(ET) New Electrics

[Dave Fancher <dfancher woh rr com>]

The new electrics discussion has been very interesting.

My  two cents goes like this.

There are many factors to consider when putting a product on the 
market. But in order to keep this discussion focused lets discuss what 
I consider the two most important  -- Technical and Marketing. Proper 
financing is a given so does not need to be discussed in this forum.

Technical :
Simple , Reliable and Low Cost are what good engineering teams try to 
achieve. The GE design engineers (I was one for jet engines) did a 
pretty good job on the Elec-Trak line -- using sixties technology. My 
design team today would be told to take the best features of the old 
design and use todays components and add some frame and body lines that 
are function and appeal to todays modern consumer. Using modern design 
tools (another name for computers) the complete design for both 
structure and electronics would be modeled and simulation testing would 
be done on the computer before making one piece of hardware.  I would 
source these components/modules from today's Global manufacturing 
network and assemble the modules in a small assembly line operation in 
the USA.

Marketing:
 Learn from the auto industry mistakes. When they tried to sell EV's 
that looked like EV's they failed. When they build EV's that looked and 
performed like modern cars they started to succeed i.e. -- the six 
month plus wait list for a Toyota. Honda is taking the same approach. 
These guys have spent millions on their EV projects -- always learn 
from the other guys mistakes. Honda Civic hybrids that look identical 
to ICE Civics  are selling. Therefore look at what is selling in the 
small tractor market in Home Depot, etc and market a ET which looks 
similar to a ICE tractor with a few  differences -- electric 
propulsion. The sales approach to the potential customer is simple -- 
It does everything the ICE tractors does and its quite, nonpolluting, 
etc. The customer views the ET as something that will get the job done 
(not a high risk purchase) and has these additional good for the 
community features. The price must be COMPETITIVE -- not lower not much 
higher but COMPETITIVE.

Starting up a new company to do this job would be very challenging. The 
best way to get a ET on the market and have the staying power to make 
it successful is to get Honda or John Deere or MTD or some other 
current ICE tractor maker to bring the ET to market. They could use 
many of the some components they use in a ICE tractor for their ET and 
it  would provide more volume to component/module buys  -- lowering the 
cost.

It's always easier said than done -- but I think that some organization 
will do this project in the not to distant future!

Dave