October 31, 2020

Electric Buses Failing Duluth Test Drive

Dana Mathewson

Those of you who live in Minnesota, such as yours truly, are probably aware that the city of Duluth, a busy shipping port on Lake Superior, is famous (infamous?) for rough winters. My wife's daughter and her partner spent a few years there while she headed up the opera program at the U of M-Duluth, and we visited her often. It's a popular town, beloved of those who live there, for the most part.

The town is also famous (infamous) for its hilly terrain. So it was a given that the town might serve as an ideal testing ground for electric commuter buses -- given that the Left is going to insist that all our vehicles be electric-powered eventually.

The following article, from John Hinderaker's American Experiment, indicates that there may be some problems.

Duluth was only too happy to serve as the testing grounds for an Obama-era grant to prove that emissions-free electric busses were the way to go in the era of global warming. It mattered not that the seven vehicles manufactured by an east coast company called Proterra cost almost twice as much as each of the 70 or so diesel busses already in the city’s fleet.

But John Ramos of the Duluth Monitor reports it’s been an uphill battle from the start of service nearly two years ago for the new-age busses.

Two months after their unveiling, all seven buses were pulled from service, because their braking systems were struggling on Duluth’s hills, and a software problem was causing them to roll back when accelerating uphill from a standstill. Technicians also determined that Duluth’s cold weather was causing the bus heaters to drain the batteries too rapidly, preventing them from completing a full shift.

Proterra technicians traveled to Duluth to make the necessary repairs. To reduce the drain on the battery, they installed diesel-powered heating systems on the buses. This upgrade allowed the battery to be used strictly for locomotion—but also meant that the buses were no longer emissions-free.

So the main selling point for getting onboard with electric busses in the first place was gone within weeks of hitting the streets. The ride hasn’t gotten any smoother with the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) recently confessing to the city council they dubbed one bus after a demon-possessed car called Christine in a Stephen King horror story.

If a bus’s battery runs too low, and it loses power in the field, it cannot be recharged and restarted on the spot. It must be towed to the charging station at the garage.

"What’s the power of an electric bus like?” I asked. "Is there any difference from a diesel?”

"In some cases, it doesn’t accelerate on a hill the same way a diesel does,” [DTA general manager Phil] Pumphrey said, "—partially because it’s only got one drive wheel. The diesels have two.”

You get the picture. DTA officials consider it a good day when they have the electric busses on the street in service now most of the time. The rubber will hit the road, however, when it comes time to replace them.

The rest of the article is found here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/2020/10/electric-busses-failing-duluth-test-drive/?mc_cid=6572357c22&mc_eid=a372f7b117 I commend The American Experiment to you; the articles are always interesting, and you can subscribe to have them delivered to you via e-mail.

After posting this, I happened to recall the second winter I survived right here in the Twin Cities area, which was 1995-96. I worked in St. Paul and rode the bus about 18 miles every way to work and back. These were "standard" diesel commuter buses, a few years old, nothing fancy. That winter we experienced two weeks of straight minus 20 degree temperatures. And the heaters on those buses could barely make themselves felt. I shudder to think what it would have been like on electric buses.

I'm convinced that the limousine liberals who demand that (1) we abandon "fossil fuels" forever and transition totally to wind and solar-generated electricity, and at the same time transition to totally-electrical powered vehicles all live, work and think (if they actually DO think) in hot climates such as are found in California -- and never ever experience real winter.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 10:23 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 699 words, total size 5 kb.

1 Duluth is a wonderful city. Too bad they are as idiotic as so much of the other coastal areas.

I'm not surprised; it would be a terrible place for an electric bus. As hilly as San Francisco but much colder.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at October 31, 2020 11:54 AM (WUUJZ)

2 I do have to say that the new Hummer EV looks interesting. Maxes out at 1000 horsepower, 0-60 in 3 seconds, all four wheels turn to allow it to "crab walk." It must have a battery weighing several tons, but... I'm trying to visualize being in a vehicle going from 0-60mph in 3 seconds flat. Wow. It's coming in 2024. I may not last that long, and the USA might not either.

Posted by: Bill H at November 02, 2020 12:58 AM (vMiSr)

3 Interesting Bill. But as you say, I wonder how long it will last.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at November 02, 2020 07:31 AM (gEjPp)

4 MoonRocks And SunRocks: What Are They And How To Smoke Them

MoonRocks and SunRocks are a special type of cannabis flower. Combining regular buds with oil and kief, these babies pack a big, potent punch.

Contents:

 Moonrocks

 Sunrocks

 How to smoke moon/sun rocks

 What are the effects of moon/sun rocks?

 

 

Cannabis connoisseurs are always looking for newer, better ways to enjoy their favourite flower. Two of the latest experiments to help consumers get more out of their weed are MoonRocks and SunRocks - concentrate-covered bud designed to take you out of this atmosphere.

MOONROCKS

MoonRocks are something special. They are made by taking a regular cannabis flower, covering it with some kind of oil (usually BHO like wax) and coating it in a thick dusting of kief. Pack one of these in your pipe and you’ve got yourself a return ticket to the moon, literally.

 

 

SUNROCKS

SunRocks take things to another level. A SunRock is basically like MoonRock’s older, chain- smoking brother.

While their composition is nearly identical (a bud coated in concentrate and sprinkled with kief), SunRocks are typically made using higher-grade products. They are currently being produced by two main manufacturers in California, Big Tray Deee and Apollo Sun Rocks.

Both manufacturers take top-shelf buds (usually some kind of OG), dip them in a sticky layer of wax or similar concentrate, and then finish them off with a sprinkle of kief. Big Tray Deee’s Rocks usually feature a very thin layer of concentrate and kief, clocking in at about 80% THC. Apollo’s Rocks, however, typically boast a thicker layer of kief and roughly 60% THC.

HOW TO SMOKE MOON/SUN ROCKS

Smoking Moon or SunRocks is a little different from smoking regular flowers. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on these goodies, here are some tips to enjoy them properly.

Don’t grind them: A regular herb grinder will butcher these buds and likely struggle with their sticky texture. Instead, use your fingers or scissors to gently break them apart.

Use a pipe, bong, or bubbler: At 60-80% THC, you don’t need a lot of these Rocks to get you flying. Hence, it's best to use a pipe/bong with a small cone to avoid letting this stuff go to waste.

Mix it with some regular weed: take it and sprinkle into some regular weed.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MOON/SUN ROCKS?

Moon and SunRocks produce very unique effects. Some users compare them to dabs due to their potency, but the highs are really quite different.

Dabs and concentrates typically produce a short burst of uplifting, clear-headed euphoria. Moon Rocks and SunRocks, on the other hand, produce a strong, long-lasting stone. They burn long and slow, with enduring effects after just a few hits/tokes. Expect subtle hints of clarity with uplifting euphoria.

 

 

 


Posted by: sunrocks vs moon rocks at December 16, 2020 07:01 PM (mLGcH)

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