And what electric source does your starter use? Every ICE car I’ve ever worked on used a battery to start. And I no longer worry about that 12 volt lead acid battery. Which by the way is 19th century tech. Newer batteries are even better in the cold.
Yep–a battery that I’ve seen fail.
Wait–hold it.
I wasn’t trying to start an argument, but I managed to do so anyway. So I’m gonna stop. If EVs start well in mild winters, then they do. The end. Thanks for the info. (still not gonna buy one; they’re too expensive)
And when have you experienced a failed battery in your car. I’ve not in over 30 years. And although it doesn’t get as cold as ND it does get to -20 here on occasion. No one worries about dead battery anymore.
I’m glad that you haven’t had that experience!
Union Pacific 2025 10-K. P33. Available on UP website also available on SEC website.
Fuel – Fuel includes locomotive fuel and gasoline for highway and non-highway vehicles and heavy equipment. Fuel expense
decreased compared to 2024 due to a 6% decrease in locomotive diesel fuel prices, declining from an average of $2.64 per
gallon (including taxes and transportation costs) in 2024 to $2.49 per gallon in 2025, resulting in a $138 million decrease in
expense (excluding any impact from increased volumes year-over-year) and a 1% improvement to the fuel consumption rate
in 2024 (computed as gallons of fuel consumed divided by gross ton-miles). Gross-ton miles increased 3% in 2025 and partially offset the impact of lower fuel prices and improved fuel consumption rate.
Norway isn’t really a good comparison. I’ve been there twice, and am going again in two weeks. They have cheap hydroelectric power, the infrastructure for EVs is already built, thanks the the govt, and most long trips are undertaken by plane, train or the well-developed coastal ferry system.
Oh, that’s interesting–thanks for posting that.
I’m thinking they’ll only be making plug in hybrids by 2035. Everything. Including pickups. Including short range commuter planes. Ferraris are already hybrids.
Ram is already making a plug in hybrid pickup that gets better mileage better towing better acceleration than any of its gas or diesel only engines.
Chevy already makes a hybrid Corvette that out accelerates its fastest gas engines and is AWD to boot. So you can drive your Corvette in the winter if you wish.
ATR Airbus and Pratt and Whitney Canada (it gets cold there) are developing a hybrid commuter plane for entry into service early 2030s.
Metra is already buying battery locos for its RI Beverly Branch shuttles. But for longer runs a hybrid loco that shuts down and runs on batteries in the terminals would be very nice. If you’ve ever been in Union Station during rush hour you’d know why. The station is full of blue fumes.
New technology. It’s pretty cool.
Honestly, I do believe the hybrids to be more practical than an EV, especially in regions like mine. That being said, I probably won’t be buying one of those either. Used ones tend to have failed batteries (once again, this is what I’ve seen–but I’m also looking at the old junkers) and are more expensive than a regular automobile anyway. And most of them have [BLEEP]ing automatic transmissions. But if I were offered a choice between a hybrid and a full EV, I’d take the former.
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Had a Triumph TR-250 when I was living in NE Ohio where below Zero F was not uncommon during the Winter. Car would start without issue at +1 or +2 - it would fail at -1 or -2 or lower when left to cold soak for a working day or night.
I’m with you on the automatic transmissions! I’ve only bought sticks my entire life since 79 but lately it’s so hard to find one I’ve given up. Current and previous car automatics.
Interestingly Toyota has reported they’re working on a stick shift electric! Nice thing is you can leave it in high gear and it’ll work fine. But if you want to row your own you can.
But it’s currently a concept. They’ll only build it if there’s a market. Sadly I think there won’t be. So few even know how to drive a stick.
Regarding EV’s
My personal thoughts that the industry needs to develop a standardized interchangeable battery packs. Drive into a ‘Battery Station or convivence store’ and the depleted battery pack is removed and a fully charged battery pack is installed in 10 to 15 minutes. Whether the Battery Station would be ‘full serve’ or ‘self serve’ remains to be seen. The EV itself would have selectable power modes that affect how quickly the EV would put its power to the street - an Economy Mode, a Highway Mode and a Sport Mode - such modes would manage how fast the battery contents can be used when the driver runs the car as ‘hard’ as each of the modes will permit.
CUS and ditto for OTC.
Why bother with changing packs when in a few years -3- even we will have access to 500-1000 mile batteries that charge in ~10 minutes?
And different modes are found on most EVs.
You might not have to stop at all to charge in the future
https://www.autoblog.com/news/florida-is-building-a-highway-that-charges-electric-cars-as-they-drive
I stand (happily) corrected–Tesla’s design lives on!
I know, right? Been searching for a manual transmission auto for some time, but haven’t found one when I’ve also had money. Closest was a Honda Accord. There was a Fiero that I was looking at, though… There’s a decent chance that I’ll wind up buying a Mercury Tracer wagon that a friend of mine is trying to sell, but that’s an automatic.
My problem with the “electric manual” is that it probably won’t feel quite the same. But still better than a full automatic, I guess.
Keep in mind that the discussion here isn’t about EVs, which are as much a non-starter for road locomotives as they are for OTR trucks. We’re discussing plug-in hybrids, with the battery range of a decent EV but with a range-extending engine or fuel cell.
I’m a great believer in hybrids of any size. They make eminent sense in locomotive consists for all the reasons K have posted about, and of course when ‘done right’ they are a bridge to dual-mode-lite, punctuated electrification, and full electrification. But they are best done with a BEV or equivalent in a consist, not individual batteries on every locomotive.
Seldom do we drive more than 10 miles a day. Everything we need is close by. Gas price doesn’t matter. We liked Toyota hybrids but now they don’t make a model that suits us. Got an Outback and a Crosstrek now. Handle snow great. Will look at Subaru hybrids next time since they got them now. Reliability is what’s important to us. Have had no problems.
China has to import its oil. Smart for them to develop EV’s. Also their cities’ pollution is a horror. We try to buy as little as possible from them.