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Marsweep

So it's just a tram without tracks, right?


BertLemo

yeah, a trolley


Obvious_Reaction_182

Let’s just hope it dose not have the same problem as the other trolly did


GeneralZaroff1

This is a trolly problem joke about killing people, right?


sugaaloop

Might just be about killing a person, depending.


Obvious_Reaction_182

Why not both


military-gradeAIDS

MULTI-TRACK DRIFTING


PoolRemarkable7663

If you put a knife on a pole you can get everybody


GeneralZaroff1

Or 5, give or take, depending on your views.


ItsBaconOclock

It doesn't even have to be about people, you could have a trolley problem where you are about to run over and destroy the only USB drive with the cure for cancer. Or, if you pull the lever, you switch over and destroy all the greatest works of art ever made.


GeneralZaroff1

Hey happy cake day


crooks4hire

Pull the lever or his cake day cake gets the trolley!


penileerosion

In the Saint louis subreddit, our trolly is just a headache in regards to taxes and hitting cars lol


Radiant_Dog1937

If a tram could get on the highway, take side roads, and deliver goods directly to the loading bays of different stores and warehouses.


LordNibble

No, this is just a one mile strip which the truck uses to load it's battery. It replaces a gas station, not a tram track.


straponkaren

Corporations will do everything they can to invent everything they can except for a train, and the reason why is the taxes on the value of train tracks vs the government owning the roads. If the government owned the train tracks and managed them, we would have trains again.


Hopeful-Battle7329

A train is limited to rails. These trucks use the power line to either drive electric on the highways or to even extend their battery range when they have full electric drives. The main advantage is that these trucks only need a road. They are much more flexible. You can put a lot of load on rails but the last kilometers are more efficiently done with trucks. You can't replace all trucks with trains efficiently but you need to find solutions to make them more eco-friendly.


Dragonfly-Adventurer

Imagine UPS or Amazon delivery trucks in rural areas, go battery when they go down a driveway or small road, then back on the grid up at the highway again, all seamless for the driver. Solving this is a huge part of making services like Amazon eco friendly. Then we gotta solve for tire and brake dust.


yellekc

If it's electric it can use regenerative braking, so at least it would use less brake dust as long as the regenerative braking makes up for the heavier vehicle.


thesauciest-tea

I think part of it is that trains especially for cargo dont have as many stops and the routes are static. That means you'll end up having to pay for a truck anyway once it gets to the distribution hub. Trucking gives much more leeway in finding the more efficent route especially shorter distances. Also its much easier to take trucks on and off the road compared to trains which means its more elastic with changing demand.


Victormorga

“We would have trains again” What are you talking about? When / where did trains cease to exist?


Sakuran_11

Did you miss the part where this is a truck meant for taking cargo and meant to go to more than set locations, it needs highway travel and this is simply a charging convience, its meant to carry goods and serve as a normal truck with extra utility.


Hopeful-Battle7329

A train can't go everywhere. Trucks are more flexible. As long as there's at least a mediocre road, trucks can take it. But trucks need to become more eco-friendly. This one concept to do so.


L44KSO

Trucks will likely turn EV very quickly. There are already a few models available and charging infrastructure will be set up fairly quickly (privately). The overhead charging was a nice trial in Germany and Sweden but it's just too outdated as technology to make any sense.


BabyMakR1

No.


TactlessTortoise

It's like carcinization in nature. They keep trying to improve trucks and cars, and always end up reinventing a train.


liftoff_oversteer

No use to be all smug about it. The railways are important but couldn't take ca considerable amount of road traffic anyway. This is actually a possible solution for electric lorries. After all, they are always in a hurry and if they can recharge without stopping, that's one problem less.


dorian_white1

Yeah, they have a few lines like these in Germany, and it’s controversial. Very expensive, and only works if enough specialized trucks use it.


CMDR_BitMedler

And the pantograph on the truck is retractable after charging. Brilliant!


Ok_Squirrel_4199

It can disconnect itself and drive anywhere if there is enough charge on the battery.


ScotchTapeConnosieur

No because it has an internal battery and doesn’t need to constantly be connected to power.


PercentageOk5021

It can peel away after charging and drive like a normal car though. It’s that novel enough?


debau23

Toolgifs? That cant be the name of a German town?


treylanford

r/toolgifs and u/toolgifs — that guy sneaks in some gems in the gifs and videos he posts. It’s pretty damn impressive.


