RE: (ET) New guy in town...

["Trice, Phillip Coling" <pctrice mgmt purdue edu>]

Stephen,

        I think the main driver (no pun intended) is economics. The
pressure of economies of scale in gas engine production (as Jeremy says)
permit them to be cheaper than electric-based prime movers. I imagine
that the small-engine industry has also benefited from the piggy-back
effect of gasoline engines in cars. That is, they are much more familiar
than are electric-drive tractors (or cars, or almost anything), and
enjoy immediate acceptance in the marketplace.
        Add to that the refueling infrastructure, and the deed is done.

On the topic of infrastructure, who can speak to the adequacy of our
current electrical generation/distribution infrastructure for electric
vehicles?
        There is an argument to be made that, if charging is to be done
during off-peak hours, our existing infrastructure not only might be
sufficient, but might be made more efficient due to the load-balancing
effects.
        Drifting off-topic,

        -Phil Trice


-----Original Message-----
From: elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu
[mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu] On Behalf Of
Jeremy Gagliardi com
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 7:53 AM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: Re: (ET) New guy in town...

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 19:53:45 -0500, Stephen & Carol Welch wrote:
> (side note:  anybody care to venture why, with all of the electronic
> innovations that have taken place in the last 30 years, no major
> manufacturer has done a new (modern?) version of the E.T.?  I'd be
> interested...)

Because it's still cheaper to produce an I.C.E. tractor.  That way they
put more
of the hidden costs on the consumer -- gasoline, oil, spark plugs, air
filters,
maintenance -- rather than on the producer.

Also, and perhaps this is just my jaded opinion, that the I.C.E.
manufacturers
have successfully implanted the viewpoint into the collective consumer
that a
tractor that must be "plugged in" *gasp* is too inconvenient.


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