Pepsi's electric trucking depot

[dan_b]

Interesting video looking at a Pepsi site in California where they have 21 Tesla Semi trucks.

My opening thought on the video was "that's a lovely lot of solar on the roof"

Their truck chargers are pushing in 750kW per stall.

Long-routes of up to 450 miles fully loaded.

Getting 1.7miles/kWh on average

[Mr Gus]

Whilst it was nice to hear "fully laden" the video was dross, pepsi, talking shop with actually very little detail of what a full load was, anticipated expansion into other areas, seasonal hopes for mileage in north america's varying climes etc...

& hardly a look in the vehicle, just people jawing repetitively (I fast forwarded from marketing speil & landed upon the same phraseology when I resumed play.

Doubtless there will be more & better videos, it is good to see that in sunny CA climes (yes it gets snow too) the truck out there scooping up data via full, regulated loads, ..I guess we need to look at the charging infrastructure they & any partners are lining up to get across merica & change a lot of the trucker mindset.

Looking forward to a solid 4 seasons of data inc foul weather, if the truck has reverse flow as a power source for the disaster scenarios etc.. or which it could be a rolling power station, (I have no doubt there will be a mock up FEMA type truck with supplemental power solar sidings in place.

https://www.tesla.com/semi

More of a total package walkthrough here..
https://topelectricsuv.com/news/tesla/t ... -feb-2022/

A nosey around tesla chargers in various forms worldwide.. (permits, under construction, open etc)
https://supercharge.info/map

A look at the semi charger set up.. (video)
https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/1540/ ... cybertruck

The stall set up cost for a short run (Fremont factory CA - Loredo TX) VIDEO
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... out-banner

More on the CA - TX route
https://www.electrive.com/2023/08/02/te ... alifornia/

[Mart]

Hi Gus, bits and pieces I've picked up, with much technical detail from the Engineering Explained Youtube channel:

Max weight for US trucks is 80,000lbs, for BEV's it's 82,000lbs. [EU 44tn with 46tn for BEV's.]
Estimate of the weight penalty (lost load weight) for the Tesla is 4,000lb to 6,000lb.
The large majority of US truck loads are 300 miles or less, and volume limited, not weight limited.
The 300 mile Semi, will probably weigh about 3,000lbs less, assuming the batt shrinks from the estimated 850kWh to about 500kWh.
A Tesla semi was tested at 81,000lbs and managed 500 miles on 93% of its battery.

My personal thoughts/assumptions:
Batts could be about half the size, weight and cost by 2030.
The massive power of the Tesla, combined with instant torque, would make it ideal for moving oversize/weight loads.
Very unlikely, but if the US brought in some 'reduced speed for air quality' speed restrictions as per the UK, then comparable ranges for BEV trucks would improve, as some states allow 85mph(?), so more diesel is burned.
For chilled/refrigerated loads, the fuel/emissions savings could be far higher. With lartge diesel engines being about 40% efficient at the right speed and rpms, the leccy generation will be about 20% efficient, and far less when idling.

I'm sure there are 100's of other points, some of which will be negative, but personally, I see BEV trucks (of all types and sizes) rolling out for suitable jobs at first, so max weight, range etc etc, are probably unimportant for now, and options will improve.

[Mr Gus]

Yeah, i'm curious as to the large battery which Pepsi have clearly got, citing their range achieved as 450 ish, and how the same load would drop as a refrigerated load & frozen respectively.

Whether trailer design is being re-jigged or remains "stock" (going BEV i'd hope for trailer improvements across the board as part of a chance to update heat resistance, cooling retention, semi self powering roof solar etc etc, presumably if an RV-camper can accomodate solar so can a semi truck & trailer, in which case what can we fit & how can it assist journeys & transport costs?

I too am scornful of any attempt by the US to curb pollution via BEV too (generally) it's about the cent on the dollar.

I do wonder what lower cost charging infrastructure will be at trucking HQ's (after all pepsi is not your average trucking company, how much will a smaller company face as costs to run it's smaller fleet off a lower tier charger (assuming those shorter runs, so it is full tank in the morning) because we are looking at the "glam" end of things here.

Stobarts, wonder if they've played with the figures yet for their northern hub (looking forward)& what any uk govt would throw in here, the charging infrastructure is left to be a private meat market to date, "electric highway" for all its fanfare was complete ballhooks as a first go at electrification.
(they'll need a lot of chargers on the A roads to dover if brexit trucking woes remain a constant.

[Oliver90owner]

….
Getting 1.7miles/kWh on average

…..

Dan,

AAF, I’m afraid. PDG, but a factor of about three adrift. It’s actually 1.7kWh/mile.

I see, on a recent vid, that tesla are gearing up to deliver their cars by electric truck, too. From their new factory in Mexico.

Expecting them, eventually, to be autonomous, too?

[AE-NMidlands]

I see, on a recent vid, that tesla are gearing up to deliver their cars by electric truck, too. From their new factory in Mexico.
Expecting them, eventually, to be autonomous, too?

All the way from their new factory in Mexico? That must be expensive. Trucks are very inefficient both in fuel, man-hours and loading time compared with trains or ships.

[NikoV6]

I see, on a recent vid, that tesla are gearing up to deliver their cars by electric truck, too. From their new factory in Mexico.
Expecting them, eventually, to be autonomous, too?

All the way from their new factory in Mexico? That must be expensive. Trucks are very inefficient both in fuel, man-hours and loading time compared with trains or ships.

I believe the new Mexico factory is 400 miles from Texas factory

[dan_b]

Oops yes that’s a bit of a gaffe from me!

….
Getting 1.7miles/kWh on average

…..

Dan,

AAF, I’m afraid. PDG, but a factor of about three adrift. It’s actually 1.7kWh/mile.

I see, on a recent vid, that tesla are gearing up to deliver their cars by electric truck, too. From their new factory in Mexico.

Expecting them, eventually, to be autonomous, too?

[Oliver90owner]

I see, on a recent vid, that tesla are gearing up to deliver their cars by electric truck, too. From their new factory in Mexico.
Expecting them, eventually, to be autonomous, too?

All the way from their new factory in Mexico? That must be expensive. Trucks are very inefficient both in fuel, man-hours and loading time compared with trains or ships.

I’m sure Mr Tesla will know - if 10, 15, 20? (how many can they carry at a time?).

Electric fuel @ 1.7kWh/mile. Got to be loaded and unloaded, whatever the transport. Man hours could be very low if made totally autonomous.

[Countrypaul]

I see, on a recent vid, that tesla are gearing up to deliver their cars by electric truck, too. From their new factory in Mexico.
Expecting them, eventually, to be autonomous, too?

All the way from their new factory in Mexico? That must be expensive. Trucks are very inefficient both in fuel, man-hours and loading time compared with trains or ships.

How about road trains? I don't know if they use them over there tough