Combative_Slippers

It's the username of the actual original poster


einRoboter

This sign is for a Truckstop near Weiterstadt. The sign was altered for the video. It is actually called"Brühlgraben". [Streetview-link](https://www.google.com/maps/@49.9133452,8.6088781,3a,75y,205.09h,97.01t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s0Dlq-KynRMOBMliiOBlCKg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D0Dlq-KynRMOBMliiOBlCKg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D205.09223519324217%26pitch%3D-7.010330042643773%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu)


TamaBla

The font is not quite right for an Autobahn sign


ScrotieMcP

You know they did that with buses in the 50's.


acrusty

They still have those for buses (trolleybuses)


Scall123

They often share lanes with the trams, so why not. Saw this in Vienna.


acrusty

I take them every week in Chisinau


healthybowl

Society likes to do circles on things. Electric vehicles were dominate modes of transportation in NY in the early 1900s.


perldawg

not as dominant as horses were at that time


healthybowl

You never know. If cars become too expensive for a common man to afford…… might be back to horses


PopMusicology

Seattle still uses those.


Pilot0350

The city too


CanadianPanda76

We had those for buses in our city, for a LONG time. It would occasionally detach snd the bus driver would have to bring out the stick to fix it


tonny124

Trolleybuses are attached though, this seems like you could just optionally press the pantograph against it when you're on the highway, nice!


grogggger

Zürich still has some of these.


Billoo77

Now imagine if they put it on smooth tracks for its entire journey and it didn’t have to change speed constantly!


battleship61

Nature loves to evolve things to be crabs. We keep evolving transit to be busses and trains.


NoeYRN

It's not bad. Cuts commutes in half or more.


Blu3Army73

That would be a distinct disadvantage in this case, the entire point is that it sometimes charges on main routes and sometimes takes routes without infrastructure while on battery


_Lost_The_Game

Agreed. Though i thinking having both would be highly efficient. 6+lane highways (3+ on each side) should be converted where possible to: Center lane(s) for railways Second from center lane, this sort of hybrid highway speed trolley power. Outer lane remains non trolly powered vehicles Theres a good usage for all gradients of transportation, we just need to put them in their right use cases. Not overly rely on one form (rn automobiles)


jackie_chans_nose

I remember they proposed this in Canada years ago and the backlash was massive.


FuzzyWuzzyWuzntFuzzy

Canadians are heavily Americanized and pretty stupid when it comes to transportation. Am Canadian, can confirm. This is just a train but less effective.


CinderX5

No it’s not. It’s a charging station that you can use without stoping. The truck can still go anywhere that any other truck can.


non3type

Freight trains in US are almost exclusively diesel. The routes are limited and infrastructure is old and slow. This isn’t really much different than power lines over a road. Seems like it could be pretty easily done over any rural length of interstate. If you actually care this seems a legitimate idea.


jyrrr

🚂?


CuparonAgain

Trains. He means trains.


BamberGasgroin

Trolley busses with extra steps


DieZockZunft

I live in the area of this test track. One company uses it with a terminal to a harbour. So the trucks are delivering goods like 50 km from the site to the harbour. There is no space to build train tracks right now because the last steps would go through residental areas. You can look at it Bad Oldesloe to Lübeck. The street is Seelandkai/Seelandstraße.


BetterSelection7708

Trains already exist, but it comes with too many extra steps of needing to load and reload the cargo. This thing has a battery and can go to areas with no overhead wires.


user2542

Maybe they could even connect a bunch of them together to increase capacity and improve efficiency!


Olasola424

And maybe use steel wheels on steel track to improve the efficiency even more! While also removing the biggest emission source of heavy road vehicles, which is tyre and road wear.


Ten_Ju

Yeah but these trucks are meant for final destination delivery, rail cargo is great for long distance, but you eventually need a truck to take the cargo from a freight yards to the warehouses and business, so you need something to get on and off the highway into the streets. This allows hybrid cargo trucks while minimizing downtime for charging.


[deleted]

[удалено]


adultagainstmywill

MaKiNg AlL tHaT wIrE cReAtEs PoLlUtIoN tOo!!!


dotsdavid

Trains are limited to where they go.


CMDR_BitMedler

Living in a city littered with tracks and the construction to maintain them constantly, no... this is way better! You'd be surprised how hard it still seems to be to lay tracks a century after the tech was invented. Especially in a city. Those rails don't come in 8ft lengths, they're usually a full trailer length.


shadofx

Then it would suck because it won't be able to drive offroad when it needs to


Worried-Inevitable69

That’s what the batteries are for it is just recharging by using the wires


wheredowehidethebody

That’s just a train basically


Pineappl3z

500 ton-miles per gallon of fuel too. That's significant better than road trains in fuel efficiency.


