Electric Drive: Who uses it?

[Wayfarer1008]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

An issue with Diesels in the US is it’s extremely difficult to pass emissions, and many if not most manufacturers cheat, cause they are allowed to. It’s not just VW. A favorite way to cheat is to claim engine is in self protection mode, which is allowed, however what defines the need to be protected is not, so normal operating temp can be defined as to need protection etc.

Another very real thing is fuel cost, back in the day of high sulphur Diesel, fuel cost was significantly less than cheap gas, now days Diesel is as much or more than a premium fuel or on average about .25c a gallon more than cheap gas.
So you have to get at least 10% better fuel mileage just to break even.

Ford, Mercedes, BMW and VW are all in court over cheating Diesel emissions, Is bet there are others.
The rules that were put in place to clean up the air have largely been subverted, and it’s not just lately either. Ever wonder how full size pickups and SUV’s meet CAFE standards? Why don’t you pay a gas guzzler tax on them?
They are exempt that’s why, but cars are not?

Its not an emission issue, Cars like the Diesel for Fiesta put out less emissions than a human breath. The only reason that Diesel cars have not caught on is the actions of the California Air Commission that have gone to great length to try and ban all Diesel powered vehicles including heavy equipment with electrical powered vehicles. Since most new cars are sold in California vs the rest of the country they sway their demands over the rest of the country which does piss a lot of people off. Even the Trump administration has gone after them for their standards which has turned into a political battle. When the terminator was governor "The Governator" he tried to reorganize the agency after it was found out the agency manager was actually a bay area politically active secretary with no scientific background along with most of the regulatory decision making staffers.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Wayfarer1008

Its not an emission issue, Cars like the Diesel for Fiesta put out less emissions than a human breath.

Really? You believe this?
You may be surprised, but many of us don’t live in California.

I know Wikipedia is not a scientific organization and that people can modify it, and not everything is correct, but I Know a little about this subject and this article is correct as far as I can tell.
Look at who caught them, and if you know much about ADAC you’ll know they are scientists, and do know what they are doing etc., and this is primarily European, so forget California and US politics
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies...ssions_scandal

[Wayfarer1008]

Actuallyy Mazda has developed gasoline power common rail motors that are basically a diesel motor running on gas. Do not know where they stand in their development but basic Physics tell you the Diesel engines at far more efficient. There are 1/3 more BTU's in Diesel than gasoline. With Gasoline burning Alcohol there is a 10% to 15% drop in PTU's which is why you het worse mileage buning "Clean Fuel " verse Pure gas. its a big scam of course.

[Wayfarer1008]

The majority of the staff are engineers and scientist in the Air quality management business but the actual board members setting policy do not. most are political appointees with the secretary turned department head having a degree in teaching not in Air quality science. Several of my friends are in the auto emission certifying business making diesel engines and imported cars meet California Emission standards. That's why I know about the politics.

[BobHorn]

I don't know if this has been mentioned earlier in the thread, but one advantage of diesel-electric drive is the compact size of the electric motor and the fact that the diesel can then be placed wherever it is convenient.


I think all the modern cruise ships use diesel-electric drive. They have a bank of diesel generators and switch them on and off with demand. Allows the gensets to run as close as possible to max load.

[Wayfarer1008]

There is an efficiency loss there that total precludes any advantage

[john61ct]

Whatever the factors are that make sense for huge cruise ships, are not present for smaller individuals' boats.

[Wayfarer1008]

Just to note on Diesel prices On average with diesel around 50% of the cost is paid out on tax. Its a type of hidden tax in that virtually all diesel is used in some form of commercial operation from ships to planes to trucking. This is of course passes on to all of us in an increase in the cost of goods and services which I find sneaky.
As for low Sulfur diesel it all depends where it comes from. If it comes from reserves from the gulf coast the sulfur content is so low it needs no special refining process. If it comes from Alaska of California it does require the use of hydrofluoric acid to remove it which will add a small cost to the bottom line but the cost is not enough to affect the price.

[Corvidae]

Originally Posted by Wayfarer1008

Just to note on Diesel prices On average with diesel around 50% of the cost is paid out on tax.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:G...esel_taxes.pdf

Taxes are less than a dollar per gallon in every state, and less than 75 cents in all but one state. Unless you have found diesel for less than $2 a gallon, half the cost is not the taxes. And if you have found it that cheap...share with the class.

Personally the diesel savings aren't that big of a motivation. Batteries aren't a fuel source, and solar will always be a comically under powered source for propulsion. Massive reduction in moving parts, and being able to replace everything by hand, without a crane, are the biggest benefits.

[john61ct]

Someone drank the koolaid

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/30ft-Solar-...p/192554216332

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Someone drank the koolaid

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/30ft-Solar-...p/192554216332

Relax; it's got a 20hp dino juice powered outboard.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by james247

Getting 12.5 Kva from a generator into a battery and into an electric motor is half the trick. Semi's and buses are now going electric. It's the future.

Nah, a portable cold fusion generator is the future. Everything else is just a "stop gap"

[elscotto]

What about wind power? There must be some way to generate enough thrust to propel a boat. If there were enough wind you could theoretically travel around the whole world. I see very few negatives.
Let's get the scientists working on the wind powered technology right away and stop fart arsing about on the environmentally friendly ********.

Sorry. I have read a lot of this thread and that joke had not been made yet. I couldn't let that stand.

[a64pilot]

Usually at some point someone makes the point that a sail boat is a Solar powered boat.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Usually at some point someone makes the point that a sail boat is a Solar powered boat.

I believe you just did.