Cummins Beats Tesla!

[Maine farmer]

For those of you who might of missed this story  https://www.trucks.com/2017/08/30/cummins-unveils-electric-truck-prototype/  Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins has built an electric truck.

 

Our farm owns three trucks with Cummins diesel engines, and I can't say enough good about them.  Two of the trucks are 1994 models, and they have proven reliability, but the best feature is affordability.

 

The field of electric vehicles just got really interesting.

 

 

[exchemist]

For those of you who might of missed this story  https://www.trucks.com/2017/08/30/cummins-unveils-electric-truck-prototype/  Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins has built an electric truck.

 

Our farm owns three trucks with Cummins diesel engines, and I can't say enough good about them.  Two of the trucks are 1994 models, and they have proven reliability, but the best feature is affordability.

 

The field of electric vehicles just got really interesting.

Yes, it really seems to be taking off now. This is a huge relief to me.

 

It seems that the serious players are now seeing the future of regulation is such that this is move they must make. Maybe we are going to get there after all......

 

It's ironic that in the year Trump pulls out of the Paris accord, several major vehicle manufacturers (e.g. Volvo,Cummins) announce further big moves into electric transport - and the US is struck by two enormous storms, triggered by high water temperatures in the Caribbean.

[Maine farmer]

Yes, it really seems to be taking off now. This is a huge relief to me.

 

It seems that the serious players are now seeing the future of regulation is such that this is move they must make. Maybe we are going to get there after all......

 

It's ironic that in the year Trump pulls out of the Paris accord, several major vehicle manufacturers (e.g. Volvo,Cummins) announce further big moves into electric transport - and the US is struck by two enormous storms, triggered by high water temperatures in the Caribbean.

I forgot about Volvo.  

 

I am not opposed to electric vehicles, or hybrids, but I have yet to see any on the market that will be in a price range anywhere near where I can afford one.  I almost bought a Prius  back in 2001, but I wasn't going to be able to test drive one beforehand, and there was a VW diesel available for $8,000 less.  I still have the VW, and I can still squeeze 54 miles per gallon out of it by driving easy. ( I just replaced the battery in that car for the first time.  I have never had an automotive battery last for more than 5 years before, and wonder how a 16 year life was possible.)

 

Anyway, it now looks like we are going to see some real competition in the field, and I believe that was the missing ingredient in  the recipe for an electric vehicle future.

[exchemist]

I forgot about Volvo.  

 

I am not opposed to electric vehicles, or hybrids, but I have yet to see any on the market that will be in a price range anywhere near where I can afford one.  I almost bought a Prius  back in 2001, but I wasn't going to be able to test drive one beforehand, and there was a VW diesel available for $8,000 less.  I still have the VW, and I can still squeeze 54 miles per gallon out of it by driving easy. ( I just replaced the battery in that car for the first time.  I have never had an automotive battery last for more than 5 years before, and wonder how a 16 year life was possible.)

 

Anyway, it now looks like we are going to see some real competition in the field, and I believe that was the missing ingredient in  the recipe for an electric vehicle future.

But that's just it. Once we get the big players getting serious the hunt will be on to get the economies of scale, the battery technology optimised etc. And then the price will come down, just as it has for wind and solar electricity. The free market can do wonderful things if government sets the regulatory landscape intelligently.