CalD
Valparaiso, In. USA
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Joined: 10/10/2003
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I saw on the South Bend TV news today that Navistar that bought Monaco is starting to make Electric motor driven delivery trucks at the old Monaco plant in Wakarusa In. These trucks will have a 100 mile range before needing a charge. No mention about making RVs. They plan on hiring back about 700 layed off Monaco workers by next year. Good news for that area. CalD
2000 Fleetwood Flair 31A
2002 Saturn SL2
Nothing fancy but love it
One wife "Jan"
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bagman
L.K.M.
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Joined: 04/01/2001
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An "Electric" delivery truck that can go 100 miles before needing recharged would not be useful! I wouldn't buy one to deliver our product as our truck typically does more than 100 miles per day! Bagman.
* This post was
edited 08/07/09 03:36pm by an administrator/moderator *
Trying To Survive In The L.K.M.
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nodine
Knoxville, Tennessee
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Joined: 07/08/2003
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bagman wrote:An "Electric" delivery truck that can go 100 miles before needing recharged is about as useful as a pimple on a mules A$$! I wouldn't buy one to deliver our product as our truck typically does more than 100 miles per day! Bagman.
Bagman,
Keep an open mind. Not all applications are the same as yours. I would think a UPS or FedX truck could make a lot of delivers in a city such as ours with a 100 mile range. Anyone who thinks that reducing our use of petroleum is going to result in a cost reduction is not thinking things trough. The cost of energy from all sources is only going to continue to rise. I just need to figure out what the wife and I will give up to keep using our RV. We are about to enter that part of our life's where we plan to take long and expensive trips. We did not come this far and invest a lot of money in our RV so we could keep it parked in the driveway. Like many others, our investments recently went on a diet.
Bob
2006 Monaco Diplomat 40PDQ
2006 Honda CRV toad
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HobbyHauler
South of Nashville, TN
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Joined: 08/07/2004
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nodine wrote:Like many others, our investments recently went on a diet.
Bob I guess it all depends on how you define "recently"
Recently our investments are up over 40%. Let the good times roll.
Les Stallings
South of Nashville, TN
2002 Monaco Dynasty Jack 38, ISL 400, TAG
Toad: 2003 Saturn LW300
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Lariat trucker
Sticksville, TX
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Joined: 11/18/2005
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These new rechargable trucks are 100 mile radius trucks. We have a "hot shot" delivery service that uses a cross breed CNG/electric vehicle. They plug them in everytime they return to the dock. Batteries cost as much as a small TT!!!!
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cm
Dillon, CO USA
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Joined: 08/01/2002
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What generates the electricity to recharge these electrical delivery trucks? Probably a coal fired power plant.
One thing that would help companies is to have their delivery drivers drive the speed limits. I see a lot of different delivery trucks driving 10 to 15 miles per hour over the speed limits. And racing between stop lights. That probably drops their mpg by 10 to 20 percent.
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rgatijnet1
Florida
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Joined: 06/22/2009
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Back in the early 60's, the US Post Office tried using electric vehicles to deliver the mail. Didn't work too well then but technology has improved. I could see the USPS trying electric again, but as mentioned, where does all of this "extra" electricity come from? Right now, I am paying a monthly "pre-construction" fee on my electric bill to fund a yet to be permitted nuclear power plant built sometime in the future. We do not have the generating capacity right now for all of our electrical needs without using oil and coal fired generator plants. For now we are not saving any fuel by switching to electric vehicles, we are just shifting where it is used.
There is no doubt in my mind that soon we will be considered every bit as evil as the Hummer owners were a short time ago. Enjoy your RV to the fullest while you can.
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ibavamarine
Shenandoah Valley, Va
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Have to chime in on this one.... does anyone know how much pollution is created to manufacture just one of these vehicles? As a matter of fact...how much to manufacture any electric hybrid? If not, you may want to take a really close look, you will be surprised!!
There is an old saying; "you can promise a change, but it does not mean it is going to smell any better". A Navy manufacture. who told his men they smelt bad and to change their underwear, well they did, with each other.
ibavamarine
Shenandoah Valley, Va
"They're on our right, they're on our left, they're in front of us, they're behind us; they can't get away from us this time,"
Chesty Puller
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texasbaskets
Frisco, TX
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Joined: 10/06/2003
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Try driving one of those all electric vehicles in a hurricane evacuation or when the power goes out for days after a bad storm. You'll be thumbing a ride in a diesel dually pickup, lol.
Although I do have an electric cordless lawnmower, I don't think gasoline is going to be obsolete for a little while yet.  
If you examine the commercial use of electric/hybrid vehicles, it's usually driven by a government subsidy or law and not by profit.
Michael, Kay, and Prissy (The vicious Malti-Poo)
'05 Coachmen SportsCoach SE 372DS a.k.a. "Mana's Cabana"
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Jackha1949
Maine
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Joined: 07/16/2008
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I wonder if these electric trucks are set up like the Chevy Volt which will run so far on the battery then a small gas motor kicks in that runs a generator that runs the vehicle and charges the battery at the same time. As far as charging units they are designing solar powered charging stations, Calif did that with the EV1 until GM took all the cars back! By the way GM has a Hummer hybrid that gets 50 mph, saw that about 6 months ago but do not know what GM is doing with it. The technology is out there. Take a look at the Tulsa car, its a super sports car that does 0- 60 in under 4 secs, goes over 200 miles on a charge, its all electric!
Jack & Peg
USN Ret AGC
K1ZMB
Phippsburg, Maine
05 Journey 34H
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