Charging forward: The impact of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles on the grid

[rangerrebew]

Charging forward: The impact of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles on the grid
Story by Katie Satterlee • 19m

Electric heavy-duty vehicles offer significant advantages, including reduced noise pollution and lower emissions. However, there's still a disadvantage to overcome—too many heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs) could overload the grid.

In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Thomas Overbye, professor, Dr. Jonathan Snodgrass, a senior research engineer, and electrical engineering graduate students Diana Wallison and Lyric Haylow conducted a three-year project to determine how the grid will be affected if heavy-duty vehicles are electrified in Dallas and Houston, leading to more EVs on Interstate 45.
 
"In some cases, it would make sense to switch from a diesel truck to an electric truck, especially if they're just driving in a city, because if those big semis are idling, they're just burning gas. Whereas if you have an electric truck, you can sit there with zero idle," Snodgrass said.

"Real pollutants come out of car tailpipes," Snodgrass said. "If we can reduce or eliminate that, there would be less smog and more efficiency. It's also it's just cleaner in general. And imagine if you're able to reduce traffic noise, especially for people who live along the highways."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/charging-forward-the-impact-of-electrifying-heavy-duty-vehicles-on-the-grid/ar-AA1xsnjR?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=7a2ad3b1ade6410a8eb35b2600de5219&ei=28

[Smokin Joe]

"In some cases, it would make sense to switch from a diesel truck to an electric truck, especially if they're just driving in a city, because if those big semis are idling, they're just burning gas. Whereas if you have an electric truck, you can sit there with zero idle," Snodgrass said.

The zero idle concept crept into smaller vehicles already. You can hear them grinding their starters when the light changes, because they shut off when they stopped (never mind that sitting at a light just might be somewhere you could want power on tap NOW because someone else is driving poorly, just so you can get out of the way.

But, while the big rigs are idling, they are keeping brake pressure up, and often running the systems that keep track of where the truck is and what it is doing, as well as keeping the sleeper from turning into an oven. Sometimes, they are even keeping the load cool so it doesn't turn to glop.

I take it the whiner has never driven semi.

--Oh, and they aren't burning gas, it's diesel.