What do you see ahead for E-GTs?

[Handy Don 10,602]

In my opinion, it'll all come down to batteries and motors.

Capacity, maintenance, rate of discharge/charge, efficiency, longevity, and total cost of ownership. 

Also in the mix: user swappable (like cordless tools), third party offerings (vs. proprietary standards), and regulatory (safety standards, inspections, recycling/remanufacturing, etc.)

 

I've been listening to this new podcast to help me get up to speed on batteries.

https://www.marketplace.org/shows/how-we-survive

 

Willingly avoiding the politics, any thoughts on the technologies, where we'll see them first, and how we'll transition to and use them?

[roadapples 6,981]

At 73, I don't think I'll have to quit using my wheel horses...

[slim67 2,730]

I rode in a Tesla and was impressed. Saw a personal electric helicopter on FB the other day. I think it’s creeping in and will continue. Times are changing.

[Achto 26,564]

My thoughts on batteries all come down to how long you can use them before recharging. 

 

 Cars & trucks for instance are generally set up to get you 300 miles on a tank of fuel, then you refuel and you are on the road again. Electric cars & trucks have an average range of 300 miles, then you have to wait x-hrs to recharge. For normal back & forth to work electric does not sound like a bad deal, but if I want to travel cross country with an electric vehicle this would add significant time to get to a destination.

 

I don't think that I would have an issue with electric lawn & garden equipment. EGO already offers a zero turn that will mow 2 acres on one charge. ( Honestly, I wouldn't want to mow much more than that anyway ) Their walk behind electric scow blower says it will do 18 one car driveways on a charge. Not sure what that equates to in run time. Unlike road travel, a person can have the luxury of multiple batteries at your disposal at home so your down time could be cut to a minimum. Electric motors also surpass gas engines when it comes to torque.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Achto

[Handy Don 10,602]

4 minutes ago, Achto said:

Unlike road travel, a person can have the luxury of multiple batteries at your disposal at home so your down time could be cut to a minimum

 

Leads me to think about a set of batteries: put them in to a e-GT for mowing, blowing, plowing or as a mobile power source for other electric uses. The set could also double as a backup for home power outages.

[Achto 26,564]

With battery power, automated equipment will grow in popularity as well.

 

The farming industry is already looking further and further into that future.

 

[SylvanLakeWH 24,145]

I recently went with Dewalt’s 20 volt line for push mower, blower, weed whip, shrub trimmer and chain saw. Batteries all interchangeable. While not 2 stroke power, I am very impressed with them…

 

Not buying into the “green “ thing, as electricity and batteries are anything but green. However, at my location, noise reduction, no exhaust and no gas / oil are absolute advantages…

 

I think we will see increasing use of battery powered LG equipment that will only improve with technology advances… side by side with continued advances in gas and diesel small engines as well…

 

My new to me E 141 is initially very impressive… lots of torque and quiet… perfect for pulling my train (I think)… but I will need to replace / upgrade 3 - 6 batteries in future… we’ll see how that goes… you can run an awful lot of gas through a 8-10 hp Kohler for the price of 3-6 batteries…

 

[Pullstart 59,729]

@Achto that video was quite impressive.  I’m not sure I’m ready to move into that future, but I doubt I have a choice!

[JoeM 7,636]

Having spent most of my career in the Pa. underground mining business, Up until the turn of the century, all underground mobile equipment was battery.

I think it is very plausible.

Batteries continue to get better and better. Controllers the same.

 

I don' see our Wheel Horses going away, fuel just might cost more.

 

I am not sure why the auto manufactures have not come up with a battery cell arrangement for quick changes? Pull in, slide out a bank or two dead ones, for some fresh charged and on the way you go.

Replacing liquid fuel tax for highway maintenance with be a super hot topic. 

 

There are over a billion cars in the world. Just imagine the impact, if 25%,  of have their energy produced in a controlled most efficient plant. Not to discount no oil changes.

[SylvanLakeWH 24,145]

1 minute ago, Pullstart said:

@Achto that video was quite impressive.  I’m not sure I’m ready to move into that future, but I doubt I have a choice!

You gonna put a GPS on WHrat WHrecker…? 

 

 

[roadapples 6,981]

One thing is certain, it's going to cost a lot more $$$

[Handy Don 10,602]

41 minutes ago, Achto said:

The farming industry is already looking further and further into that future.

I was consulting at Case Corp in the late 90's on a systems implementation. Their research lab was next door and I got to see some of the GPS and other sensor-related stuff that was finding its way into regular products. I was especially struck by the planters and fertilizer spreaders that modulated their output based on yields tracked by location in the field by the combine itself during harvesting the year before and with accuracy of only a few feet. They were working on ways to detect row crops to steer the machine and also how to automatically sync the positions of the combine and the tractor pulling the transfer wagon taking the offload from the combine's storage bin as they moved through the field. Gotta figure the last 20+ years have had some big advances!

[Kenneth R Cluley 480]

On recent Vaca in Utah at Interstate exit that was just about 300 miles from Vegas and next major city there were at least 50 charging stations around perimeter of convenience store/fuel/car wash parking area with "Tesla" logo on them.

[Handy Don 10,602]

33 minutes ago, JoeM said:

Replacing liquid fuel tax for highway maintenance with be a super hot topic. 

