure where trucks pull in, get a batter changed out in minutes, and are back on the road is an easy lift. And this says nothing about the easy concept of making most trucking driver-less in short order. Again, because most of their miles are on straight highways. I would not bet against a big shift in trucking within a decade.
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