Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet • Hacker News Board

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#71

Post by contingencies » Fri, Dec 29, 2017, 3:58 PM UTC

rqs wrote: post #58

contingencies wrote: post #5

Living in Shenzhen, it feels like probably 80% of the taxis are electric already. Due to government subsidy the blue electric BYD cabs are more spacious, cheaper (no 2元 fuel surcharge), newer and cleaner than the older red cabs, which are generally clunky dirty squashed VWs. However, the drivers pay more to buy them even with subsidy, and you need a conventional ICE vehicle to get out to the factories in Dongguan, or…

I wounder how it would effects the earning of those taxis drivers? Can switching to electric cab increase their income? It will be really great too see their income (Not just financially) increased by switching to electric vehicles. Because that could give people stronger motive do to this kind of switch than government subsidy. A taxis company in our city renewed their cabs recently, unfortunately they picked rather…

Shenzhen taxi drivers are, to my mind, getting noticably worse at navigating. When questioned last month, one explained that the old drivers got out of the taxi game and purely drive didi (local version of Uber) as it makes more money. The current crop of drivers are mostly new to the game.

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#72

Post by contingencies » Fri, Dec 29, 2017, 4:03 PM UTC

IIAOPSW wrote: post #57

adrianN wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Chinese market is big enough to build very successful companies that never need to cross the firewall to provide their services.

The Chinese market has to deal with obnoxious barriers to starting a business and competition from government backed giants (tencent, alibaba). So long as the party shoots itself in the foot it will never replicate Silicon Valley.

Second time mainland China business founder here - foreigner. As everywhere there are barriers. However, I would say that in China it is not that hard to get going all told. While foreigners cannot really sole trade and there remain linguistic and cultural barriers, low initial capital requirements, a non-litigious environment, relatively relaxed licensing and a reasonably transparent and predictable visa system are big pluses versus the US. These days, the VC environment is also solid.

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#73

Post by nwah1 » Fri, Dec 29, 2017, 5:46 PM UTC

adrianN wrote: post #51

nwah1 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Coal releases lead, radon, and other toxic pollutants into the environment. And you haven't supported the assertion that coal-powered EVs emit less CO2, and it contradicts what I've generally heard elsewhere.

ICEs release all kinds of toxic gases and particulates too, only they do right where people breathe. Coal plants can be build farther away.

Very true. Although, historically speaking even in the US there have been coal power plants right in dense urban areas.

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#74

Post by goldenkey » Sat, Dec 30, 2017, 2:05 AM UTC

eric-hu wrote: post #65

goldenkey wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regenerative braking doesn't do much for someone who already throttles properly. Garbage trucks dont have to drive in traffic. They dont get free energy for regen breaking..its just a recoup for bad driving conditions.

Garbage trucks still need to make frequent stops compared to most vehicles. I suppose it's possible to make some kind of pickup system that doesn't require stopping, like the mail systems trains used to use. I don't know of any place that does that though. It'd probably get messy pretty easily.

Garbage trucks cruise at a certain pace. They hardly ever stop and go, for good reason: fuel efficiency, wear and tear, and just general work efficiency. The drivers jump on and off and back onto the truck. Have you ever watched a garbage truck squad in action?

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#75

Post by woodandsteel » Sat, Dec 30, 2017, 2:20 AM UTC

goldenkey wrote: post #35

woodandsteel wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buses don't need huge batteries for their size. A typical city bus goes only about 100 miles a day, they do a ton of regenerative breaking, and they can charge at stops and also they tend to sit in the terminal several times a day while the driver takes a break after each circuit. Electric trash collection trucks are even better. That's because they do so much regenerative breaking.

Regenerative braking doesn't do much for someone who already throttles properly. Garbage trucks dont have to drive in traffic. They dont get free energy for regen breaking..its just a recoup for bad driving conditions.

ICE garbage trucks brake all the time. They get up to speed, go a very short distance, and then put on the brakes so they can make their next pickup. There is no way they can let off the throttle and glide to a stop in time. Nothing is more stop-and-go than a garbage truck in a city.

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#76

Post by woodandsteel » Sat, Dec 30, 2017, 2:24 AM UTC

goldenkey wrote: post #74

eric-hu wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Garbage trucks still need to make frequent stops compared to most vehicles. I suppose it's possible to make some kind of pickup system that doesn't require stopping, like the mail systems trains used to use. I don't know of any place that does that though. It'd probably get messy pretty easily.

Garbage trucks cruise at a certain pace. They hardly ever stop and go, for good reason: fuel efficiency, wear and tear, and just general work efficiency. The drivers jump on and off and back onto the truck. Have you ever watched a garbage truck squad in action?

Where I live, the trash collection trucks have a hydralic mechanism on the side that grabs a trash can, pulls it up, and dumps it over the top. And to to do that, it comes to a full stop.

The system you are describing sounds dangerous and uses far too much labor. Maybe your city has a trash collectors union with too much power.

Re: Shenzhen Electrifies Entire Public Transit Bus Fleet

#77

Post by goldenkey » Sat, Dec 30, 2017, 9:06 AM UTC

woodandsteel wrote: post #76

goldenkey wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Garbage trucks cruise at a certain pace. They hardly ever stop and go, for good reason: fuel efficiency, wear and tear, and just general work efficiency. The drivers jump on and off and back onto the truck. Have you ever watched a garbage truck squad in action?

Where I live, the trash collection trucks have a hydralic mechanism on the side that grabs a trash can, pulls it up, and dumps it over the top. And to to do that, it comes to a full stop. The system you are describing sounds dangerous and uses far too much labor. Maybe your city has a trash collectors union with too much power.

I'm talking about NYC...it has been working well for the last 200 years with little in the way of change. I'd say the city knows exactly what it is doing...

Having the collectors use a robotic arm rather than just a fleshy garbage man for dumping the bin..that's only something you see in "new cities" that have no clue on how to do efficient garbage collection. Now..."YO!! get offa my steps you stoopidabass!! go backtoodah burbs ya yankee dandee sass platoon!!" ;-)