# This Electric Semi is a Million-Dollar Idea! Edison Motors at Fully Charged LIVE

**URL:** <https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455>\
**Category:** Macro Economic Trends and Risks\
**Created:** [November 15, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455 "2023-11-15T17:30:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![captainccs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/captainccs/32/3775_2.png) [@captainccs](https://discussion.fool.com/u/captainccs)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/1 "2023-11-15T17:30:23Z")

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Sandy Munro impressed by the Edison Motors semi. In fact it is a diesel electric designed for truckers hauling logs. Diesel electric is a decades old proven technology that makes a lot more sense than the double drivetrain hybrids. These semis will be using a lot of regenerative power as they mainly haul logs downhill. That gives them a huge fuel economy advantage over diesels.

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/original/3X/4/9/499fc2808faa60c61788234a0f5b69e0bc847175.jpeg "This Electric Semi is a Million-Dollar Idea! Edison Motors at Fully Charged LIVE Canada") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR6Az1wfTI8)

The Captain

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**Author:** ![pauleckler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/pauleckler/32/2906_2.png) [@pauleckler](https://discussion.fool.com/u/pauleckler)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/2 "2023-11-15T18:35:11Z")

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How large is the battery? Enough to climb back up mountain with all electric? Or mostly diesel?

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**Author:** ![dlbuffy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/dlbuffy/32/1941_2.png) [@dlbuffy](https://discussion.fool.com/u/dlbuffy)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/3 "2023-11-15T19:57:54Z")

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Seems all electric up the mountain to get a load, then load and truck on way down is regenerating enough to get you back up again. (Sounds too good to be real, but they weren’t being super specific in this video.)  
It has a diesel generator underhood for longer trips or if you don’t get a full recharge. Neat thing for a six month build.

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**Author:** ![flyerboys](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/flyerboys/32/2123_2.png) [@flyerboys](https://discussion.fool.com/u/flyerboys)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/4 "2023-11-15T20:09:09Z")

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> [@dlbuffy](#):
>
> truck on way down is regenerating enough to get you back up again. (Sounds too good to be real, but they weren’t being super specific in this video.)

I once drove a log truck for two days, and it sounds utterly logical and real to me. New cut logs are extremely heavy, and outweigh the trucks by a great deal. The tremendous structural strength and stability of the logs (correctly loaded!) allows the truckbed to be very light.

d fb

(The experienced Teamster driver was injured in a bar fight, and I was the only guy they could find who was available to work and familiar with using compound low transmissions, and there was no more room for logs at the end of the skid line where the trucks loaded, so I got dispensation and well paid work)

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**Author:** ![MarkR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/markr/32/2011_2.png) [@MarkR](https://discussion.fool.com/u/MarkR)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/5 "2023-11-15T20:16:50Z")

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Log truck drivers are the most highly paid of all truckers. They are also the most skilled of all.

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**Author:** ![captainccs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/captainccs/32/3775_2.png) [@captainccs](https://discussion.fool.com/u/captainccs)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/6 "2023-11-15T21:06:30Z")

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> [@dlbuffy](#):
>
> (Sounds too good to be real, but they weren’t being super specific in this video.)

There was a similar claim about a truck in an open pit mine. Those dump trucks are also really huge and the mine was on a hill. That’s the same geography as the Cerro Bolivar iron mine in Venezuela that US Steel was exploiting. The ore was taken by train to Puerto Ordaz to be shipped to the US.

In the video Sandy Munro said it made a lot of sense but keep in mind that the truck is a prototype and only field testing will confirm the claim.

## More Edison Electric info:

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/original/3X/3/0/3055923c135bddfcad018c75122e800caacfca47.jpeg "Unveiling Edisons Electric Truck: A Detailed Tour of Topsy, Our Prototype!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an6e2Lh9u58)

The Captain

The Orinoco Mining personnel manager told me that Puerto Ordaz had the highest birth rate in Venezuela. The train was equipped like EVs with regenerative breaking except the energy was fed into huge air cooled resistors that made a tremendous racket. The train arrived around midnight and what else are you going to do in the middle of the night…??? 👶

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**Author:** ![Goofyhoofy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/goofyhoofy/32/4721_2.png) [@Goofyhoofy](https://discussion.fool.com/u/Goofyhoofy)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/7 "2023-11-16T12:50:52Z")

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> [@captainccs](#):
>
> There was a similar claim about a truck in an open pit mine.

Not following closely, but in an open pit mine the trucks are working _against_ gravity, bringing up the new spoil from the pit to the surface, then heading back down empty.

In the logging world, the trucks are coming downhill, and using gravity and the heavy load with regenerative braking to charge the batteries before heading back up the hill empty. While it might not be a perfect 100% exchange, I can see how this particularly use could be made to be much more efficient than a pure diesel.

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**Author:** ![captainccs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/captainccs/32/3775_2.png) [@captainccs](https://discussion.fool.com/u/captainccs)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/8 "2023-11-16T13:30:20Z")

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> [@Goofyhoofy](#):
>
> Not following closely, but in an open pit mine the trucks are working _against_ gravity, bringing up the new spoil from the pit to the surface, then heading back down empty.

