Delivery Trucks go Electric… How these Companies are Saving BIG TIME.
The average route of a delivery truck is 51 miles.*. So why not make these trucks electric? That was the exact idea of companies such as, PepsiCo, FedEx Corp, Staples, and At&T have all made deals with “Smith Trucks”, a truck distributer who promises big savings from their trucks.
Their savings:
Staples : Staples expects to save a total of $60,000 per each electric vehicle, in each cars 10 year life span.
- Fuel Costs: Staples claims they will save an annual $6,500 in fuel costs per electric vehicle over a disel model.
- Claims their average cost of maintenance for a diesel delivery truck (annually) is $2,700- while the maintenance of their electric vehicle costs them only 250, because there is no transmission, fluids, filters or belts- the parts that require the most maintenance.
- One big savings comes in brakes. Because electric trucks use “regenerative” braking, which returns some of the force of stopping to the batteries in the form of electricity, the brakes don’t wear out as fast. That means the brakes last four or five years, not one or two, before they need a $1,100 repair.
- EV’s don’t require the urea exhaust-cleaning system that diesals do. The motors are simpliar and less complex, saving Staples another $1,100.
Full Article here
Buyer’s main concern with battery charging.
1) Will this die on me?
Electric car batteries promise to last 70,000-100,000 miles. A hybrid Toyota prius lasts 200,000 miles. A gasoline powered car gets usually 400 miles.
2) Will there be enough Lithium to support EV’s?
The world’s supply of lithium does come from a few countries, a third of the supply coming from Chile, Afghanistan, and Bolivia. This fact raising the question: Will we be at the mercy of the world’s producers? Will Afghanistan be the new Saudi Arabia? The answer is NO. We are in good shape, there is a lot of lithium, nobody should be anticipating any shortages.
3) Are electric car batteries bad for the environment?
These batteries are non-toxic. However, these batteries are made from lithium, magnese, copper, and ingredients that we must rely on mining to obtain.
4) Where do the dead batteries end up?
For now, dead batteries end up in certain recycling plants that specialize in EV batteries. The batteries undergo the process that chills the battery, and then tears it to shreds. There are currently no batteries are able to be reused. However, they may be recycled in other ways.
One of the most promising solutions for dead EV batteries is to not send them to the recycling plant, but instead put them to work in less demanding jobs. Bundles of used lithium-ion batteries could be used to smooth out fluctuations in the power grid, store backup power or store electricity generated by intermittent sources such as wind and solar energy, a function that is essential to the growth of renewable energy. *
5) Is an EV really carbon free?
Sure, a Nissan Leaf or a Tesla Roadster has no tailpipe emissions — they have no tailpipes at all — and a Chevy Volt will take you 40 emissions-free miles before the ultraefficient engine kicks in. But these cars charge their batteries from the grid, and in the U.S., most utility plants burn coal to produce electricity. So is this “greener” than driving a gasoline car?
It looks like the answer is yes, but not by much. Different regions of the country have cleaner power than others, so it matters where you live. The time of day also matters: Charge up at night and you’re probably using coal. Charge during the day and there’s a better chance it’s natural gas or nuclear power, both of which have lower emissions.
Here’s the difference: As the grid gets cleaner, so does every car that charges from it. By adding wind, solar and nuclear to our nation’s energy mix, we make our fleet more sustainable. So while driving an EV today likely means driving on coal, tomorrow it may mean driving on wind.
note- EV = electric vehicle
To read official article, click here.
Coco-cola for hybrid
Coco-cola’s first move was switching their delivery trucks to hybrid in North America. These trucks save about 30percent on fuel consumption, and produce 30 percent less emissions than the old trucks.
To read official article, click here.
obviously…
I think it’s pretty obvious that electric cars are the way to go. I will admit that I would be hesitant because of the initial price difference when being compared to a car with powered by gasoline. In order for everybody to hop on board, I think companies should continue doing what they’re doing- getting popular companies to merge ideas with them for the ultimate campaign. It would be convincing and would help buyers would feel confident in their purchase.
