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> pantograph electric trucks This works better for buses, since you can get a lot of utility out of fairly little infrastructure since buses are most useful in
by George83728 3y ago
> pantograph electric trucks
This works better for buses, since you can get a lot of utility out of fairly little infrastructure since buses are most useful in the small regions where population density is the greatest.
To electrify freight, we should start with trains. Those are the low hanging fruit; Europe has a lot of electrified freight rail but the US has virtually none. We could also start taxing the hell out of long haul trucking; the US already has a great deal of freight rail (unlike passenger rail) and it could get even more use if we invested in upgrading those lines and discouraged long-haul trucking. But the hard part, getting the right of ways for rail, is already done.
- bombcar 3y agoYeah rail is exceptionally low hanging fruit especially since there are any number of diesel motive commuter and intercity trains that could be upgraded today for reasonable amounts of cash (depending on where in the climate fight they fall). They’re nice because the total track miles are low and they don’t leave their area, nor need to worry about loading and unloading containers, etc.
- theluketaylor 3y agoEspecially with a little bit of battery in the locomotive. A huge chunk of the expensive to string overhead wires for pantographs is bridges, tunnels, and other obstructions not sized for the space needed for the wires. If the train can supply some power to hop between some relatively small gaps suddenly the whole project is pretty affordable. Same thinking applies to trolly buses. If the bus can supply its own power through intersections and when moving between routes or just around the bus depot suddenly nearly all the logistical headaches of trolly buses go away and the same amount of battery that would get you 1 BEV bus gets you a whole fleet of trolley buses going all over the city.