Your Crystal Ball

[nc_beagle]

I know its just guesswork, but I'm interested in what everyone hear thinks.

I'm ordering a 1500 EcoDiesel fairly soon, in the coming months (unless I hear of something about the 2022s that makes me want to wait.) I'd be perfectly happy with a BEV truck, but they don't yet check all my boxes--specifically having a good range while towing a travel trailer. Plus, they aren't really available yet.

How many years do you expect it will be before there are BEV trucks that offer the same range (specifically while towing a big "brick") as today's EcoDiesel Truck (with the 33 gallon tank.) If you lose say 40-50% of range, the current BEV is down to 150-200 miles between (30 minute?) recharges. That's a pretty significant percentage of drive time spent recharging. Whereas a diesel Ram drops to maybe 400 miles of range with a five minute refuel.

I realize that my wife can't go 400 miles without a bathroom break but since most charging stations aren't configured for people towing a 25' camper, I'd rather not have to unhook every time I "electron-up" a BEV when towing. So, that is another variable that hopefully will get addressed in the coming years. I'm sure we'll soon start seeing campers and trailers with battery packs that can feed the vehicles electric motors.

 

[RockYacht2020]

IMO, long enough not to wait to pull the trigger on a RAM in either 21 or 22. I think the "utility curve" you're talking about (range while towing, fuel-up times/stations, etc.) will intersect with your supply/demand curve later in the decade, if we're lucky. Those "half-ton" EV trucks are really expensive and hard to get for now, so I'd go ahead and get your "interim" RAM now without worrying about whether or not you'll be selling before your warranty runs out. MAYBE by the end of the decade you'll be able to get what you want for a reasonable price.

 

[jdefoe0424]

IMHO, fully electric vehicles that are good for towing cross country, or atleast several hundred miles of range, and are affordable are probably close to 10 years out. By then they will have battery and cooling systems figured out but the motors, controllers, wiring and that stuff is still going to be more expensive than for a typical passenger car. One advantage is that a truck platform is better for getting range because of the decreased sensitivity to weight. The largest battery Tesla has out currently is 100kWh and is nearly 1,400lbs, a Model S P100D with that battery is nearly 5,000lbs and is only rated for 315miles...imagine that in a truck which is way less aerodynamic.

They do currently run electric semi trucks in yards which the truck never leaves the yard and just moves trailers around all day long, right now that is well within the realm of what is possible. There's also electric delivery trucks in some areas, but those trucks probably don't go more than 100 miles a day. I think short run OTR may be doable right now, say 100-150 miles between warehouses or something like that.
High winds, grades and extreme temperatures(hot or cold) are where you really start to push the limits of pure EV right now.

I think your range ends of being 40-50% of what you would get without towing, but of course that is hugely dependent on the trailer you're pulling too. A traditional bread box TT is not very aerodynamic, but there are some small tear drops out there that would be much more suited to EV towing. An airstream wouldn't be as bad aerodynamically but they also tend to be a little heavier, and they're more expensive. Any EV specific trailer is going to be more expensive period.
There's plenty of videos out there on youtube of people pulling trailers with Teslas, The Fast Lane has a couple of videos as well.