Self-Powered Trailers Promise Leaner Freight Runs

Post by vladvasiliu » Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 9:52 AM UTC

Dreami wrote: post #20

crote wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that's the thing: you already have to pay a driver to sit around! In Europe there's (simplified) a mandatory 45-minute rest break after 4.5 hours of driving. Similarly, there's a mandatory 11-hour rest period after the daily maximum of 10 hours of driving. And it is very strictly enforced, with every commercial truck having been equipped with a sealed and certified data logger, plenty of random checks by traffic…

At least from the truckers I watch on YouTube from Germany, there is already a shortage of rest stops for trucks. Sometimes you can see them even in the entrance of the rest stops, parked in a dangerous spot. If they all have to charge, then that becomes a problem, because they can’t find a space even „creatively“. Not saying that electric trucks are bad, just one more problem to solve

Post by cucumber3732842 » Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 10:35 AM UTC

crote wrote: post #15

sandworm101 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Charging time. A truck/driver doesnt remain stopped. It drops a trailer and picks up another. And a truck needs charging on the open road where there just are not any charging stations. But a trailer remains parked at a loading bay for hours, a commercial facility where installing chargers makes sense. A trailer therefore has more oppertunity to charge than a truck. And if a company wanted to, parking a trailer to le…

But that's the thing: you already have to pay a driver to sit around! In Europe there's (simplified) a mandatory 45-minute rest break after 4.5 hours of driving. Similarly, there's a mandatory 11-hour rest period after the daily maximum of 10 hours of driving. And it is very strictly enforced, with every commercial truck having been equipped with a sealed and certified data logger, plenty of random checks by traffic…

Post by cucumber3732842 » Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 10:39 AM UTC

Leonard_of_Q wrote: post #16

mschuster91 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> With 13+ years ROI (electricity is not free) is this really beneficial? Regenerative and solar electricity is free, and regen braking additionally saves wear and tear on brake pads. The real benefit I think is when stuff like tax codes, carbon credits and government subsidies come into play and ROI goes down significantly. Or when the next war hits and diesel actually hits and bypasses the 2.50€/l mark.

> The real benefit I think is when stuff like tax codes, carbon credits and government subsidies come into play and ROI goes down significantly. Those are unreliable and vary at the whim of the government and their need to fill a hole in the budget. The only reliable factor here is a subsidy on the purchase price for the trailer as that can not be withdrawn after a year. Carbon credits will disappear as soon as a sig…

Post by WildGreenLeave » Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 10:57 AM UTC

wongarsu wrote: post #19

crote wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that's the thing: you already have to pay a driver to sit around! In Europe there's (simplified) a mandatory 45-minute rest break after 4.5 hours of driving. Similarly, there's a mandatory 11-hour rest period after the daily maximum of 10 hours of driving. And it is very strictly enforced, with every commercial truck having been equipped with a sealed and certified data logger, plenty of random checks by traffic…

In Europe (at least in Germany) we already have a lack of truck parking spots along many routes. And that's with parking spots that are just a bit of Asphalt and maybe a portapotty, or big asphalt parking lots attached to a rest stop If we had enough chargers that any trucker could pull into a truck stop at their prescribed rest period and find a free charger, electrifying trucks would indeed be a no-brainer. But in…

Post by fragmede » Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 11:20 AM UTC

sneak wrote: post #26

Gabrys1 wrote: post #22

Even a version without AC charging (just solar + regen) with a smaller battery seems like a good deal

The amount of solar power available to the square area on top of a trailer is negligible compared to the energy required to haul it long distances. Regen braking would probably only be worth it in some limited circumstances.