I believe we will see fully electric trucks before we see self driving ones. I have no doubt that self driving will happen as the endless march towards automation continues. Something like this would suit the large open roads of America but the tight, congested roads on our little rock will prove a challenge for the programmers now.
Radar19:
I believe we will see fully electric trucks before we see self driving ones. I have no doubt that self driving will happen as the endless march towards automation continues. Something like this would suit the large open roads of America but the tight, congested roads on our little rock will prove a challenge for the programmers now.
I think this is a very realistic point of view. Britain could well spearhead the technology but more likely it will be implemented on more suitable roads that we do not currently have. The technology of batteries is advancing at the moment, for trucks though I feel the fuel cell will not be battery driven, more likely hydrogen powered for the mileage they need to travel.
Radar19:
I believe we will see fully electric trucks before we see self driving ones. I have no doubt that self driving will happen as the endless march towards automation continues. Something like this would suit the large open roads of America but the tight, congested roads on our little rock will prove a challenge for the programmers now.
Fully electric, maybe not soon, but with significant storage batteries, almost certainly. Economy of energy use, hence cutting of emissions, can be upped by recuperation of energy through electric retarder/braking systems. It takes a lot of energy to get 44t moving and when braking all that energy is lost to heat when using friction braking, simply lost. Use electric braking and what would be wasted as heat can be re-used to get going again. Same applies on hills: once on top of a hill use electric braking to control the speed, store the energy in a battery, and then use it to power up the next slope. Obviously there is power loss, it ain`t perpetual motion, but is a more efficient use of energy.
Where will the initial grunt come from? Hydrogen cells? Diesel or petrol IC engines? Gas turbines? Even mini nuclear plants?!
UKtramp:
Captain Caveman 76:
You’re just an obnoxious piece of work with an over inflated opinion of themselves. And for the record, that WAS an insult. Fool. (That was too, I don’t want to leave you in any doubt.)Oh dear, you are very angry, I wonder why I was so dismissive and also why are you so angry? Caught out perhaps?
This is the last response you’ll get from me on this, if you wish to discuss driverless vehicle technology though, I’ll happily engage.
I’m very tired, I’ve been working all night and now my neighbours are having a garden party stopping me from sleeping. I’m cranky.
If you wish to enlighten me as to what you think you’ve caught me out with, feel free. Just don’t expect a reply. See above.
You’ve ■■■■■■ me off because you’ve gone through this forum with a high and mighty, superior attitude. Dismissing posters who don’t agree with you as stupid, see above, but then feigning hurt feelings when you get a little back. As I learnt a long time ago, don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.
switchlogic:
Juddian:
It isn’t going to happen peopleWe went from this…
2
To these
1
0In a little over a hundred years. I don’t think getting some trucks to run up and down a motorway is beyond the wit of mankind to be honest
You do realise that there was a couple of wars which may have been in the news, that drove forward technology in aeronautics and not the desire to save a few quid on fuel bills?
Anybody that believes this PR nonsense will be a working reality on UK roads, is a gullible fool. Just like the paperless office, electricity from nuclear power that’s so cheap it’s pointless to meter it and that automation in our lives will bring a life of leisure to all, was all lies from quangos desperate to justify the huge grants they receive from investors and governments.
UKtramp:
Radar19:
I believe we will see fully electric trucks before we see self driving ones. I have no doubt that self driving will happen as the endless march towards automation continues. Something like this would suit the large open roads of America but the tight, congested roads on our little rock will prove a challenge for the programmers now.I think this is a very realistic point of view. Britain could well spearhead the technology but more likely it will be implemented on more suitable roads that we do not currently have. The technology of batteries is advancing at the moment, for trucks though I feel the fuel cell will not be battery driven, more likely hydrogen powered for the mileage they need to travel.
From what I remember of hydrogen as a fuel source, it’s energy hungry to create and therefore rather expensive. It’s also quite rare, which means it has to be kept cool and under pressure to keep it in a liquid state, which given its volatility, doesn’t inspire me to sit on a tank of the stuff whilst doing 70mph down the motorway! Probably not the answer at this moment in time.
