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The article doesn't mention it, but another example of the "electric makes things better" mentality is trains. Trains are in some respects easier to electrify

The article doesn't mention it, but another example of the "electric makes things better" mentality is trains. Trains are in some respects easier to electrify than even trucks, let alone ships, by virtue of them being on fixed tracks (no need for batteries on electrified tracks except as a backup in case of power outages) and by virtue of train cars being readily swappable (so even on not-yet-electrified networks, trains could swap their depleted battery cars for fresh ones at the station). Plus, freight trains support intermodal containers just like container ships do, so they can share the same sorts of battery-in-a-container idea.

aembleton 5y ago
I was thinking you could have a battery in a train, that is charged by pantographs at the station. Accelerating out of the station will use a lot of energy so for a mile or so there could be pantographs and then they won't be needed for a few miles whilst the train runs off the battery. The battery can be charged when slowing down for the station using regenerative braking and charged whilst idling at the station. This might be more complex and expensive though than just having the pantographs the full length of the line, but I thought about it recently when my local line was closed as a tunnel on it was too small to fit the pantographs through and had to be rebuilt.
- audunw 5y ago
  Some are doing this with buses on fixed routes. There are even experiments with trucks and pantographs, electrified rails and even wireless charging on limited sections of highways (in Sweden and Germany I believe). So should be feasible with trains too
thow-58d4e8b 5y ago
Interesting fact about trains - a lot of the diesel and gas locomotives do not burn fossil fuels to propel themselves, meaning there's no mechanical connection between the engines and the wheels. Instead, they burn the fuel to generate electricity, which is then utilized to drive electric motors

aembleton 5y ago

I was thinking you could have a battery in a train, that is charged by pantographs at the station. Accelerating out of the station will use a lot of energy so for a mile or so there could be pantographs and then they won't be needed for a few miles whilst the train runs off the battery. The battery can be charged when slowing down for the station using regenerative braking and charged whilst idling at the station. This might be more complex and expensive though than just having the pantographs the full length of the line, but I thought about it recently when my local line was closed as a tunnel on it was too small to fit the pantographs through and had to be rebuilt.

audunw 5y ago
Some are doing this with buses on fixed routes. There are even experiments with trucks and pantographs, electrified rails and even wireless charging on limited sections of highways (in Sweden and Germany I believe). So should be feasible with trains too

thow-58d4e8b 5y ago

Interesting fact about trains - a lot of the diesel and gas locomotives do not burn fossil fuels to propel themselves, meaning there's no mechanical connection between the engines and the wheels. Instead, they burn the fuel to generate electricity, which is then utilized to drive electric motors