Tesla cybertruck

[ALBERTAFARMER4]

Or spend $70k less for the vehicle and efficiently burn a stable, storable liquid.

The dual motor version is $70k so how do you buy a truck for $0 ? Are you not at all interested in a truck that is cheap to operate, reliable, rugged, with crazy performance specs? I mean I guess you could go buy a loaded up 1/2 ton dodge for $85k. It will have kleenex thin sheetmetal that will get paint chipped on gravel roads. It won't have 16" of ground clearance. It will need oil changes, air filters, fuel filters, transmission service, etc. The glass will get rock chips and crack. It will rust out and start to fall apart. The electronics will start to crap out. I say all of this as a huge Dodge fan as well. Will your dodge connect to the internet and download new updates of google maps? Will they add more horsepower to the vehicle while you sleep? Is there any chance that a dodge could pick you up autonomously at another field when you take your seeding rig over?

Most farms have pretty adequate power infrastructure as well so charging on site should not be an issue at all. Also in regards to cold temperatures an electric vehicle does surprisingly well. You don't ever have to worry if it will start. The cabin can go from -30 to +28 in about 10 minutes. Yes range will decrease due to the added density of cold air, winter tires, and snow on the road.

[Guest]

yea , lots of good points , sf
never thought of truck picking you up when you move fields ! would sure be a big help

[jazz]

Charging that thing overnight in your garage would easily add another few hundred bucks to your monthly power bill. Probably the same as you would put into it in gas in a month. But with all the downsides, reliable range, heat, expense to maintain. You wont be swinging wrenches on that engine.

You can buy 2 plain jane gas trucks for the same price.

[ALBERTAFARMER4]

Charging that thing overnight in your garage would easily add another few hundred bucks to your monthly power bill. Probably the same as you would put into it in gas in a month. But with all the downsides, reliable range, heat, expense to maintain. You wont be swinging wrenches on that engine.

You can buy 2 plain jane gas trucks for the same price.

Ok but which is more expensive, $1000 of fuel or $300 of electricity?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I am all for electric vehicles, especially for replacing a short trip runaround vehicle such as a farm pickup truck. So many advantages, especially as compared to a modern diesel with emissions controls. Cheap to operate, reliable, maintenance free, high performance, true 4wd, no emissions control nightmares, no road tax, plus all the reasons already listed by other posters.

Trouble is, they are being marketed as a solution to a non existent problem. And they don't even solve that. The electricity grid is still, and will remain, dominantly powered by fossil fuels, so the electric vehicles, are still fossil fuel powered, still emitting beneficial CO2, and still result in all of the unintended consequences of resource extraction, all of the inefficiencies inherent in converting hydrocarbons to useful energy are still there, except we also get to add the line losses and the conversion to and from electrical energy to the list.

If electric vehicles ever achieve sufficient market penetration, governments will discover that tax revenues to build and maintain our road infrastructure is sorely lacking, and the free ride on not paying fuel taxes will come to an end, likely replaced by a per km driven fee based off GPS, where every road becomes a toll road, taking a large bite out of the cost advantage.

And most importantly, well-intentioned, but grossly uninformed and ignorant governments are determined to drive electricity costs to levels far beyond being competitive with fossil fuels, with their renewable mandates. If reducing CO2 emissions is their goal, then FF power plants need to be replaced by drastically more expensive renewables, and then the cost advantage of driving electric vehicles is lost completely, unless of course, they also tax FF vehicles disproportionately to force the market into the least worst option.

In other words, the cost advantage to operating an EV is likely at its peak right now, and will only decline from here forward.

[chuckChuck]

According to the EPA the Tesla model 3 has a rating of 26 kWh/100 mi.
136 MPGe Highway, 123 MPGe City

That is a much lower cost to operate than an equivalent gasoline car.

