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Air brakes bad because…?? Not to say you are wrong just to understand better your POV; air suspension and brakes are usually considered much safer than spring and normal brakes thanks also to the integration on the electronics (ABS, ESP etc etc). I too heard that smit were poorly constructed, and I can’t really figured how did they (Mack) not come up with a engine on axle rather than having this crankshaft which will for sure brakes apart quickly…sure more un-suspended weight but it is really worth the trouble of having an obsolete transmission line?

@@mattiafrancescobruni8318 With an EV the traditional braking system isn't really used, it is for emergency stopping only. This is doubly true for an EV truck as the potential energy is so high and using friction brakes is literally burning money. As I understand it, vehicles switch from hydraulic to air brakes because traditional hydroboost systems become sluggish if they are too large, too much fluid to move. But it's 2023, and just off the top of my head, how bout solenoid boosters at each caliper, or something. Point is, that in an emergency stop, regen braking begins before the drivers foot is off of the accelerator, then braking is balanced between regen and the friction brakes, with significantly less stopping power required from the friction brakes. Therefore the main design priority for a class 6 EV brake system is reliability, and the ability to sit dormant but ready, for long periods without the need for attention, neither of which air brakes are particularly good at.

@@augsu fair point, but having driven class 6 without air brakes I can tell, you definitely don't feel safe - apart from that, air suspension are a big plus in terms of safety because you have a suspension able to adjust to the load, and to the dynamics; in case of a mismanaged turn that surely can help. Bear in mind that regen is already used on bigger vehicle (it's called electronic retarder) to help alleviate the thermal load on brakes, but still, brakes are used. Sure it will be best the other way around, brakes helping regen, since brakes pad are a source of dust pollution too...

@@mattiafrancescobruni8318 You are correct, truck engineers forgot that a medium duty truck with hydraulic brakes needs a low geared manual trans to give some immediate engine braking before the brakes can safely be applied. My daily is a 79 C600 and the engine braking in the old 370 motor feels similar to the regen in an EV, and like an EV I don't really use the brakes. I have a 1961 F600 dump truck with original brakes down to the shoes, they've never needed any attention and they work really well. A simple system like that with a bit of modern techno wizardry (gotta let the engineers justify their paychecks) to make them a little more responsive would be ideal. I'm losing hope in the industry to produce a simple truck though. I think I will be modifying my Smith with simpler components.

Private carriers who transport their own goods and do not hire commercial drivers are exempt!

The 2023 Ram ProMaster has a 4,680-pound maximum payload or a 6,910-pound maximum towing capacity with the 3.6L Pentastar V-6 engine.

That's awesome, congrats on the amazing end-result!

It does look that way, I drive a 21 promaster daily loaded with at least 5k lbs of produce and occasionally a mercedes sprinter. Both have extra leaf springs and the ram has helper springs. Ram handles much better with and without the weight. The Mercedes has too much sway, its especially terrible in the wind

Cost depends on several factors, including upfits, equipment, location, and more. We recommend reaching out to your local dealer for pricing. Current price estimates are around $400k from our research.