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FAQs
FAQs
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We offer both fully electric and diesel-electric vocational trucks depending on customer demands. If fully electric doesn’t provide enough power or if the truck works in an area where charging infrastructure doesn’t exist: the on board generator can keep the batteries fully charged while working.
The only difference between the diesel electric truck is that the generators is removed and batteries placed under the hood instead
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A hybrid needs the gas/diesel engine in order to operate and drive. Our diesel-electric technology does not require the engine running to operate the vehicle. It is fully 100% electric and the generator only exists to recharge the batteries.
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The advantages of electric is increased power, torque, reliability and longevity. Freight-trains have been electric and diesel-electric since the 1930’s and are incredibly efficient at moving heavy freight. The regen ability recaptures energy from slowing down the vehicle on downhill grades/stopping and uses that stored energy to travel uphill/start moving.
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The reason why diesel-electric is so efficient is in the ability of our battery technology to deliver peak load demand energy supply. Trucks take a lot of energy to climb hills and start out from a stop and build momentum, but once the truck is cruising at speed it doesn’t take nearly as much energy to maintain that momentum. This means that the batteries exist to get the truck moving and the diesel generator just recharges the battery. It also recaptures braking energy from slowing down in order to restart the truck moving again.
The generator operates at peak efficiency at a constant rpm all the time, unlike a normal mechanical drive line that varies rpm and shift gears. This means the generator is always in its peak power band and eliminates turbo lag.
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Right now we are building our first production truck in our shop. We estimate all parts to arrive by winter 2023. Completion time if this first truck is summer 2023, where we estimate 6 months of testing with our industry partners and first initial customers in order to provide real world feedback. Our testing partners have reserved the rights for the first truck build and we estimate trucks delivered to the public in 2025.
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Fuel savings largely depends on the application the truck is used for. Over the road trucking shows the least amount of fuel savings 5-10%. Logging and city vocational operations show the largest fuel savings at 70-100% fuel reduction. Basically the more starting and stopping done the better the savings, the harder you work the truck and the steeper your terrain the better your fuel savings. These trucks are engineered to work as hard as possible and due their best performance when used that way.
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with up to 70-100% fuel savings it directly correlates to a 75%-100% reduction in diesel exhaust
The smaller lithium batteries than a normal fully electric results in less environmental damage from lithium logging operations
Battery and grid infrastructure is not yet at the point to facilitate all commercial trucks going electric yet, the majority of trucking industries (estimated to be 75% of trucks on the road) are too energy intensive to use battery electric only. By using diesel-electric they can start the conversion process to electric in a practical way.
Generator diesel engines run at peak efficiency rpm, resulting in optimal fuel/air ratio giving a hotter and cleaner burn of emissions compared to a mechanical diesel
Provides a steady decline in greenhouse gas emissions as trucking companies that can’t go to full battery electric can ease into the transition. As battery technology improves the diesel generator will be used less over time and batteries used more until the generator can be removed completely
Provides a controlled smooth transition to net zero emission vehicles
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The weight is actually the same as a normal diesel truck.
Carl before we started was 9,000kg (19,840lbs)
When finished the build he was 8,800kg (19,400lbs) meaning we lost 200kg by going diesel electric.
Because its registered as electric in BC you get 1500kg additional weight allowance, meaning we increased the payload capacity by 1,700 KG (3,750 lbs)
The L series will be a little heavier as we doubled the battery size and went with 0.5”inch frame rails instead of 3/8ths but should still be very comparable to a normal diesel truck
The reason why the weight is so similar is the effect balance out. The diesel goes from 15L motor to 9L saving a 1000lbs, the one fuel tank then gets replaced with batteries. In total the weight reduction in motor and additional fuel balances out the additional weight of the batteries
The weight of the Full electric semi truck is unfortunately heavier since the battery bank is much larger, resulting in a reduced payload but may still be applicable for applications where range and payload are as much of a factor