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbsSelect https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbsSelect

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml

[chuckChuck]

All-Electric Vehicles
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml

All-electric vehicles (EVs) run on electricity only. They are propelled by one or more electric motors powered by rechargeable battery packs. EVs have several advantages over conventional vehicles:

Energy efficient. EVs convert about 59%–62% of the electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels. Conventional gasoline vehicles only convert about 17%–21% of the energy stored in gasoline to power at the wheels.*
Environmentally friendly. EVs emit no tailpipe pollutants, although the power plant producing the electricity may emit them. Electricity from nuclear-, hydro-, solar-, or wind-powered plants causes no air pollutants.
Performance benefits. Electric motors provide quiet, smooth operation and stronger acceleration and require less maintenance than internal combustion engines (ICEs).
Reduced energy dependence. Electricity is a domestic energy source.

[biglentil]

At 11 cents a kwh expect your electricity to come in around 50% of what your fuel bill would be.

Just a few months ago quantum supremecy was completely theoretical. Google proved that quantum computers can solve problems in seconds that the best conventional super computers would grind over for years. Couple a quantum computer with AI and its a complete game changer. In a few years we may see new battery chemistry that is multiples better than lithium ion. Imagine if the truck had a 1000mile, 2000mile or even 5000 mile range. with a battery with a 50 yr life expectancy. Sounds like science fiction but so did quantum computing just a few years ago.

[jazz]

Ok but which is more expensive, $1000 of fuel or $300 of electricity?

Don't think you are putting $1000 a month in fuel. Hundred bucks a week does a lot of driving unless you are a long distance commuter. The extra $30k price tag buys a lot of fuel, especially farm diesel.

The EV on the markets that makes the most sense is this Mitsubishi PHEV hybrid.

[ALBERTAFARMER4]

I am all for electric vehicles, especially for replacing a short trip runaround vehicle such as a farm pickup truck. So many advantages, especially as compared to a modern diesel with emissions controls. Cheap to operate, reliable, maintenance free, high performance, true 4wd, no emissions control nightmares, no road tax, plus all the reasons already listed by other posters.

Trouble is, they are being marketed as a solution to a non existent problem. And they don't even solve that. The electricity grid is still, and will remain, dominantly powered by fossil fuels, so the electric vehicles, are still fossil fuel powered, still emitting beneficial CO2, and still result in all of the unintended consequences of resource extraction, all of the inefficiencies inherent in converting hydrocarbons to useful energy are still there, except we get to add the line losses and the conversion to and from electrical energy to the list.

If electric vehicles ever achieve sufficient market penetration, governments will discover that tax revenues to build and maintain our road infrastructure is sorely lacking, and the free ride on not paying fuel taxes will come to an end, likely replaced by a per km driven fee based off GPS, where every road becomes a toll road, taking a large bite out of the cost advantage.

And most importantly, well-intentioned, but grossly uninformed and ignorant governments are determined to drive electricity costs to levels far beyond being competitive with fossil fuels, with their renewable mandates. If reducing CO2 emissions is their goal, then FF power plants need to be replaced by drastically more expensive renewables, and then the cost advantage of driving electric vehicles is lost completely, unless of course, they also tax FF vehicles disproportionately to force the market into the least worst option.

In other words, the cost advantage to operating an EV is likely at its peak right now, and will only decline from here forward.

Those are fair points. However as a farmer and land owner I have a lot of leverage against power companies if they decide to charge me an unfair price for electricity. The farm of the future will produce food AND energy. If farms can use their own energy to grow crops and also pump excess energy into the grid during the off season they essentially become a year round profit generating business. But we all know that gas/diesel prices are always fair and no one on agriville has ever complained about the fuel price. At the end of the day I'm looking at this from a math based approach. What is the total cost per mile? If EV is cheaper than ICE then it's a no brainer.

As far as road tax, most farmers are running dyed fuel anyways. City folk will have to pay a higher registration fee for an EV to make a contribution to road tax.

Anyone who is interested in an EV, has questions about charging infrastructure, or wants to test drive my car (model 3) to see what autopilot is really like can message me on here. Or hopefully in 2 years try out my truck!