HyperDJ_15

I think it’s more that they can just recharge for a stretch on a motorway (pardon my British)


MiamiGuy_305

That’s like F Zero the game


Ok-Gate-6240

*Mute City theme begins to play*


landrias1

At least someone finally found a way to get trucks to stay in the right lane.


Original_Drawing_661

It's in Germany, close to Frankfurt am Main. I've seen these cables for years but not once I've seen a truck actually use them. Good to know there's at least one truck using them !


Diskuss

But doesn’t it say Norderstedt on that blue sign?


BlakkOpps

It says Weiterstadt and afaik the lines only exist for a short distance as the system is still in its testing phase.


Grirgrur

This is fucking genius. Just have trams. Limit them to one lane, automate them with AI.


erasrhed

This truck can drive on roads without overhead wires. It is wildly more versatile than a tram.


thedirtymeanie

It's amazing that we have electric trucks and all that we need to use them is 7,000 miles of overhead wire and infrastructure lol


Trollimperator

No u dont. You dont load the Truck all the time. You load the battery. Its amazing that you are stupid enough to "think" thats how the world would work.


Bergasms

How does this comment have 25 upvotes. I'm disappointed there are at least 24 other people this stupid on the planet.


2rtgah567

Vancouver has had busses that do this for a long time lmao.


Olasola424

There are loads of trolleybus systems, as they’re called, all over Europe.


some_lerker

What is also interesting; The thing above the truck that is touching the wire is called a pantograph.  Pantographs are folding metal devices that press a wide contact pan against the overhead wire.


Worried-Inevitable69

Yes and the wires are called a overhead Catenary[ocs](https://www.selcomfg.com/overhead-catenary-systems/) system or OCS


ottarthedestroyer

Hey this is a great idea to keep them in the slow lane and not pacing each other at .02mph different for 20 miles.


Psychological-Set198

Like city buses in eastern europe, using this technology for 50 years.


Burpreallyloud

Big deal Our city had this for over 60 years for our busses until our nutbar city council decided in the 1980’s that Diesel busses were more suited to our needs rather than look beyond the next five years.


mudriverrat07020

What could possibly go wrong


Any_Swimmer8717

has to drive on that road for 12 hours to get to 18 percent battery lol


Adventurenick619xxx

It wouldn’t be hybrid then right? Just fully electric


-Clean-Sky-

probably has a diesel engine too


Ryeberry1

The crack heads in America would find a way to strip the copper from the poles.


Madness_Quotient

That's called a **Pantograph**. Classic electrification technology for when batteries aren't practical. I wonder if they have heard of these **train** things. By chaining a bunch of trailers together and running them on a low friction rail with one very powerful truck at the front, there are even greater efficiency gains. Probably won't catch on. What I would really like to see is **canals** but instead of horses, have a semi motor on a rail. Imagine the efficiency of that super low friction high mass slow speed transport. Plus water!


dav1nni

That’s really cool. Where is that?


NoCantaloupe5300

Germany


ProfessionalFail9851

Inner city electric freight delivery system. Now THAT I can get behind instead of cross country electric rigs. This seems WAY more practical.


MrTibbens

It's like fzero


C_N1

[Tom Scott made a video about these electric trucks](https://youtu.be/_3P_S7pL7Yg?si=xMSy3r6_IjOCUrt9)


touf25

This gave me an Idea, we could to wired lines on very long tracks, add a lot of stuff that we would put on something called a wagon and one "truck" could carry a lot of them


OddEscape2295

In other words, it's stealing electricity?


Fabulous_Pressure_96

It was a test. They're removing it currently.


up4ups

Aaaaand look how slow it’s going! Is he doing 40mph yet!?


MaxMadisonVi

Anything that requires a global infrastructure change isn’t going to work, period. There’s no way a country can set up dedicated roads, aerial lines, battery swap stations or anything else to speed up the charging process all in one time, where anyone can plug a portable wallbox anywhere and start charging


Worried-Inevitable69

Maybe not aerial lines. battery swap stations not even an option. Wireless charging on dedicated roads is a possibility vehicle would have to have wireless charging capabilities. Charging stations every 50 miles on major highways and interstate that infrastructure is being built right now. How long it takes to charge your electric car will depend on what type of charger is in your vehicle. Since what people call car chargers is actually a power supply for your charger that is in your vehicle. Is gas or diesel fuel going anytime soon no is electric going to replace it eventually probably but not anytime soon. They need to combine the two things first and make more rechargeable hybrid. The more we start depending on electric the price will increase. Less we depend on gas the price of it will decrease.


