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How would hydrogen fare for big (<-- keyword) trucks vs battery powered? For ex. I read that you lose a ton of efficiency if you start hauling or carrying a he

• exabrial 4y ago
  It's not about efficiency, it's about convenience; and this is where the damned hydrogen conversation keeps going off the rails! A tesla converts nearly 100% of it's potential energy into kinetic energy, but "refueling" is not convenient as an F150; which converts something like 15% of it's potential energy into kinetic energy, but can hold a _ton_ more energy and refueled in minutes. It's ok to be far less efficient if convenience to the consumer is increased, as long as the power source was carbon neutral.
  • mradek 4y ago
    I know, that's why I'm asking for big trucks only, like the people who use F250/350 for hauling, or larger. F150 is kind of a small truck, in the world of work trucks. It should be fine as a standard EV for most contractors, etc.
  • aidenn0 4y ago
    Colloquially, efficiency can be either dimensionless (e.g. x% efficient) or carry a dimension (e.g. L/100km, MPG, Wh/mi). In the latter sense, towing a load (particularly a high-drag load) will lower your efficiency.
  • nicoburns 4y ago
    It seems likely to me that this will get solved with better battery tech. Solid state lithium-ion batteries seem poised to hit commercial availability sometime this decade. And there are hundreds of other more battery techs in the research stages. They're obviously not available yet, but it's not so long ago that lithium-ion wasn't either. We can also have things like extra batteries that one can rent and stick in your trunk for longer journeys or times when you don't have time to wait. > It's ok to be far less efficient if convenience to the consumer is increased It's also ok if convenience to the consumer is decreased. Nobody is owned convenience.