• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!

    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

How Come...

DNK

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
For you engineers out there.
Why aren't all vehicles like school buses and mail truck, UPS vans...
required to be diesel hybrids?
 
If it made economic sense they would. With all of the improvements they are getting better. Recently, I read a article about diesel vs gas in new cars(non hybrid). It included capital and operating costs to see how long the payback would be. The best payback was about 40k miles, some NEVER reached payback. I have had both and prefer gas.
 
I was not referring to personal vehicles.
All these vehicles use diesel so why not on all new service vehicles that put thousands upon thousands of miles on the engine .It has to pay off
 
Answer: Not all decisions are engineering decisions. It may make sense from a cost standpoint, but to make it a "requirement" would be a political decision.
 
OK, I see your question now. I still say that if it would pay for them (certainly UPS) they would. I"m not sure that the battery technology for a larger truck like a UPS truck is developed enough for it to pay. The current hybrids work well for some things, others not so much.
 
Gotta think of the bigger picture. Not only is there the mileage-to-payback for the extra cost of the vehicle it's self, but there is also a host of specialized repair and service equipment required, and even more important is the need for trained technicians to service these techno-monsters. Couple that with the financial troubles most towns and schools are in at the moment, and they're lucky to be able to maintain the dinosaurs they run now.
It should come... It will come. But it's kinda in the realm of solar panels at the moment.
In the long run I'm not convinced that the stuff we make these batteries out of will be a positive trade-off for the emissions once they start winding up in junkyards and landfills.
 
Answer: Not all decisions are engineering decisions:iagree: This problem includes politics..
 
Back
Top