Some “open pits” are not pits but hills as is Cerro Bolivar

[https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&client=safari&sca\_esv=582945116&rls=en&sxsrf=AM9HkKnMqJevfIuPfwywl8VrRqKNqrA\_1w:1700141294656&q=Cerro+Bolivar&tbm=isch&source=univ&fir=KZ6aqr64FJcYGM%252CXj3MKQQJHK2LsM%252C\_%253BXNWmzQwVyBc\_GM%252COphDyQb2DERy4M%252C\_%253BWib7K7Ee5tT3xM%252CG8Trr\_5ODtMB9M%252C\_%253Bxb9cmzKwIbeLIM%252CXj3MKQQJHK2LsM%252C\_%253BXVqcTZRX5U6xDM%252C4tw\_ws\_epqy1bM%252C\_%253Br7OX96a9895sJM%252CIvLyrnymU57-ZM%252C\_%253BE3Xntu0TGpcCRM%252CYvdbbSzTGdMNmM%252C\_%253BAXSngXxV8ckqaM%252CknEg\_GMoTF2c-M%252C\_%253B423CaN5jLLbS0M%252CnPM04ZB6UFlpMM%252C\_%253BigN40i-gb76zzM%252Cu0wKigTAguo27M%252C\_&usg=AI4\_-kR\_98tsOc-\_STgnstROp\_efae1nDg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim\_r3vz8iCAxWuVKQEHY7eCjMQjJkEegQIDhAC&biw=1162&bih=659&dpr=2](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&client=safari&sca_esv=582945116&rls=en&sxsrf=AM9HkKnMqJevfIuPfwywl8VrRqKNqrA_1w:1700141294656&q=Cerro+Bolivar&tbm=isch&source=univ&fir=KZ6aqr64FJcYGM%252CXj3MKQQJHK2LsM%252C_%253BXNWmzQwVyBc_GM%252COphDyQb2DERy4M%252C_%253BWib7K7Ee5tT3xM%252CG8Trr_5ODtMB9M%252C_%253Bxb9cmzKwIbeLIM%252CXj3MKQQJHK2LsM%252C_%253BXVqcTZRX5U6xDM%252C4tw_ws_epqy1bM%252C_%253Br7OX96a9895sJM%252CIvLyrnymU57-ZM%252C_%253BE3Xntu0TGpcCRM%252CYvdbbSzTGdMNmM%252C_%253BAXSngXxV8ckqaM%252CknEg_GMoTF2c-M%252C_%253B423CaN5jLLbS0M%252CnPM04ZB6UFlpMM%252C_%253BigN40i-gb76zzM%252Cu0wKigTAguo27M%252C_&usg=AI4_-kR_98tsOc-_STgnstROp_efae1nDg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim_r3vz8iCAxWuVKQEHY7eCjMQjJkEegQIDhAC&biw=1162&bih=659&dpr=2)

The Captain

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**Author:** ![mschmit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/mschmit/32/1404_2.png) [@mschmit](https://discussion.fool.com/u/mschmit)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/9 "2023-11-16T21:53:09Z")

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> [@Goofyhoofy](#):
>
> Not following closely, but in an open pit mine the trucks are working _against_ gravity, bringing up the new spoil from the pit to the surface, then heading back down empty.

In the case of the EV mining dump truck it was/is actually mining at higher elevations than it was delivering the ore. Thus regenerated more than it consumed overall.

> **[World's largest EV never has to be recharged](https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1124478_world-s-largest-ev-never-has-to-be-recharged)**
>
> The eDumper makes a good case for going fully electric with heavy-duty construction, mining, and industrial equipment.

Mike

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**Author:** ![Goofyhoofy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/goofyhoofy/32/4721_2.png) [@Goofyhoofy](https://discussion.fool.com/u/Goofyhoofy)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/10 "2023-11-18T15:01:50Z")

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> [@mschmit](#):
>
> In the case of the EV mining dump truck it was/is actually mining at higher elevations than it was delivering the ore. Thus regenerated more than it consumed overall.

OK, I can certainly see that working. But I thought the OP was “open pit mining”. Every one I’ve seen (several, including the Bingham Copper Mine in Utah) is a big hole in the ground, even if it’s elevated on a mountain.That means bringing spoil “up” and empty trucks back down. But I’m all in favor of gravity, that’s the truly endless supply.

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**Author:** ![captainccs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/motleyfoolfree/user_avatar/discussion.fool.com/captainccs/32/3775_2.png) [@captainccs](https://discussion.fool.com/u/captainccs)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2023, 4:27pm UTC](https://discussion.fool.com/t/this-electric-semi-is-a-million-dollar-idea-edison-motors-at-fully-charged-live/98455/11 "2023-11-18T16:27:51Z")

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> [@Goofyhoofy](#):
>
> OK, I can certainly see that working. But I thought the OP was “open pit mining”.

The OP said

> [@captainccs](#):
>
> These semis will be using a lot of regenerative power as they mainly haul logs downhill.

Later I used the term Open Pit which I agree is confusing. What do you call mining a hilltop. Open hill? 😇

The Captain
