New electric Ram

[2012RAM1500RT]

It will also still be some time out in the future when EV's will pass fuel vehicles in sales and even farther out when most vehicles will be EV's. I'm sure the two will grow in sync. No one knows the future so anything past yesterday is just speculation.

This is what I agree with 100%! Neither side knows facts!

 

[mcarey]

120V single phase is too slow for a nationwide public grid network. It should be restricted to home and private use. Takes 7+ hours for recharges.

Are there any public chargers running on 120v, at the pay for charge stations?

I can envision them existing at the free public ones which is fine IMO, being free and all, and more so not designed for full charging applications.

 

[mcarey]

This is what I agree with 100%! Neither side knows facts!

For sure, and I don't think it even should be an "either side thing" really. I did the math somewhere a few pages back, but even all manufacturers stopped making ICE vehicles today, and every new car sold was an EV, it'd take north of a decade (if I remember correctly) to even even generate the number of ICE cars currently on the road. And we can all agree on that not happening any time soon.

Follow that with considering how many of those ICE cars will remain on the road, for an innumerable amount of reasonable reasons, it's safe to assume that it'll take significantly longer for EVs to be the majority. And even longer before ICE vehicles are at a point of rarity.

It's a fairly simple numbers thing.

 

[mcarey]

I have no problem sharing, just didn't think it was relevant to the conversation. I started this in 1990 and sold it in 2016. https://canev.com/
They had three cars at SEMA this year with a cool V8 looking electric motor idea.

Way cool. The current applications are killer, too. I'll have to look at the ice resurfacers at the rinks I play at. I know one is propane, but I have a feeling the others may be electric.

You still involved at all?

 

[HEMIMANN]

Are there any public chargers running on 120v, at the pay for charge stations?

I can envision them existing at the free public ones which is fine IMO, being free and all, and more so not designed for full charging applications.

I've read there are both, have no idea what % is which.
Even though std building service is 240V single phase, most outlets are 120V single phase because most equipment is low ampacity - until EVs, that is.
240V outlets are much more expensive. Like for your microwave and air conditioner at home.

Look at the pricing for home chargers.

 

[Evguy1]

Way cool. The current applications are killer, too. I'll have to look at the ice resurfacers at the rinks I play at. I know one is propane, but I have a feeling the others may be electric.

You still involved at all?

There are some OEM electric Ice machines but they are taking advantage of the indoor air quality issues that have come up in the last 5 years at rinks and are WAY overpriced. We had at least two cities buy brand new propane units and then had us convert them to electric and still came out 10's of thousands of dollars ahead.
I still offer some guidance when needed but that is rare. The technology moves so fast that my 35 years of experience is mostly obsolete. They do call from time to time about older units. We had sold 25 trucks to Santa Monica in 2019 but COVID ended the contract after delivering just 16 trucks. They use a few of them around the SM pier.
My favorite part of the job was doing road trips. I would load a truck on the back of our shop truck and spend 2-6 weeks on the road demonstrating to cities and universities. Saw a lot of great country on those trips into the US.

 

[Evguy1]

Are there any public chargers running on 120v, at the pay for charge stations?

I have never seen a 120V public charging station, they are OK for home use where you have 6-12hr to recharge but all the public stations up here are the 220V level 2 stations and very from 15-70 amp, most of those are 30 amp and free. The level 2's are normally what you find at a mall or doughnut shop and hotels where they are trying to attract the EV customer. Then there are the level 3 fast chargers and those are pay to use and starting to show up mostly at gas stations. I have not heard of anyone having to give up their land for a charging station as someone earlier suggested.

 

[mcarey]

Whoops. Ran into some formatting situation and seemingly can't delete a duplicate post.

Sorry for the spammy double post.

 

[mcarey]

I have never seen a 120V public charging station, they are OK for home use where you have 6-12hr to recharge but all the public stations up here are the 220V level 2 stations and very from 15-70 amp, most of those are 30 amp and free. The level 2's are normally what you find at a mall or doughnut shop and hotels where they are trying to attract the EV customer. Then there are the level 3 fast chargers and those are pay to use and starting to show up mostly at gas stations. I have not heard of anyone having to give up their land for a charging station as someone earlier suggested.

That was my assumption as well, but I figured I'd ask instead of making a largely baseless (though I'd prefer to call it a thoughtfully opinionated) claim.

I too have yet to hear about land grabs in the market. In my opinion, it's unnecessary too. The fuel stations still want to capture all those drivers more than anyone else. They make their nut in the stores, not at the pumps. What better of a business situation could you have than people on your property who have 20-30 minutes to kill.

There are some OEM electric Ice machines but they are taking advantage of the indoor air quality issues that have come up in the last 5 years at rinks and are WAY overpriced. We had at least two cities buy brand new propane units and then had us convert them to electric and still came out 10's of thousands of dollars ahead.

I've always found it interesting how many run propane. Growing up my local rink had an electric one, albeit corded. Never really understood the negative, even in that aspect.