Captain Caveman 76:
UKtramp:
Radar19:
I believe we will see fully electric trucks before we see self driving ones. I have no doubt that self driving will happen as the endless march towards automation continues. Something like this would suit the large open roads of America but the tight, congested roads on our little rock will prove a challenge for the programmers now.I think this is a very realistic point of view. Britain could well spearhead the technology but more likely it will be implemented on more suitable roads that we do not currently have. The technology of batteries is advancing at the moment, for trucks though I feel the fuel cell will not be battery driven, more likely hydrogen powered for the mileage they need to travel.
From what I remember of hydrogen as a fuel source, it’s energy hungry to create and therefore rather expensive. It’s also quite rare, which means it has to be kept cool and under pressure to keep it in a liquid state, which given its volatility, doesn’t inspire me to sit on a tank of the stuff whilst doing 70mph down the motorway! Probably not the answer at this moment in time.
I think youre right. No hydrogen fuel cells at this instant. Hydrogen is not really a fuel "source" is it? It is really a means of storing energy produced by other means: electricity is used to make hydrogen to be reconverted back to electrical energy on a vehicle. Its advantage, as I remember it, is that fuels cells and hydrogen tanks are light for the amount of energy they produce. Hence good for rockets where big power and little weight required.
Costs would need to come drastically to be of use in mass transportation. Producing and transporting hydrogen seems to be expensive.
I dont see its inflammability as a major concern: there are natural gas and LPG vehicles already, and petrol isnt without hazard. Even if hydrogen were many times as inflammable, the others would still be enough to cook your goose! Hydrogen produces no pollution at point of use, but its production may or may not be “green” depending on how the electricity used to produce it was generated.
Franglais:
Hydrogen is not really a fuel “source” is it? It is really a means of storing energy produced by other means: electricity is used to make hydrogen to be reconverted back to electrical energy on a vehicle. Its advantage, as I remember it, is that fuels cells and hydrogen tanks are light for the amount of energy they produce. Hence good for rockets where big power and little weight required. Costs would need to come drastically to be of use in mass transportation. Producing and transporting hydrogen seems to be expensive. I dont see its inflammability as a major concern: there are natural gas and LPG vehicles already, and petrol isnt without hazard. Even if hydrogen were many times as inflammable, the others would still be enough to cook your goose!
Hydrogen produces no pollution at point of use, but it`s production may or may not be “green” depending on how the electricity used to produce it was generated.
Seems a pretty logical choice to me, I think all the boxes are ticked with hydrogen other than its cost. That should come down price wise as an alternative to diesel & petrol.
UKtramp:
Franglais:
Hydrogen is not really a fuel “source” is it? It is really a means of storing energy produced by other means: electricity is used to make hydrogen to be reconverted back to electrical energy on a vehicle. Its advantage, as I remember it, is that fuels cells and hydrogen tanks are light for the amount of energy they produce. Hence good for rockets where big power and little weight required. Costs would need to come drastically to be of use in mass transportation. Producing and transporting hydrogen seems to be expensive. I dont see its inflammability as a major concern: there are natural gas and LPG vehicles already, and petrol isnt without hazard. Even if hydrogen were many times as inflammable, the others would still be enough to cook your goose!
Hydrogen produces no pollution at point of use, but it`s production may or may not be “green” depending on how the electricity used to produce it was generated.Seems a pretty logical choice to me, I think all the boxes are ticked with hydrogen other than its cost. That should come down price wise as an alternative to diesel & petrol.
Unless there is a compact efficient hydrogen generating plant that can be fitted to vehicles then there will still be a need to have some other (solid state) storage batteries. We will surely need to get the overall use of energy down, so recuperation will be necessary.
Most hydrogen currently comes from “steam reforming of fossil fuels”. Electrolysis is currently too inefficient to be of practical use.
“This means that if natural gas costs $6/million BTU, then hydrogen will be $18/million BTU. Also, producing hydrogen from electrolysis with electricity at 5 cents/kWh will cost $28/million BTU — about 1.5 times the cost of hydrogen from natural gas. Note that the cost of hydrogen production from electricity is a linear function of electricity costs, so electricity at 10 cents/kWh means that hydrogen will cost $56/million BTU”.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy
Hydrogen produced by electrolysis is the “holy grail” Id say- convert sunlight and wind/water turbine electricity into hydrogen gas from water? Brilliant!! Happen thatll come after the self driving truck?