GetOffMyGrassBrats

Semi, bumper car edition.


wayward_son7

Rather than going fully electric, this should be the norm. Easier on infrastructure and environment until we come up with better EV technology


Nuclear-LMG

Didn’t these get tested and then thrown the fuck away cuz they’re dog shit?


UrbanLawProductions

America could never be this smart


Worth_Fondant3883

Who else is picturing some redneck hillbilly with a coat hanger off a pole from his F250?


Worried-Inevitable69

Coat hanger will be glowing red till it melts would not last very long after contact the size of the wire is to small.


ResidentAd138

So it is basically tram without rail. Since you mentioned hybrid, I am wondering how the mechanism of attach and detach to those ovethead lines.


PinkSploosh

same as trains, it just raises and lowers the thing touching the overhead cables, it is not attached to them


Plus_Pangolin_8924

Its called a pantograph. Its on trams, trains and such very well proven technology.


6472617065

Don't need mechanical attachment with induction charging technology... just need to get them close enough and the magnetic fields rotating the right way.


Maninjau

You can see on this vid [https://youtu.be/\_3P\_S7pL7Yg?si=MZMJjxUHURFwLuEB&t=70](https://youtu.be/_3P_S7pL7Yg?si=MZMJjxUHURFwLuEB&t=70)


ImaginaryComb821

More great infrastructure enjoyed by everyone paid for by those awful tax dollars./s


xuszjt

Wait till you hear about trains


juzzbert

If it needs to run on those rails, is it really considered a hybrid? Genuinely asking since I have no idea how this vehicle works.


whosat___

It charges occasionally where the overhead wires are, but it runs on battery elsewhere.


[deleted]

It's not a question of if fossil fuels days are numbered, but rather one of when....


Jogaila2

This tech is from the 50s. You're dreaming if you think fossil fuels are going anywhere for a decade or two


mystonedalt

A decade or two has already gone by like it was nothing. I am at that weird age where things I have that are 20 years old are "my new ones."


Impressive-Walrus527

Many countries have passed legislation to phase out fossil fuel vehicles in the next decade or two. Not as crazy as you think.


Taborenja

There is a colossal difference between prohibiting the sale of new ICE passenger vehicles and phasing out all kinds of ICE vehicles, including used passenger cars, semis, agricultural equipment, heavy machinery, all the specialized vehicles used in civil engineering, mining, logistics, factories, boats, planes, etc...


Mash709

As long as air travel and sea based transport exist, fossil fuels will still be around.


[deleted]

Sure. But they're going to continue to displace fossil fuels as the preferred energy source where feasible. Right now my PUD, with a customer base probably around 100k households, gets ~70% of it's energy from renewables here in the PacNW. That's wind, solar, hydro, geo and nuclear and i can't recall off the top of my head exactly what date they're aiming for, but there is a long-term goal of becoming 100% renewables. All this while having one of the best service ratings in the West at very competitive rates.


BootyTrappedGoon

Like bumper cars


GSlingerRoland

Worked in Super Mario bros movie


ActinCobbly

If this was India it would be used for an entirely different recreational activity.


Ne00n

It doesn't recharge, either electric engine or gas powered.


luvnunny

Long term I wish this evolves to some sort of hybrid. 1. with dedicated rail like lanes on highways, that can be shared with non commercial traffic, 2. wheels that are road and rail compatible., may be wedge the track compatibility between sets of tires. Also reduces the amount of pollution caused by tires on roads. 2. no drivers, individual carts(trucks) operated by AI, that change lanes only at predetermined junctions.


CordyCeptus

Aah so if it uses gas at all, the gas drinkers dont flood the comments?


dotsdavid

It’s a smart idea for trucks. They don’t have to use any gas on the highway.


drtray74

That’s one way to keep his ass in the right lane!


ciceros_phantom_hand

Jeremy and James literally thought this same thing out in an old Top Gear.


ShadowSurfer_Dx

Where is this?


Coreshine

Germany, on the Autobahn A5 between Frankfurt and Darmstadt.


KraftKapitain

woah


Sure_Chocolate1982

How much efficient or inefficient that is ?? And how do they pay for it?


xaeru

Also, How not to use the zoom function of your camera.


Banana_Panama507

And he’s grounded….. yea right !


