Thanks all for comments so far. We operate in desert environment in the Middle East (i should have mentioned in my OP). Lead-acid battery are maintenance hungry (servicing locations for topups are limited on our 1500 KM long network) and prone to overheat (especially during summer months where mercury consistently tops 50 degrees C). They’ve struggle to last beyond 3 years. We also have NiCd batteries on few locomotives, they have survived better (5 years plus) with very little maintenance but are six times as expensive in comparison to lead-acid. The Li-Ion costs only 3 times as much as lead-acid and can be considered maintenance free for the proposed life of 8 years (or more). So, it is worth considering for us, considering the circumstances.
Back to the original question, a tonne of weight reduction on locomotive equates to WHAT if anything, saving of fuel or being able to haul an additional tonne of cargo per trip or …
1 Like