 

Agreed. There are already states (California in the lead) looking at a weight/mileage tax for road maintenance (similar to heavy trucking now) and collecting it as part of annual vehicle inspection/registration.

[Achto 26,564]

1 hour ago, Kenneth R Cluley said:

there were at least 50 charging stations around perimeter of convenience store/fuel/car wash parking area with "Tesla" logo on them.

 

This is one other issue that the car manufacturers could really address. Standardized charging stations. Currently you can not charge your Ford at a Tesla station or vise versa. So far every company is using different hook ups. Although I'm sure that aftermarket companies will catch on and start setting up universal charging stations. 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Achto

[SylvanLakeWH 24,145]

21 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

This is one other issue that the car manufacturers could really address. Standardized charging stations. Currently you can not charge your Ford at a Tesla station or vise versa. So far every company is using different hook ups. Although I'm sure that aftermarket companies will catch on and start setting up universal charging stations.  

Yup… stupid… 

I smell a market opportunity…
Can you spell “adapter”? 

[8ntruck 6,376]

I've fallen into the Black & Decker 20 volt lithium system.  Started with a string trimmer, then a leaf blower, 3/8 drill, impact driver, 10" chain saw, Sawsall type saw, and a 5" circular saw. 

 

These are homeowner job type tools.  They get your weekend project job done, but are not work all day industrial tools.  I also have a Workx 24 volt battery push mower.  I'm on my second set of batteries on that one.  Probably a wash on the gas vs battery replacement cost.

 

I do enjoy flipping the switch and having the machine start right up instead of messing with fuel and pulling ropes. 

 

One day I was mowing with the Workx and my neighbor was starting to mow with his gas mower.  His gas mower didn't want to start that day.  I stopped next to him, then turned my mower off and on a few times, then went on mowing.  

 

Battery GT's?  They are coming.  Like others have said, it will depend on battery capacity and cost as well as cost of the motor(s) and controls.  Again, there will be a difference between riding mowers and real heavier duty garden tractors.  At this point, I have a hard time beliving that a battery GT could till a 50' by 70' garden on one charge - especially that in red clayish soil like our garden in Ky was.

[Skipper 1,788]

Battery capacity and especially charge time, will rather soon be a thing of the past. It just depends on how fast the manufacturers can get the newest tech down in price, and out to the masses. The instant charge batteries are already here. EU car makers will rather soon offer road cars that can charge just as fast as you can feed them. Solid state batteries. Doubt US car makers will be far behind that. Only thing missing is the charging infrastructure. The rest of the tech is in place now, or at least so far ahead that they don't call it testing any more. So for cars and trucks etc. we will soon see a fundamental change. 10-15 years from now, I doubt I can buy a new family car with combustion engine in any form at all. And the ones that are still on the roads then, might get taxed a lot heavier to get them scrapped sooner than later.

 

And about charge time now already. You are down to app. 20 minutes to put 200-250 more miles in the battery of a tesla (and similar) cars if you go to the right charge points. Honestly, I don't mind taking a wizz and refuel my self each stretch like that. Might actually be just a tad beneficial.

 

For GT's, yes it will come along too. Many manufacturers have models already. Also cheaper (ish) box store offers.

 

For the vintage stuff, I do not see them shutting it down. It is part of history just like classic cars etc. Fuel might get expensive, and harder to come by over time, but I do believe we can keep our hobby for the foreseeable future.

 

Just my  on this.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Skipper

[cschannuth 3,795]

I rode in the ugly (IMO) Mustang Mach E. I was blown away buy the instant performance. I’ve never been pressed back in my seat like that before. 

[Handy Don 10,602]

3 hours ago, Achto said:

Currently you can not charge your Ford at a Tesla station or vise versa

Announcement by Tesla today that it will open Superchargers to other makes of EV--details to follow!

 

3 hours ago, Achto said:

So far every company is using different hook ups.

I do believe some of this has to do with the lack of battery standardization--this is still a fast changing area. Lead acid batteries are extremely tolerant of different charging situations while lithium ion (and Flow, Flux Capacitor, and others) are incredibly picky about their widely differing charging voltages and currents. Plus, there is a lot of software exchanging data between the vehicle battery packs and the charger. Using another company's charger will require solving these issues in an extremely idiot-resistant way and also solve liability. If the "other brand's" charger (expensively) damages you vehicle, who is responsible?

Edited November 1, 2021 by Handy Don

[roadapples 6,981]

All I know is no matter how long I live I'll never be able to buy an electric car or truck on social security....

[Handy Don 10,602]

13 minutes ago, roadapples said:

All I know is no matter how long I live I'll never be able to buy an electric car or truck on social security....

I hear that. I think it will come down to not owning a vehicle but having a subscription for transport--like streaming TV, music, or the internet.

[Achto 26,564]

35 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

. I think it will come down to not owning a vehicle but having a subscription for transport--like streaming TV, music, or the internet.

 

I really hope I'm not here for that. Since I was 10 yrs old I couldn't wait to own my own car. Bought my first one when I was 14, a '73 Malibu and had it ready to go the day I got my license. I could not imagine not owning my own car or truck. 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

It'll be stunning to watch the people that will line up to do this.

[SylvanLakeWH 24,145]

7 minutes ago, AMC RULES said:

It'll be stunning to watch the people that will line up to do this.

Yes… They already are… Uber, Lyft etc… fewer and fewer teens getting licensed right when they are eligible…