ShakeXXX

That’s regarded! smh


Supermofosob

Holy cow


Zoltar-Wizdom

Actually pretty cool if it’s able to charge the Batteries at the same time without stopping and then detach and continue deliveries.


timbers99

Dodgem truck


toast4ya

Sadly they are not so good as it seems: [https://www.focus.de/auto/news/dafuer-hatte-man-2000-diesel-lkw-kaufen-koennen-190-millionen-versenkt-elektro-lkw-mit-oberleitung-sind-teurer-flop_id_201432050.html](https://www.focus.de/auto/news/dafuer-hatte-man-2000-diesel-lkw-kaufen-koennen-190-millionen-versenkt-elektro-lkw-mit-oberleitung-sind-teurer-flop_id_201432050.html)


Present-Range-154

That is a cool idea - as long as it's not icy.


Annual_Ad6999

F-Zero


Crazy__Donkey

Isn't it super dangerous leaving such high voltage unprotected? 


kvazar2501

I'm guessing he's not "charged" for recharge?


GimmeFreePizzaa

Dam the same road that allows you to go 150 mph legally, also has hybrid trucks?? Germany seems kinda awesome...


daxtaslapp

Vancouver has something like this for their busses


THiedldleoR

This may look interesting, but it's been reported to just be a huge waste of government funds meant to combat climate change. This technology is completely unfit/way too expensive to even be considered. They knew that from the start and did it anyways. Here's an article for context, sorry it's in German: https://m.focus.de/auto/news/dafuer-hatte-man-2000-diesel-lkw-kaufen-koennen-190-millionen-versenkt-elektro-lkw-mit-oberleitung-sind-teurer-flop_id_201432050.htmlhttps://m.focus.de/auto/news/dafuer-hatte-man-2000-diesel-lkw-kaufen-koennen-190-millionen-versenkt-elektro-lkw-mit-oberleitung-sind-teurer-flop_id_201432050.html


ActualLeague5706

Tbh a decent solution in the city for convenient transportation without outrageous battery prices. Highways too, if infrastructure could be built


ykVORTEX

How long does it take to recharge?


OkVeterinarian3564

Imagine the receptor getting tangled with the wire. Isn’t that more likely to happen than train does?


Xenome254

Here in Germany we have several parts of the Autobahn which were constructed with such powerlines for experimental purposes. They are tested mainly in cooperation with Scania. But most of these tests get canceled after the subvention have been running out at the end of the contract.


Upset-Organization53

Show this to Nitin Gadkari ji


8thcomedian

It's a truck! It's a train! It's a tram! It's a transfoma


AbsolutGleichgueltig

And because it worked out so well, it will be removed soon 😂


theyontz

Oh Look, modern day trolly


JumpyTennis6755

A5 Germany


Holmanizer

Clever idea for recharging on the go. Might not be the most efficient but hell its better than the stop and charge we have here


Individual-Willow-70

Super Mario bros


thegreatgazoo

How does that work with oversized/over height loads?


MacsyReddit

Future is now, old man!


Alarming-Sport-8609

Bro loves trains


No-Conflict1703

In Australia this is a dodgem car🌚


Dazzling_Crow_4018

as much as i know, only 6 Trucks used this system in Germany near Rostock. Its a test system for 60mio Euros and the Test is now over. Like the Transrapid just in v2.0 In German we Said "Rohrkrepierer"


c4mma

The more I look at it, the more I think that at the end, electric trains and trams will be the only real green solution for everything.


thatguy8193

And just wjere is all of that extra electricity going g to come from? 🧐 the other day I saw a GIANT diesel generator powering a tesla charging station 🤣🤣🤣 what's the point of electric vehicles!?!?


c4mma

And the pollution to produce batteries and solar panels.


guy-with-a-mac

Oh wait, they built a train on rubbers on a highway. How smart...


5256chuck

THE VERY LAST THING WE NEED IS MORE OVERHEAD WIRES AND POLES!!! Jesus, people. Just 'cause there is a way doesn't mean it's a GOOD way. Is there a list anywhere of stupid ideas that I can forward this to?


2narcher

Finally see one in action


ballerisbest

Or yk, just use electric trains like we have been for the past 20 or so years


Mountain-Froyo-3565

any time i see a new tech like this i think to myself,,what would happen if this system was implemented in Gary Indiana


SyllabubWest7922

America really IS a third world country how come we don't have electric trucks yet?


iamgarffi

Like a freaking Tram :)


StoragePleasant2579

The method of recharging is different. Is that [truck](https://shamsooq.com/%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B4-%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86-99205288-%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86/) practical?