Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

If you want electric trucks it seems like the no-brainer is (in addition to lot tenders) local delivery vans. I already see electric Amazon vans everywhere. You go out, make the day's deliveries, then come back and charge while docked. It's an obvious fit.

Long haul trucking is the worst fit for today's EV tech.

Building more freight rail and electrifying it is another option for (some) long haul transport that isn't discussed enough.




> Building more freight rail and electrifying it is another option for (some) long haul transport that isn't discussed enough.

Most are, it's just that the electric part is generated by a diesel engine. That being said, they're already several times more efficient per ton than a semi is.


>it's just that the electric part is generated by a diesel engine

while technically correct, not a useful observation


What’s the proposition to “electrify” trains? Batteries or a live wire everywhere there’s train tracks?

Both seem really inefficient to me with our current technology.


Yes, around the world electric freight locomotives are powered by overhead lines, and more occasionally by a third rail. It is a mature technology and the US is an exception among industrialized countries (China, all of Europe, Russia, Australia, Japan, etc) in that they use only diesel for freight.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: