• Simon 𐕣he 🪨 Johnson@lemmy.ml
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    3 hours ago

    CapEVs are almost nowhere on the American tech radar. It’s entirely an industry dominated by China. Ironically the industry started out in the US. Foton America was a subsidiary of Foton. China’s first trials in Shangai in 2006 were done with Foton vehicles made in America. Foton America folded because America was not investing in the tech or public transport. Foton reshored the tech in China and continued development.

    Almost every major European metro is doing a field test. Belgrade installed Chinese Higer busses for a lot of its’ routes. Graz is running 2 lines from an American manufacturer (with no presence in America lmao) called Chariot Motors (how much longer until we see the Foton America story play out again). Paris is running tests with busses made by German manufacturer MAN, but they’re hybrids because Westoids can’t stop relying on fossil fuels “just in case”.

    I fully see China dominating Eastern Europe with these things because the value proposition is so good, Foton and Higer are miles ahead in testing, deployment and development than any other manufacturer. Since China is generally hotter than Europe and America they have a lot more practical experience with keeping the capacitors from overheating which has been a problem for this type of tech esp. ~15 years ago.

    Either way it’s essentially a trolley that doesn’t require continuous lines which is why it’s so hated in the US, ever since GM bought up a bunch of lines and left them to rot.