I've only played on a few ice sheets where it made sense (compared to the corded variation, moreso) to some degree. Places with multiple rinks, and in Salmon ID on their outdoor rink.

 

[Evguy1]

I've always found it interesting how many run propane. Growing up my local rink had an electric one, albeit corded.

I have never seen a corded one, that must be a small machine or one mother of a cord, they use a lot of power. The most interesting "vehicle" we ever built an electric drive system for was this log for the TV show Timber kings.

 

[mcarey]

I have never seen a corded one, that must be a small machine or one mother of a cord, they use a lot of power. The most interesting "vehicle" we ever built an electric drive system for was this log for the TV show Timber kings.View attachment 485755

That looks like an absolute hoot to drive!

The machine looked identical to this:

 

[Mister Luck]

I think we need to be honest and less glib about how we feel about new technology,
this thread now seem to have turned more into a job interview than advice ,
we’re not here to promote our qualifications to some
watchful big brother

I’ve driven successful technology and its not singularity electric you need go know this history of propulsion vehicles and physics to realize what’s going to work an what doesn’t .

The idea about diesel hybrid would be great, nothing I’ve seen even Elon’s offerings have not impressed me more than hybrids.

Even hybrids have draw backs because of weight,

(medium to full size trucks are the ideal platform because of this)

weight is a big issue with any alternative fuel vehicle because solvents are some of the lightest (besides gaseous vapor),
for example LNG is a great idea not many know it’s an easy change over from diesel because of the compression requirements ,
I think some of the conversion companies take less than a couple days to convert a new diesel to running LNG but like alternative fuels its the range and maintenance issues that make them less than ideal as an acceptable economical replacement.

And I think that the ideal is
economic ratio of weight, range, and cost.

I think what most designers what to know is the status quo so we need to be smart about what makes sense and what we want.

the farm is build around the proverbial cow,
you can’t kill the cow to save the farm, it doesn’t make economic sense. it shouldn’t be RAM Revolution it should be Evolution

One is disruptive the other takes more time and is logical

In the “cancel culture society”
( many of that philosophical school )
end up cutting of their own head to spite their face,
but we all suffer from the loss, in disruptive idealism.

 

[HEMIMANN]

The school districts around here replaced diesel buses with propane buses 10 years ago. I don't remember the cost, but they weren't gasified diesel engines - they were the former GM big block purchased by PSI company. We used them at work also. No reports how they're holding up.

 

[Evguy1]

I think we need to be honest and less glib about how we feel about new technology,
this thread now seem to have turned more into a job interview than advice ,
we’re not here to promote our qualifications to some
watchful big brother

I assume this is directed to me. I'm sorry if you feel this way. I assure you I'm fully retired an have no need to interview for "Big Brother" I never understood why people watched that show anyway. I thought my pictures added a bit of color to this thread. I will refrain.

 

[mcarey]

I assume this is directed to me. I'm sorry if you feel this way. I assure you I'm fully retired an have no need to interview for "Big Brother" I never understood why people watched that show anyway. I thought my pictures added a bit of color to this thread. I will refrain.

You managed to get quite a bit more out of that rambling than I was capable of.

The school districts around here replaced diesel buses with propane buses 10 years ago. I don't remember the cost, but they weren't gasified diesel engines - they were the former GM big block purchased by PSI company. We used them at work also. No reports how they're holding up.

I wish they would do that here, or at least on the bus that picks up the kids in my neighborhood. That hunk of junk would probably make even the coal rollers embarassed.

 

[Mister Luck]

I assume this is directed to me. I'm sorry if you feel this way. I assure you I'm fully retired an have no need to interview for "Big Brother" I never understood why people watched that show anyway. I thought my pictures added a bit of color to this thread. I will refrain.

Sorry wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular,
I will point out though that you’re not really as old “retired” as you try to make yourself sound if you think the reference to “big brother” is a tv show.

 

[Evguy1]

Sorry wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular,
I will point out though that you’re not really as old “retired” as you try to make yourself sound if you think the reference to “big brother” is a tv show.

You are correct I'm a young 62 as of last week and don't give a crap if someone wants to hire me, I'm retired, period. As for Big brother, I did not want to bring up conspiracy theory's and politics and prefer to answer with humor then spite.

 

[mcarey]

That Chevy Silverado EV in the ad tonight is somehow uglier than the current gen, but four wheel steering is another thing I'm very happy to see becoming more prevalent. Time for RAM to join the club.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

I believe every car ad on the Superbowl was for an electric vehicle...

 

[mikeru]

That Chevy Silverado EV in the ad tonight is somehow uglier than the current gen, but four wheel steering is another thing I'm very happy to see becoming more prevalent. Time for RAM to join the club.

It's cool to see 4WS come back. Not sure why they think it will do any better than it did 20 or so years ago with the Quadrasteer trucks. Other cars have had it through the years as well. It has a cult following with 3rd gen Honda Prelude owners, but most people didn't feel comfortable with it on the test drive.