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It's not irony, it's infrastructure. People are routinely transported by rail, sea, and air. Even cars are routinely transported by rail, sea, and air. These t

It's not irony, it's infrastructure. People are routinely transported by rail, sea, and air. Even cars are routinely transported by rail, sea, and air. These trains run on diesel so if Telsa wants to be more serious they'll put hydrogen fuel cell or BEV trains into service: https://insideevs.com/news/685080/tesla-giga-berlin-train-shuttle-opens-runs-on-diesel/ https://insideevs.com/news/685080/tesla-giga-berlin-train-sh...

ben_w 3y ago
Surely the easiest option is to electrify the line rather than to retrofit the vehicles? (I'm genuinely surprised the train isn't already electric; if I've been on a diesel here, I've not noticed).
- orra 3y ago
  Absolutely. Electrification is way (2x? 3x?) more efficient than producing and transporting clean hydrogen, or using an electric battery. Using batteries isn't a goal. It's something we do when there is no alternative.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- johannes1234321 3y ago
  Electrifying a line isn't as easy as simply pulling a cable. You need more space above the train for the power line, which means all bridges and tunnels have to be adapted, thus rebuilt. You need space in the side to place the masts, which may mean acquiring land or some complex engineering in close (hilly?) areas. This then often means that regulation treats it as a major change, thus the whole signaling system and other aspects have to be adapted to current standards. And then you need all the side infrastructure like substations etc. In the end it's almost as expensive as building a new line.
  - ben_w 3y ago
    It's 3 miles, no hills or tunnels, and I can see from the Google maps arial and street view photos that the overhead wires are already present, at least until the last bit that branches off away from the main line and skirts around the edge of the Tesla site.
sgu999 3y ago
Trains have been electric for a few decades, you don't need super high tech batteries for that. I suspect the person you are replying to finds it ironic because Tesla is largely competing with the rebirth of good public transports in the west. Musk hates them and regularly says so. What we need is good public transports for most people, and EVs as small as possible for the rest. That's not what Musk (and Tesla) offer.
- lispm 3y ago
  > Trains have been electric for a few decades But not all train lines are electrified. There are now Hydrogen-based trains in Northern Germany for such tracks. https://www.dw.com/en/german-railway-firm-ushers-in-new-era-for-hydrogen-trains/a-64070343 https://www.dw.com/en/german-railway-firm-ushers-in-new-era-...
- palata 3y ago
  > I suspect the person you are replying to finds it ironic because Tesla is largely competing with the rebirth of good public transports in the west. Precisely. Thanks :-). > What we need is good public transports for most people, and EVs as small as possible for the rest. That's not what Musk (and Tesla) offer. Spot on!
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  > Tesla is largely competing with the rebirth of good public transports in the west Tesla is by a huge margin largely competing with ICE cars.
  - sgu999 3y ago
    Yes, that's the market they are biting into because the status quo is cars everywhere. Tesla is competing against that if we look at where we allocate our funds, our governments seem to prefer to subsidise big electric cars and new roads more than cycle lanes and railways... "EVs aren't here to save the climate, they are here to save cars"
    - 3y ago

ben_w 3y ago

Surely the easiest option is to electrify the line rather than to retrofit the vehicles? (I'm genuinely surprised the train isn't already electric; if I've been on a diesel here, I've not noticed).

orra 3y ago
Absolutely. Electrification is way (2x? 3x?) more efficient than producing and transporting clean hydrogen, or using an electric battery. Using batteries isn't a goal. It's something we do when there is no alternative.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
johannes1234321 3y ago
Electrifying a line isn't as easy as simply pulling a cable. You need more space above the train for the power line, which means all bridges and tunnels have to be adapted, thus rebuilt. You need space in the side to place the masts, which may mean acquiring land or some complex engineering in close (hilly?) areas. This then often means that regulation treats it as a major change, thus the whole signaling system and other aspects have to be adapted to current standards. And then you need all the side infrastructure like substations etc. In the end it's almost as expensive as building a new line.
- ben_w 3y ago
  It's 3 miles, no hills or tunnels, and I can see from the Google maps arial and street view photos that the overhead wires are already present, at least until the last bit that branches off away from the main line and skirts around the edge of the Tesla site.

sgu999 3y ago

Trains have been electric for a few decades, you don't need super high tech batteries for that. I suspect the person you are replying to finds it ironic because Tesla is largely competing with the rebirth of good public transports in the west. Musk hates them and regularly says so. What we need is good public transports for most people, and EVs as small as possible for the rest. That's not what Musk (and Tesla) offer.

lispm 3y ago
> Trains have been electric for a few decades But not all train lines are electrified. There are now Hydrogen-based trains in Northern Germany for such tracks. https://www.dw.com/en/german-railway-firm-ushers-in-new-era-for-hydrogen-trains/a-64070343 https://www.dw.com/en/german-railway-firm-ushers-in-new-era-...
palata 3y ago
> I suspect the person you are replying to finds it ironic because Tesla is largely competing with the rebirth of good public transports in the west. Precisely. Thanks :-). > What we need is good public transports for most people, and EVs as small as possible for the rest. That's not what Musk (and Tesla) offer. Spot on!
robertlagrant 3y ago
> Tesla is largely competing with the rebirth of good public transports in the west Tesla is by a huge margin largely competing with ICE cars.
- sgu999 3y ago
  Yes, that's the market they are biting into because the status quo is cars everywhere. Tesla is competing against that if we look at where we allocate our funds, our governments seem to prefer to subsidise big electric cars and new roads more than cycle lanes and railways... "EVs aren't here to save the climate, they are here to save cars"
  - 3y ago