Unveiling the Truth: Diesel-Electric Tech Discussion

Our in-depth response on diesel-electric technology, following a recent video from Watch West Work. We're going to break down and analyze the practical applications, benefits, and drawbacks of diesel-electric systems, with a special focus on Edison Motors, an ambitious startup from British Columbia.

Edison Motors has made waves by building a hybrid diesel-electric semi-truck from scratch, demonstrating significant potential for the future of transportation. However, as with any emerging technology, there are nuances to consider. We discuss the feasibility of their retrofit kits for semi-trucks and pickup trucks, considering the various applications and potential fuel savings.

Join me as we delve into a candid and detailed conversation with the team from Edison Motors and DeBoss Garage. We'll cover the challenges, innovations, and real-world implications of their diesel-electric hybrid systems. We also examine the calculations and assumptions behind their claims, offering a balanced perspective on what could be a game-changer in the automotive world.

Through this video, we aim to provide clarity on this complex topic, exploring how diesel-electric technology can shape the future of transportation, the challenges it faces, and the realistic expectations we should have. If you're passionate about the future of automotive technology and love deep technical dives, this video is for you!

🚀 Don’t forget to hit subscribe for more automotive technology deep dives, and leave your questions and comments below – let’s keep the conversation going!
#EdisonMotors #DieselElectricHybrid #AutomotiveTechnology #InnovationInTransportation #FutureOfTrucks #WatchWestWork #DeBossGarage #TransportationTech #CarTechnologyExplained

00:00 - 00:23 Chace Intro
00:23 - 01:29 Watch Wes Work Intro
01:29 - 01:54 Retro-fit Market Makes Sense
01:54 - 04:18 Trucks have We Built, Investors We Have, Installer Network
04:18 - 04:39 Real World Results?
04:39 - 05:18 Estimates and Wild Guesses?
05:18 - 06:21 Pickup Truck / Heavy Truck Fuel Savings?
06:21 - 06:38 What does fuel savings mean?
06:38 - 08:21 Miles Per Gallon?
08:21 - 08:54 Vocational Trucks are Not Highway Trucks
08:54 - 12:17 Vocational Trucks Are Not Driving Max Power Down The Highway All Day
12:17 - 12:49 More Efficient, Regenerative Braking, Efficiency
12:49 - 17:03 Electric Motor Efficiency
17:03 - 18:03 Gearing Between Axles
18:03 - 21:37 Torque
21:37 - 25:49 Regenerative Braking
25:49 - 28:27 Citing Long Haul Highway Studies To Use Against Vocational Trucks
28:27 - 29:09 Edison Made The First Series Hybrid Heavy Truck
29:29 - 29:49 Understanding The Difference Between Highway and Vocational Truck Use
29:49 - 31:22 Locomotive Concept and Efficiency
31:22 - 32:29 Wes Is Unable to Understand Vocational Truck Use
32:29 - 36:39 Heavy Truck Cost, Economics, Individual Use Case
36:39 - 38:38 Pickup Truck Kit Price
38:38 - 43:10 Wes Has A Spread Sheet
43:10 - 49:24 Edison Motors Spread Sheet
49:24 - 51:14 It’s Not For Every Truck
51:14 - 52:41 Solvable Issues to Overcome
52:14 - 54:02 Engine, EV Kits and Swaps Have Been Around A Long Time
54:02 - 55:42 EV Mandates
55:42 - 57:21 Promiss To Eat Crow
57:21 - 58:35 It’s Not One Size Fits All
58:35 - 02:10:39 Group Chat With Wes

[brettroseTheBigD]

This is pretty insane a company can come out and respond to criticism and explain clearly what they are doing.

[GeneStarwind]

I'm a crane operator, and when you guys started talking about the torque that you get from the electric motors. Taking off from lights with a crane that weighs over 90k is so time-consuming and frustrating when you finally get up to speed and get caught by the next light. I thank a Link-Belt or Grove truck crane would be so cool with this system integrated. Especially when working at night in a residential neighborhood with it making lot less noise.

[Jshel]

I'm so glad you guys came together to discuss this. I couldn't stop thinking about Wes's video because he made good points from a different point of view. But Wes is all for the right to repair AND he is a Electric Engineer with a ton a machining experiences. I knew you guys would be able to find common ground. Wes will be a phenomenal ally in the corn/rust belt.
The right to repair is not a fad. It is a revolution that takes us standing together and not tear ourselves apart. In the worlds of a famous Canadian, We're all in this together.

[JesseHires]

I have two takeaways from this. I no longer feel like my kitchen counter is a mess. I no longer feel like my shop is a mess.

[Ph]

Chase I love the fact that you were real down to earth person you’re sitting at home in your kitchen having a video telling it like it is it’s awesome

[nnitro]

One big factor that helps heavy haul is drive line shock. Having to start out from a stop on a 15% grade with 120, 000lbs machine on. You are unloading or your driveline is going to scatter. This allows you deliver power slowly and without the shock of a clutch.

[RW-zesu]

Some thoughts.
1 ½ hours of my WELL
This is a reminder of what a conversation is. Thank you for that.
I hope Wes links this video to his video to highlight this conversation. Invitation made (sorta accepted) at the end.
Hopefully the 1 ton works out for the trades to power job sites. - answered
Crowd funding/engineering = a great thing.
V/A Motors is the truck that got me intrigued about series electric.
Being transparent on YouTube = a great thing.
Someone once told me "don't test a electric car or you WILL find a way to pay for it" it is that much fun.

