Hauling Application: Fill & Download for Free

Well a big part of this has to do with terrain and landscape. In the USA a truck typically is traveling 900+ miles per day(for teams) and 600+ for single driver at an average speed of 60–70 mph. In that situation aerodynamics make a huge difference in the cost of a shipment. When one looks at operating costs of a traditional long nose rig compared to an aerodynamic body style, fuel consumption can increase by more than 30%.Added 9/2020Also roads in Europe tend to be much narrower and twistier than those found in the US. So a short wheelbase helps a lotYou might ask why then Europeans don’t use them and the short answer is that the laws governing truck length and weight in Europe are restrictive, limiting the overall length and weight of trucks. This drives the need to maximize cargo capacity. The easiest way to do that is to make the tractor as small as possible.Additionally there are several other factors that play into this.1). Bridge length. In the US the distance from axle to axle greatly increases the amount of cargo one can haul. As such some trucks are purposely stretched out to increase the inter axle distances.2). Terrain. The terrain in the US is highly variable. As such many over the road trucks are outfitted with very large engines and very high gear count transmissions so that they can adapt to the different terrains they encounter. This adds length to the truck in general.3). Noise. A typical American over the road driver spends 11–12 hours every day driving at high speed down the highway. By locating the engine in front of the cab, noise in the cab is reduced.4). Maintenance. A long nose cab is much easier to inspect and maintain than a cab over design.5). Daily inspections. In the USA all trucks are required to be pre-trip inspected every day. As such the bonnet of the truck needs to be opened every day to conduct a proper inspection. This means that all your stuff in the cab would end up on the windscreen. Most over the road drivers live in their trucks pretty much full time.6). Maneuverability. Over the road trucks do not need to be able to maneuver like a city truck. We have plenty of short nose or cab over trucks that operate in the cities and other shorter haul applications.7). Comfort. Roads in the US can be rough and we have a lot of them. A longer nose truck rides much smoother over the road.Edit 9/2020A lot of people seem to forget what the question was asking. The point was why did the US migrate to conventional trucks. Not, are US trucks better, or why don’t Europeans use conventional trucks etc.Second, my answer is purposely general in nature. The change from COE to conventional took place almost 30 years ago and the REASONS for it have largely been true throughout that time. There are, of course, more powerful trucks available in both markets. Modern day trucks are absolutely vastly improved over those of earlier generations. That said, those same improvements have been occurring in both COE and conventional rigs and the same limitations and advantages still apply.Third, if you don’t agree with my answer that’s fine. But if you just want to stop in to try to make me look stupid and then expect I will not debate you then just leave now.Last if you think I got it wrong, here is a nice recent video that covers the same ground and arrives at pretty much the same conclusion.

It’s really very simple. The engine has a large electric motor attached to it, which doubles as an electric generator. During normal driving, the engine propels the vehicle and the generator/alternator generates power to operate the electrical system, as well as charge a large battery pack behind the back seat.If there’s a need for more horsepower, such as during fast acceleration, while towing or while pulling a heavy load uphill, the electric motor will kick in and supplement the engine power through the heavy duty drive belt.In essence, it acts like a power booster, when you need it. It’s different from a hybrid in that the regular internal combustion engine normally powers the vehicle, not the electric motor.To my knowledge, this will not be offered on passenger cars. It’s primarily for towing and hauling applications. Chrysler, like most other manufacturers are moving more and more towards hybrids and electrics in the future, not supplementary motors for more power.

Depends strongly on the application. In vocational work, where there's a lot of city driving and starting and stopping and the truck gets to go home in the evening, electric trucks are great. Charging overnight and regenerative braking make it really quite efficient. For long-haul applications though, electric just doesn't have the range to make it worthwhile.