5 ms·

Does anyone know how USPS/UPS/Fedex trucks can start and stop their engines over and over and over without running down the batteries? Do they have 400 amp/hou

Does anyone know how USPS/UPS/Fedex trucks can start and stop their engines over and over and over without running down the batteries? Do they have 400 amp/hour monsters installed and recharge them at the depot, or what?

syntaxing 2y ago
Modern pure ICE cars have “idle-stop” technology. I believe it’s mandatory nowadays for any new pure ICE car in the US. One of the perks of buying hybrid IMO, the engine stopping at every stop is kind of annoying.
- datavirtue 2y ago
  Yep, a lot of people turn it off due to it lashing the hell out of the timing chain significantly bumping up the $2000-$3000 maintenance schedule, or indeed making it even necessary. In addition, when the starter goes out it sells for about $1000. Part only. All of this amounts to dramatically reducing the service life of the engine. Replacing an engine costs a lot of CO2. Some will opt to just junk the beast because a new engine is $10k. I could go on and on. Avoid stop+start tech. It's meant to make ICE so unreliable that you run to an EV to get rid of all that shit mess.
- lesuorac 2y ago
  I'm not sure it's mandatory per-say. The stop-idle can factor into your mpg so it's an easy way to boost it (which there are requirements about).
  - ghaff 2y ago
    I've actually been curious about that. For all the zillion things I can configure in my Honda Passport, I can apparently not turn that annoying feature off. It's OK. I just reflexively hit the button when I start the car now. But I assume having it non-configurable factors into some fleet MPG calculation. (It's annoying because it interjects a slight delay when I make a left-hand turn.)
    - insaneirish 2y ago
      > For all the zillion things I can configure in my Honda Passport, I can apparently not turn that annoying feature off. Here you go: https://www.idlestopper.com/ https://www.idlestopper.com/ Sad that this is what it's come to, but here we are. I was considering purchasing a Honda recently, and this was one of the things I investigated. Like you, I consider the hesitation imposed by this mechanism to be annoying, and in addition, dangerous.
      - ghaff 2y ago
        I hate sticking third-party modules into my vehicles but I also hate the hesitation on uncontrolled left-hand turns in particular. Seems dangerous. I've pretty much just made it a reflex to hit the turn-off button when I turn on the car. At least it's easy once a reflex. Too bad. It seems a great vehicle otherwise. Like it a lot more than my previous 4Runner.
        insaneirish 2y ago
        > but I also hate the hesitation on uncontrolled left-hand turns in particular. Seems dangerous. Bingo. This is exactly where it scares me, particularly when I'm already in an intersection. > I've pretty much just made it a reflex to hit the turn-off button when I turn on the car. At least it's easy once a reflex. My daily driver is old enough not to have auto stop/start. My problem is my wife's vehicle has it. She instinctively turns it off as soon as she's in the vehicle. Because I only drive her vehicle sporadically, I don't have the muscle memory to do that, so it inevitably catches me by surprise.
        ghaff 2y ago
        It's pretty idiotic I can permanently turn off a bunch of the safety features on the car but not this. As you say, it's pretty reflexive to just turn it off when you start the car if you're used to it. When I do a road trip with a friend when we share driving, I always have to remember to reach over and turn it off for her because it annoys her as much as it annoys me.
  - buildbot 2y ago
    It’s not, most high performance sedans will leave it out as they don’t have enough volume to affect the averages anyway. My 2018 RS3 doesn’t have it, where as even the 2018 S3 does, 2024 still doesn’t have it: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/991842-RS3-Stop-Start-Function https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/991842-RS3-Sto...
Merad 2y ago
I don't know the exact answer but when I worked there while in college 20 years ago the package cars were never connected to chargers overnight, nor did they receive any other special attention. I would imagine that they use heavy duty batteries and just spend an enough time driving and idling that it all balances out during the workday.

syntaxing 2y ago

Modern pure ICE cars have “idle-stop” technology. I believe it’s mandatory nowadays for any new pure ICE car in the US. One of the perks of buying hybrid IMO, the engine stopping at every stop is kind of annoying.

datavirtue 2y ago
Yep, a lot of people turn it off due to it lashing the hell out of the timing chain significantly bumping up the $2000-$3000 maintenance schedule, or indeed making it even necessary. In addition, when the starter goes out it sells for about $1000. Part only. All of this amounts to dramatically reducing the service life of the engine. Replacing an engine costs a lot of CO2. Some will opt to just junk the beast because a new engine is $10k. I could go on and on. Avoid stop+start tech. It's meant to make ICE so unreliable that you run to an EV to get rid of all that shit mess.
lesuorac 2y ago
I'm not sure it's mandatory per-say. The stop-idle can factor into your mpg so it's an easy way to boost it (which there are requirements about).
- ghaff 2y ago
  I've actually been curious about that. For all the zillion things I can configure in my Honda Passport, I can apparently not turn that annoying feature off. It's OK. I just reflexively hit the button when I start the car now. But I assume having it non-configurable factors into some fleet MPG calculation. (It's annoying because it interjects a slight delay when I make a left-hand turn.)
  - insaneirish 2y ago
    > For all the zillion things I can configure in my Honda Passport, I can apparently not turn that annoying feature off. Here you go: https://www.idlestopper.com/ https://www.idlestopper.com/ Sad that this is what it's come to, but here we are. I was considering purchasing a Honda recently, and this was one of the things I investigated. Like you, I consider the hesitation imposed by this mechanism to be annoying, and in addition, dangerous.
    - ghaff 2y ago
      I hate sticking third-party modules into my vehicles but I also hate the hesitation on uncontrolled left-hand turns in particular. Seems dangerous. I've pretty much just made it a reflex to hit the turn-off button when I turn on the car. At least it's easy once a reflex. Too bad. It seems a great vehicle otherwise. Like it a lot more than my previous 4Runner.
      - insaneirish 2y ago
        > but I also hate the hesitation on uncontrolled left-hand turns in particular. Seems dangerous. Bingo. This is exactly where it scares me, particularly when I'm already in an intersection. > I've pretty much just made it a reflex to hit the turn-off button when I turn on the car. At least it's easy once a reflex. My daily driver is old enough not to have auto stop/start. My problem is my wife's vehicle has it. She instinctively turns it off as soon as she's in the vehicle. Because I only drive her vehicle sporadically, I don't have the muscle memory to do that, so it inevitably catches me by surprise.
        ghaff 2y ago
        It's pretty idiotic I can permanently turn off a bunch of the safety features on the car but not this. As you say, it's pretty reflexive to just turn it off when you start the car if you're used to it. When I do a road trip with a friend when we share driving, I always have to remember to reach over and turn it off for her because it annoys her as much as it annoys me.
- buildbot 2y ago
  It’s not, most high performance sedans will leave it out as they don’t have enough volume to affect the averages anyway. My 2018 RS3 doesn’t have it, where as even the 2018 S3 does, 2024 still doesn’t have it: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/991842-RS3-Stop-Start-Function https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/991842-RS3-Sto...

Merad 2y ago

I don't know the exact answer but when I worked there while in college 20 years ago the package cars were never connected to chargers overnight, nor did they receive any other special attention. I would imagine that they use heavy duty batteries and just spend an enough time driving and idling that it all balances out during the workday.