[JesterTop]

I still am trying to get you on the old RV conversion idea. It makes SOOO much sense. having solar and a big ass battery bank is the standard already. Most RVs also have a generator as well as the normal engine (2 birds 1 stone). And having a diesel heater piped into the same tank as a diesel generator saves more space and complexity. I would give anything to convert my 88 Astro Tiger to a 4wd diesel electric hybrid.

[DustonDiekmann]

Thanks for putting this out. I was surprised to see Wes pull his video and the rumor on the street was Layers forced him, and it made since and I heard nothing from Him, Debos or You guys so it seemed liked most likley true.

I like seeing these conversations and open discussion.

#RightToRepair

[ianmckay]

BEST 2 Hrs ever! That was the most interesting video I've ever seen! Thank you Wes for putting your head above the parapet and sticking up for yourself ! You have done what I hoped you would do, as a supporter of yours, I could make out what you were trying to put across, but honestly failed miserably. You are so much better than that video! As to Chase and Co, well you are who you are and that is why I support you too. Rich, well there is nothing I could say other than "well said Rich", you know the practice of the task and can help all others in the smaller aspects of the "potential" for this project. WELL DONE TO ALL INVOLVED. Thanks too from UK.

[jazzerbyte]

Edison's development is advancing transportation choices, and I see great value in what they're doing. Transportation has always been a continuous incremental study and improvement. If no one was brave enough to experiment and improve, we'd be measuring our progress in bushels of oats per mile and comparing the motivational capability of buggy whips. Thanks for walking through with your current developments in mind.

[glennjones]

Nice job on calmly responding to Wes... look forward to getting my kit to put into an old retro pickup truck!

[zantrua]

Wow, the way he explained the power band and need to shift makes it super clear that he understands the problem from an angle that I don't think it would be possible to get without his actual experience as a trucker. Trying to get a diesel truck started from a dead stop sounds like a huge headache compared to what Edison has in their truck.

[tophersteps]

Quick comment here about series vs parallel driveline. I work on vocational trucks here in sweden. If we take scania as example, because they have parallel (and thus a driveshaft down the middle, the batteries are on the sides. And because these are work trucks with hydraulics, the batteries take up the ENTIRE sides. No space for tool boxes, sand boxes, or anything else. So a hidden advantage for a series connection to free up space inside the chassis.

[JTM_djg]

All parties involved are real humans capable of critical thinking, this is what we need. Wes' video was important, this video and collaboration is/was vital. I wish he would've left his with follow up. He was still ultimately humble and open minded while admitting lack of information and context, and the conversation is still exactly what we need in this fight.

[wild_lee_coyote]

The new Ramcharger truck that will be coming out in 2025, made by Dodge, will be a series hybrid. It has a fully electric drivetrain, with a ICE generator for range extension. I like that Dodge is going Edison hybrid before producing a full EV truck. Like Edison the Ramcharger will have the benefits of the EV drive train and range of a gas vehicle.

[antonhapiak]

Even if Eddison Motor's produced a normal heavy duty truck with a good diesel engine and mechanical driveline, they'd be a great truck. I like the simple practicality. The only thing I'd change is the foot pedals, hang them from the firewall, just to make it easier to clean. My work boots are caked in a lot of mud. Seems trivial but it'll save time and a lot of swearing. Been following these fella's from day dot, they're great. Saying hi from Tasmania, the logging island state of Australia 🇦🇺 🍻👍

[wild_lee_coyote]

Part of the confusion, especially with MPG, is the fact that an electric vehicle works a bit differently. In a gas or diesel vehicle the engine is constantly on. Up hill, down hill, parked at a light, or hauling a heavy load, it all uses gas so you can easily average that to get an MPG. Electric vehicles add some extra complexity. Regenerative breaking allows you to recover some of the energy used in the vehicle. Electric vehicles work great in city traffic with low speeds and lots of stop and go. ICE engine work best at highway speeds where the gearing and the high energy density of the fuel allow for long distance and greater efficiency. Edison is focused where you can maximize the advantage of the electric drivetrain, but add the flexibility of a diesel generator. Trying to calculate what a MPG would be is much more job and location dependent than a simple ICE. Topsy could see a vastly different MPG just by changing which logging camp he picks up his logs at. The only way you will see an increase in fuel usage over a traditional ICE is if you have to sit idle while the batteries charge, and then have the generator running continually while hauling the load.

[MrSebmeister]

I work in a predominantly rural ambulance service in the UK. There is currently a mandate to make the entire UK fleet electric by 2030. Electric Ford Transits are currently being trialled in London Ambulance Service. As far as I can make out from manufacturer data, a high GVW model has a range less than 100 miles not exceeding 55mph. This doesn't take into account the electrical load of emergency systems, conversion and medical devices. We could see the battery dead before the first patient gets to hospital. We also have the issue of often holding outside hospitals with a patient on board for many hours. We currently run 4.2t 3.0L TDI Fiat's that have to cope with alternating between being driven like a sports car at up to 100mph, and then potentially idling for 10 hours - it's trashing them. A conservative estimate on fitting EV chargers at ambulance stations and hospitals is around £100 million. Full electric doesn't make sense in the ambulance application, a high-performance hybrid does.

[louherman]

45:16 I LOVE how that Graph tops out at 140 Km/hr. Loving that the Edison mindset shows even here, haha!