tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527840491496268397.post1242035545293095275..comments2024-03-08T11:20:30.095-07:00Comments on Credit Bubble Stocks: "Broadband Electricity and the Free-Market Path to Electric Cars"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527840491496268397.post-42566708750825937492011-06-26T16:42:31.678-07:002011-06-26T16:42:31.678-07:00We aren't saying that the per-mile cost of tru...We aren't saying that the per-mile cost of trucks will be lower than trains. <br /><br />Unlike trains, trucks go door to door which is more efficient aka cheaper.<br /><br />Trains made a comeback relatively recently. What I was saying was that cheaper truck transport per mile would tilt the total cost advantage back to trucks.CPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12701174164478027499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527840491496268397.post-86637590733626786272011-06-19T22:39:03.073-07:002011-06-19T22:39:03.073-07:00I don't know that electric tractor trailers co...I don't know that electric tractor trailers could ever become cost competitive with electric trains, at least given the current trajectory of things.<br /><br />Trains are <i>always</i> more fuel efficient than trucks. The only way for trucks to out-compete is when fuel costs become small to negligible, neutralizing train's fuel efficiency. This allows the timeliness of truck's point-to-point distribution can come to the fore. <br /><br />For trucks to beat out trains, you'd need electricity as cheap as the Thorium Cycle folks dream of and a 10 to 100 fold improvement in battery technology or super-capacitors such that their energy densities can approach diesel fuel.<br /><br />As for locomotives and mining equipment long ago switching to diesel-electric hybrids, it's because electric motors on a pound-for-pound basis are capable of much higher torque outputs than geared transmissions. The losses converting mechanical energy into electrical are mitigated by the ability of electric motors to generate tremendously high torques. Plus it is easy to have one on each wheel all sharing a power plant. Mechanical transmissions wouldn't be able to do that anywhere near as easily. On-highway applications do not need such high torques so a mechanical transmission is cheaper and more efficient.<br /><br />Buffet's train purchase was two-fold: a bet on peak-oil and a bet on the Chinese redeeming their trillion in Treasuries for hard commodities.Allan Folzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06762674627739423845noreply@blogger.com