ThrustMaster:
switchlogic:
Juddian:
It isn’t going to happen peopleWe went from this…
2
To these
1
0In a little over a hundred years. I don’t think getting some trucks to run up and down a motorway is beyond the wit of mankind to be honest
You do realise that there was a couple of wars which may have been in the news, that drove forward technology in aeronautics and not the desire to save a few quid on fuel bills?
Anybody that believes this PR nonsense will be a working reality on UK roads, is a gullible fool. Just like the paperless office, electricity from nuclear power that’s so cheap it’s pointless to meter it and that automation in our lives will bring a life of leisure to all, was all lies from quangos desperate to justify the huge grants they receive from investors and governments.
Hallelujah, a man that thinks, sorry mate now time for you to go off grid.
Or before you know it they’ll be sending the jackboots round to take you to one of the re-education camps, probably a former university (where they used to encourage free thinking at one time) to have that how to think ability removed and replaced with the current what to think chip installed.
switchlogic:
Tommy7437:
Self driving lorries??Absolute madness!
Wonder how many accidents it will take to stop the idea taking off?
I seriously wonder about the mental health of the person who thought up this ludicrous idea. Absolute moron
It will have to be a lot since human truck drivers have an enormous amount of accidents already
I think a lot of the problems will stem from both automated vehicles and drivers vehicles sharing the road.
Not sayin I’m the greatest driver ever but I’m sure we all see things every day from drivers of all sorts of vehicles that make us think what are you thinking to do that and that could throw automated vehicled
It falls down on so many levels…it’s hilarious
Juddian:
ThrustMaster:
switchlogic:
Juddian:
It isn’t going to happen peopleWe went from this…
2
To these
1
0In a little over a hundred years. I don’t think getting some trucks to run up and down a motorway is beyond the wit of mankind to be honest
You do realise that there was a couple of wars which may have been in the news, that drove forward technology in aeronautics and not the desire to save a few quid on fuel bills?
Anybody that believes this PR nonsense will be a working reality on UK roads, is a gullible fool. Just like the paperless office, electricity from nuclear power that’s so cheap it’s pointless to meter it and that automation in our lives will bring a life of leisure to all, was all lies from quangos desperate to justify the huge grants they receive from investors and governments.
Hallelujah, a man that thinks, sorry mate now time for you to go off grid.
Or before you know it they’ll be sending the jackboots round to take you to one of the re-education camps, probably a former university (where they used to encourage free thinking at one time) to have that how to think ability removed and replaced with the current what to think chip installed.
Like that is it? If someone disagrees with you they must be stupid? That’s some enormous egos you’ve got there chaps, enjoy your love in.
ThrustMaster:
switchlogic:
Juddian:
It isn’t going to happen peopleWe went from this…
2
To these
1
0In a little over a hundred years. I don’t think getting some trucks to run up and down a motorway is beyond the wit of mankind to be honest
You do realise that there was a couple of wars which may have been in the news, that drove forward technology in aeronautics and not the desire to save a few quid on fuel bills?
Anybody that believes this PR nonsense will be a working reality on UK roads, is a gullible fool. Just like the paperless office, electricity from nuclear power that’s so cheap it’s pointless to meter it and that automation in our lives will bring a life of leisure to all, was all lies from quangos desperate to justify the huge grants they receive from investors and governments.
If you think the only reason this is happening is to save a few quid on fuel then I fear you’re the gullible one
Well said Luke wages and problems of finding and retaining staff will be the real reason
But why does driver retension concern any of our customers?
They want"just in time"logistics…where product is going out at the same time as it’s going in.
think this may just work we could maybe expand it to much more trailers all controlled from one driving truck maybe give them there own specisl lane and to solve the problem of punctures have steel wheels running on rails … oh wait a minuite
commonrail:
But why does driver retension concern any of our customers?
They want"just in time"logistics…where product is going out at the same time as it’s going in.
I’m not sure why you’ve brought the customer up
switchlogic:
If you think the only reason this is happening is to save a few quid on fuel then I fear you’re the gullible one
I agree that this has nothing whatsoever to do with saving a few quid on fuel, I firmly believe the river runs deeper.
Because it is they who dictate the amount of freight on the roads.
Good luck with trying to book 3 lorries at once into Sainsbury’s stoke.