Autonomous Electric Trucks Could Disrupt Rail and Transform Logistics

[LoPro]

I dont see people-carrying rail go away. It’s very efficient around in urban environments, and in to and out from the big city, especially if traffic increases because of more freight on the roads, and smog-filled cities open only to EVs which will increase in amount.

As long as the long range railroad is double the speed of the highways they can also stay competitive, even compared to EVs and FSD.

Freight on rail takes a hit regardless of distance of course. Although long range freight rail has higher top speed there’s much reloading compared to an electric or hydrogen truck straight to destination (or closer to destination).

 

[Dids]

I dont see people-carrying rail go away. It’s very efficient around in urban environments, and in to and out from the big city, especially if traffic increases because of more freight on the roads, and smog-filled cities open only to EVs which will increase in amount.

As long as the long range railroad is double the speed of the highways they can also stay competitive, even compared to EVs and FSD.

Freight on rail takes a hit regardless of distance of course. Although long range freight rail has higher top speed there’s much reloading compared to an electric or hydrogen truck straight to destination (or closer to destination).

FSD will kill the people rail too, especially in North America... People rail is heavily subsidized because it hasn't been profitable. It isn't convenient like fsd will be. And FSD will cause different road design, previously roads are designed for carrying capacity, with fsd they will be designed for speed. The only question is will we have flying cars before roads get redesigned and everyone has fsd?
For instance I have many choices for travel from Boston to NYC.
Flight. Takes 4 hrs with check in, ground delays etc etc. $100
Rail. Takes 3 hrs $98.00
Bus. 4 hrs $20.
Car. 3.5 hrs $40
These ~ numbers show what will happen. People pay more so they can get there without having to drive. People pay more to drive there because they have a car for getting around there.
With ev ~ cost will be as cheap as the bus. With fsd the convenience of not having to drive is there. If fsd get slightly faster it will be the cheapest fastest most convenient way to travel from Boston to NYC.

 

[LoPro]

FSD will kill the people rail too, especially in North America... People rail is heavily subsidized because it hasn't been profitable. It isn't convenient like fsd will be. And FSD will cause different road design, previously roads are designed for carrying capacity, with fsd they will be designed for speed. The only question is will we have flying cars before roads get redesigned and everyone has fsd?
For instance I have many choices for travel from Boston to NYC.
Flight. Takes 4 hrs with check in, ground delays etc etc. $100
Rail. Takes 3 hrs $98.00
Bus. 4 hrs $20.
Car. 3.5 hrs $40
These ~ numbers show what will happen. People pay more so they can get there without having to drive. People pay more to drive there because they have a car for getting around there.
With ev ~ cost will be as cheap as the bus. With fsd the convenience of not having to drive is there. If fsd get slightly faster it will be the cheapest fastest most convenient way to travel from Boston to NYC.

I understand rail hasn’t been in focus in the US for a long time. My answer was probably very euro-centric.

The railroad I’m building these days is 250km/h in three directions from Oslo through up to 11 cities in each direction. It’s very popular.

I did say “as long as rail is double the speed of highways” it will be competitive. Who knows if flying cars will come before roads and tech which lets us FSD the same distance in 250km/h. Rail wont’t necessarily be a focus forever. Mass transit in some form
Is handy when it can beat other traffic or when the mass transit is considerably faster of course.

We try to differentiate from planes by always keeping the central stations downtown in the middle of cities for convenience and comfort. As well as fast WiFi along all routes. As long as passenger planes aren’t electric as the trains are, there’s also the question of environmental impact and true cost of that competition.

 

[Crissa]

A flat tax doesn't imply a poor person(you have to define what level of income constitutes poverty level) will pay any tax.

A) It does
B) Excluding some people is worse, not better.
C) You've just reinvented Progressive Taxation but clumsily.

-Crissa

 

[TruckElectric]

A) It does
B) Excluding some people is worse, not better.
C) You've just reinvented Progressive Taxation but clumsily.

-Crissa

A) You're wrong, again
B) Nope
C) Nope, again

 

[Crissa]

FSD will kill the people rail too, especially in North America... People rail is heavily subsidized ...

