- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmit.online
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmit.online
“There is consumer pressure to back away from technology that is unnecessary to perform everyday tasks.”
“There is consumer pressure to back away from technology that is unnecessary to perform everyday tasks.”
So the only reason they can build this and not have to conform to pollution laws is because they’re using remanned Cummins 12v engines. There’s a limited number of those in any case. As soon as they have to conform with new engines, they’re going to get a lot more expensive.
Caterpiller stopped providing truck engines for a decade rather than R&D a compliant motor. That was the second largest truck engine manufacturer in the world, decided it was too expensive to bother, which tells you how much these engines cost new.
I love the idea of this tractor, but it’s not going to survive the economy of scale intact.
Diesel is on it’s way out because of the particulates they emit. There’s no viable tech to reduce this, and national/state/regional/local regulations are all over the place. Too much chaos to bother investing the time and research. It’s not that diesels are expensive. They’ve been mass produced for 100+ years. The problem today is any investment in them is risky and companies don’t like/can’t afford the time + money + risk involved. DEF and particulate filters on the exhaust haven’t worked out well. Regulators want to keep throttling back emissions like they have done with gasoline engines already. There’s no way to win producing a “street legal” diesel. On the industrial/tractor/offroad front, little has changed really. Far less regulatory uncertainty there compared to the consumer space.
Diesel was great tech, for a time, but at this point all diesels are dinosaurs whose days are numbered. They simply pollute too much and in ways that are pernicious and harmful to public health.