When to go electric for a tow vehicle

[primepower]

Originally Posted by DewTheDew

Like I said; your requirements are so stringent you even have to modify a current diesel to meet them.

As for fill ups I think if it were 30 minutes it wouldn't make a dent in my stops. Especially when towing. Gotta pee, get a snack, maybe McDs for lunch. When I am solo in my car driving long days I pop in and out of a gas station, but when towing I have my wife, dog, perhaps grandkids so each stop is more of an "event"

I did have to modify my diesel only because a short bed only has one tank. However I'm up for modifying an EV also if it fits my needs. My family owned a trucking company when I was growing up so my current family only stops every 4 hours and only at rest areas to save time. Being in the Army I'm often traveling far to get where I want to be and time is too important to sit at a gas station or wait for my EV to charge. That is time not spent at my destination or with the people I am traveling to visit. Maybe in the future as I age and retire I'll have more free time and I can then waste it waiting for a charge. That's not any time soon.

[Isuzusweet]

Hmmmm, I wonder by mounting a Yamaha EF6300isde generator on the A frame of our 1978 6.7m Minuet, and the lower frontal area of the Minuet, wether I could have unlimited range in an EV with the generator running?[emoji6][emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[kscherzi]

Maybe

[rmkrum]

The only question would be if the EV can recharge at all while in motion...

[OTRA15]

Bingo . . .

[azeeb]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Hmmmm, I wonder by mounting a Yamaha EF6300isde generator on the A frame of our 1978 6.7m Minuet, and the lower frontal area of the Minuet, wether I could have unlimited range in an EV with the generator running?[emoji6][emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

I would estimate you would need 10 to 15 of those generators running continuously to keep the battery charged. An EV needs about 0.35 kWh per mile for normal operation. Towing a trailer that jumps to more like 1 kWh per mile. At 60 mph your generator needs to produce 60 kilowatts to keep up with demand. The generator you mentioned peaks at 5.5 kW.

[Rocinante]

That might be interesting if it just extended the range a decent amount while providing between 40 and 50amps of AC power. That's how the Chevy Volt works - it has only an electric motor to move the car. The onboard engine is a generator / range-extender.

Meanwhile, our BEV Chevy Bolt warns us vigorously if we turn it on while plugged in. Not sure whether it would allow us to drive that way, as we haven't tried since our cord is too short for that.

[dznf0g]

No, not even close. My Volt consumes 15 to 20 kw at 70 mph driving solo (of course).

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Hmmmm, I wonder by mounting a Yamaha EF6300isde generator on the A frame of our 1978 6.7m Minuet, and the lower frontal area of the Minuet, wether I could have unlimited range in an EV with the generator running?[emoji6][emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[mojo]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Hmmmm, I wonder by mounting a Yamaha EF6300isde generator on the A frame of our 1978 6.7m Minuet, and the lower frontal area of the Minuet, wether I could have unlimited range in an EV with the generator running?[emoji6][emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

Yeah, run a gas generator to power your electric car so you don't have to drive a gas fueled car, duh!

[Prettygood]

You all need to read this. The CEO of Airstream is actively looking into EVs and how to beat match towing an Airstream with one...


https://apple.news/AHD1PGlt5QpCl8dHHY6T4IQ

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by mojo

Yeah, run a gas generator to power your electric car so you don't have to drive a gas fueled car, duh!

Me thinks there was a healthy dose of humor/sarcasm in the post you quoted . . . check the emoji's at the end.





FYI
FWIW

[OTRA15]

FYI there is a new "Tesla Pickup Truck II" thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ii-204975.html

Peter

[Post #530 here -- click on orange arrow in quote to go directly there and see the video.]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

FYI the Tesla Pickup Truck thread has been closed:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ck-189602.html

The last dozen or so posts are well said, and the video posted by Tuco in Post #331 is worth watching IMO. [You can go to time stamp 16:00 for the basic conclusions.]
. . .

FYI
FWIW

[DavidsonOverlander]

Interesting article for anyone who would like to take a closer look at the effect of battery production on the environment, and how the problems may be solved.

The EV revolution will take batteries, but are they ethical?
How automakers can clean up the dirty minerals that power them in the global race to electrify cars
BY ADRIA VASIL - January 20, 2020

[skyguyscott]

Without wanting to wade into a social media morass on Ethics, I would only make the following observations:

A thin internet news article that mentions ethics but does not even attempt an honest philosophical analysis of the ethical questions involved is little more than click-bait.

