MCI all electric commuter

[Jim Blackwood]

Hydrogen is made by using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. If we go that route for energy storage (very feasible but not cheap) the environmentalists will start howling about too much oxygen poisoning the atmosphere.

Jim

[belfert]

Local transit agencies use several dozen MCI (and a few Prevost) D series buses for express service.  172 miles would be enough for the morning or evening rush hour so long as they charged them during the day.  The buses also could be charged for ten to twenty minutes while sitting at the park and ride between trips.

New Flyer electric articulated transit buses are already used for one bus route locally.  They are charged for 10 to 30 minutes at the transit stop on one end of the route while the driver takes their break or whatever.  They were out of commission for at least six months, but it was because the chargers were having issues, not the buses.  I haven't heard of any issues since they were put back in service.  Metro Transit just ordered a bunch more diesel buses.  A lot of people are upset they didn't order electric buses.

[CrabbyMilton]

Well you hit the key point in that there has to be a reliable charging structure in place first. Great intentions are fine but when you can't often get people in the same building to cooperate on something, it could take awhile. I think about an MCI J on an extended charter. They get to the prescribed hotel only to be told by some young 20 something that the charger either doesn't work or he/she isn't allowed to permit the driver to use it or some lack of training or communication that louses the whole experience up. In other words, they better keep a small generator in the luggage bay for such things.

[Jim Blackwood]

And enough diesel fuel onboard to be the equivalent of the charge needed to get home? In other words, a standard sized diesel tank. Hey, no delays here! We're doing JIT transportation! You didn't need to bring any stowable luggage anyway, right?

Jim

[CrabbyMilton]

I meant a portable with a lawnmower engine.

[belfert]

I assume the electric J model would only be for short trips around the city at this point.  I doubt any operator would use the current model for going very far out of town.  Doesn't it need four hours to recharge with a special high power charger?

[windtrader]

Cummins sees the writing on the wall. Hard to believe there are still naysayers here about alternative power sources in vehicles. Not sure the specifics but basically CA has mandated the extinction of carbon fuels. Look what they did to the 2 stroke engines when they mandated conversion to 4 strokes. going to happen again and in short order. No need to debate it, just watch the developments and improved tech and efficiency.


and of course Tesla semi is coming very soon, less than a year


https://www.cummins.com/new-power


https://www.cummins.com/news/releases/2021/12/01/cummins-accelerates-hydrogen-innovation-california-and-beyond-new-west


Cummins in the battery business
https://www.cummins.com/news/releases/2021/11/30/cummins-invests-sion-power-develop-lithium-metal-technology

[CrabbyMilton]

CUMMINS has been near and dear to me for many many years. I know they are into electric movement and BLUEBIRD is using their system for their BEV school buses.
If it proves reliable as much as a gasoline or diesel engine, then I'm all for this. But they had better for the sake of their customers and long term survival of CUMMINS, make sure it's right before it's put in place. After all, BOEING has a recent history of building a couple lemons just because they were obsessed to change something that worked just because. How did that work out?

[Jim Blackwood]

Point I was making is that it still takes the same amount of energy to get the vehicle home. Make no difference whether you use a small portable generator or an industrial power plant to get it, the only change is how long it takes. So the fuel tank for that small portable would still have to be the same size, as you would still have to park and wait to do the fuel burn.

Jim