this post was submitted on 17 May 2024
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Batteries on trains are not really needed if the rail is electrified. In Europe we have them everywhere. And better public transport reduces the need for cars. And ebikes can be the solution for many uses. It only takes thinking outside the car box.
Electrified rail is expensive and has safety issues. It's the best option for long distances for sure, but here in the UK we are still trying to electrify the main rail lines, the branch lines and city lines aren't even in the cards. Being able to recharge trains at stations with rapid charging is the best option for branch and commuter rail services not already on electrified rail (most of them). If we can do that using something other than lithium batteries that would be great. Sodium seems promising. Also I am in Europe you muppet. It also doesn't solve grid scale storage, which is something we need. I am hoping iron oxide batteries work out for the grid scale storage tbh.
UK has a problem with rails since Thatcher (IIRC).I
PS: stop insulting people. Thank you.
Yeah thatcher caused issue when ahe privatized rail operators. She didn't privatize network rail though, which are the guys responsible for building and maintaining the track including electrification projects. So I don't think you can pin this one on her. Electrification is prohibitively expensive and incomplete in pretty much every country with older rail networks including the USA, UK, and parts of the EU.
Also if you don't want to get insulted maybe stop assuming where I live and what I know about. It's insulting when people go "In Europe we do x", like brah I live in Europe and I know about x. X isn't always the solution to every problem. This is becoming a hammer nail thing.
The post is about Biden and Trump. Sorry for assuming things. But that doesn't mean you have to call me muppet. "I'm British and I disagree" (or something like that) would be better.
If the transport companies don't require electric vehicles the infrastructure company won't builds it. I don't say that's the case but it could be. If everybody has only a bicycle you don't spend money on a highway.
That makes no sense. The government owns the railway, not the companies. They are the ones struggling to put in electric lines.
Also battery electric trains are a big step up from diesel. I don't get why you are complaining.
My bad. I was going to rant about the relation between train companies having to change the trains.
But I just remembered who is "governing" UK.
Yeah the conservative party is not great, you're not wrong there.
I don't even drive and even I know cars, lorries, tractors, and so on are all necessary in some parts of society. You can't use public transport if you are miles away from the next house or the nearest town. Rural areas need transport too.
I know the problem in rural zones. I live in one. But if they can reduce the car dependency in cities and to some extend in big towns that's a lot of car batteries that don't have to be build.
And just as a note, there are electric tractors. Still small but...
The point is there is still a point in funding battery technology. Not that you shouldn't try to use public transport where necessary. Things like buses will also need batteries in order to operate if we are getting rid of fossil fuels.
One bus is 30 to 60 cars not used at the same time🙂 I don't say "stop building batteries" but "enhance public transport".
I know all this.
That's exactly what this conversation was about. People said stop investing as much money in battery technology - which is ass backwards given we have needs for this in both the grid and in vehicles.