No one commenting on the fact that the first paragraph says it doesn't even CONSUME energy????
I think it's clear they are sensationalizing it due to the unique nature of the energy used, which is external potential energy that needed to get down the hill whether it's a gas or electric truck.
Esisyphus
Very interesting use case but kind of dependant on this very specific setup? I feel like an even more efficient and low maintenance method would be like... a ramp.
Does it discharge extra energy into anything else? Does it burn off extra energy as heat to maintain regenerative braking?
Great question.
That is definitely one of the big caveats of BEVs over diesels. A battery on an EV can only take in so much energy. Once you hit that ceiling, the battery won't take in any more current. Fun fact, having a super charged battery in a BEV causes all sorts of headache and can cost you performance.
You either have to switch back to service brakes or, as you mentioned, burn off energy as heat. Not sure how they're doing it with this truck, but on other BEV loaders which I've worked on, we add a hydraulic valve whose only purpose is to create flow, pressure, and subsequently heat. It basically just adds a dummy load. I suspect they tapped into the dump hydraulics and added such a valve for this truck.
It powers a massage chair for the driver
Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
Oh cool they're using the same principle the guys at Edison are using for their logging trucks on a much larger scale
Back in my day we drove back and forth to work uphill, both ways, and we only lost weight because we could never afford enough Starbucks and avocado toast!
This is very fucking cool.
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