...Not compared to how much we subsidize roads. We subsidize roads about $400 billion annually for highways, while state governments match federal spending (188 to 177 in 2017), spent on their own highways and streets as well.

Also, about a trillion dollars is spent every year on mitigating injury and loss from automobile collisions.

Passenger rail and busses are barely a quarter compared to the first number.

-Crissa

 

[Crissa]

A) You're wrong, again
B) Nope
C) Nope, again

I'm sorry you have lost the argument. We'll try again when you're ready.

One step is flat. Two steps is progress. Right now, there are seven Federal tax brackets. More is better, of course, since we have computers.

-Crissa

 

[TruckElectric]

I'm sorry you have lost the argument. We'll try again when you're ready.

LOL Says YOU! ?

 

[TruckElectric]

One step is flat. Two steps is progress. Right now, there are seven Federal tax brackets. More is better, of course, since we have computers.

As Lunch Bucket Joe would say: Malarkey

 

[Crissa]

As Lunch Bucket Joe would say: Malarkey

Aww, isn't it cute.

Still, when you want to learn more about taxation, just ask.

-Crissa

 

[Luke42]

I’ll take capitalization any day over socialism, if we just had a flat tax for corporate and individuals with no other incentives, the government would have more capital. I know this would never get passed by politicians though.

Illinois has a flat tax, and it's keeping us from solving our pension fund problems.

I thought a flat tax was a good idea when I first heard about it.

But, like so many economic ideas that sound good at first, it just hasn't worked out IRL.

I voted to end the flat tax in Illinois, even though it would have raised taxes on me personally. Ending the would have lowered taxes on many of my friends and neighbors who need a break, and would have made it easier to fix a bunch of the state government's financial sustainability problems. The People voted the other way, though, so the problems will continue.

But, hey, I "win" either way, I guess?!?

 

[TruckElectric]

.... but this time is different

Is it?

this time the machines think, what will people do?

Elon Musk says AI will eventually take over. Is he right?

Eric Drexler and self-replicating machines at the molecular level. The original machines that build the machines.

All I know to go buy is history. And history says we have always made out. But, is this time really different? Only time will tell.

 

[Luke42]

Elon was lucky. He's always backed good products and companies and rolled the dice

Elon makes big gambles, but he's smart enough to stack the deck in his favor first.

I swear, he has a negative IRR and that he's trying to gamble his fortune away on cool nerd-stuff before he dies. But he keeps winning, so the game keeps getting bigger. He's actually doing what my engineering-school friends planned to do when we were in college, before we had to focus on survival for ourselves and our families.

I'm happy to own stock in his companies, but I won't play poker against that guy. That way, I'm more likely to win.

 

[TruckElectric]

Still, when you want to learn more about taxation, just ask.

There is something about taxation that you know that I don't? HAHAHAHA

 

[Luke42]

You wouldn't be here discussing Cybertruck without the capitalist economy. How do you think Elon Musk was able to build the CT? And how would you have been able to afford it?

Pretending that people like me aren't capitalists is just ignorant.

I'm an enthusiastic liberal.

I'm also an enthusiastic capitalist with an engineering degree and an MBA. I have both international business and investing habits.

If you listen to right-wing propaganda, they'll swear I'm a socialist/communist/Marxist or something -- but they don't know enough about those philosophies to be able to describe what that actually means. [facepalm]

The main thing that makes me a "socialist" (or whatever) is that I fail to be sufficiently upset about the existence of a social safety net -- and the fact that it is funded by our capitalist endeavors.

I was once a conservative, so I know where all y'all are coming from. I've just learned a lot in the 20 years since I was kicked out of the Republican Party, and I have enough gray in my beard to have seen that the social safety net is a pretty good deal. I've changed my opinions as a result of what I've learned.

I work in international business, I've made good money in the stock market this year, and I am thrilled to own a little slice of America. I will man up and pay my capital gains next April. Apparently that last part makes me the "communist". [facepalm]

Pretending people like me aren't capitalists is just ignorant.