Honest questions of ethics require serious discussion of the full range of moral choices at hand, how they are limited, and the long chains of consequences and relative value judgements resulting from and associated with each. This is hardly that.

The elements and chemical compounds necessary for batteries is wholly independent of whither mining companies enslave child laborers. The former is just science, and while the line between employment and exploitation has never been particularly bright or universal, the latter remains reprehensible in almost every conceivable case and culture, and the blame clearly rests with those who choose enslavement, not those who purchase or use the goods produced by that labor which could obviously be obtained by more ethically sound means.

All ethical questions when honestly followed to their logical ends ask various iterations of whether the world would be better off with or without us/if any value we produce is worth the costs we accrue/if the love and happiness we forever pursue but so rarely hold is worth the pain and tragedy we leave in our wake. Philosophers, playwrights, prophets and poets have been wrestling with these questions for ages and I doubt we will settle any of these issues here on the Airstream forums.

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by skyguyscott

Without wanting to wade into a social media morass on Ethics, I would only make the following observations:

A thin internet news article that mentions ethics but does not even attempt an honest philosophical analysis of the ethical questions involved is little more than click-bait.

Honest questions of ethics require serious discussion of the full range of moral choices at hand, how they are limited, and the long chains of consequences and relative value judgements resulting from and associated with each. This is hardly that.

The elements and chemical compounds necessary for batteries is wholly independent of whither mining companies enslave child laborers. The former is just science, and while the line between employment and exploitation has never been particularly bright or universal, the latter remains reprehensible in almost every conceivable case and culture, and the blame clearly rests with those who choose enslavement, not those who purchase or use the goods produced by that labor which could obviously be obtained by more ethically sound means.

All ethical questions when honestly followed to their logical ends ask various iterations of whether the world would be better off with or without us/if any value we produce is worth the costs we accrue/if the love and happiness we forever pursue but so rarely hold is worth the pain and tragedy we leave in our wake. Philosophers, playwrights, prophets and poets have been wrestling with these questions for ages and I doubt we will settle any of these issues here on the Airstream forums.

I think "thin internet news article" and "clickbait" is a little harsh. Virtually everything that appears in print also appears on the Internet, and I figured that it was easier to read this way than me taking a photo of my newspaper.

I would love to read something more complete if you've got it, but you're right that this is a very complex issue. I didn't put this out with the idea that it was the answer to all of our questions, or to get into a philosophical argument, but to provide food for thought of possible solutions to the environmental impact of electric cars (for those who care). I thought it provided some good background information on the problems being faced and possible solutions.

Did I misunderstand you, or did you really mean to say that consumers don't have any responsibility to ensure that the products we purchase are produced ethically?

[GMFL]

My buddy Sean says he’s in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI9JjVXupL8

[Isuzusweet]

GM is coming out with a 1000 HP, all electric Hummer pickup. It was teased on Superbowl Sunday.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

GM is coming out with a 1000 HP, all electric Hummer pickup. It was teased on Superbowl Sunday.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

Recent thread on this: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...up-204989.html

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by DavidsonOverlander

Did I misunderstand you, or did you really mean to say that consumers don't have any responsibility to ensure that the products we purchase are produced ethically?

As Kierkegaard might say, as living adults we are condemned to the freedom of making decisions, but often lack clear standards to make responsible judgments.

For instance in the linked article, those advocating for more ethical sourcing of the materials used in battery production also recognize the larger dilemma of continuing to use fossil fuels which have been proven to be an existential threat to a life sustaining climate. Ethical choices are seldom clear-cut. In this current dilemma, if you were in need of a new tow vehicle, would you purchase an EV, assuming it was able to meet your needs, but knowing that it was built with components procured by slave labor — or would you purchase an ICE vehicle knowing that its emissions would continue to contribute to climate change?

Which is the more ethical choice? Sadly, few consumers would even take such ethical concerns into consideration, I’m afraid. But assuming you do, how would you frame the choice before you? How would you justify the choice you make? What would be the ramifications of any consequences resulting from the decision that you make? Are there any unintentional but foreseeable consequences your choice may have? What would the impact be if all adults made the same choice as you? Is there an ethically viable justification for someone making a different ethical choice, or is yours the only ethically valid choice possible?

[OTRA15]

FYI an interesting new thread about GM's change in direction away from gas/diesel engines:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f46...-a-218860.html

Should change the "tow vehicle" landscape, eh?



FYI