The all-electric truck, which was first revealed in 2017, is the company’s first move into non-consumer vehicles. It’s expected to cover the majority of current diesel truck routes, with some excellent additions, including a central seating position and two touchscreens. While it has been elusive since its introduction in 2017, evidence suggests it may emerge soon.
It might be the next phase in Elon Musk’s ultimate ambition of transitioning the planet to renewable energy. According to the company’s 2020 impact assessment, combination trucks make up 1.1 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet but emit 17 percent of the emissions. Electrifying vehicles could help to reduce emissions from a significant source.
However, it will be up against the likes of Kenworth, Freightliner, and Geely. As Tesla prepares to deliver its Semi truck, it may find itself in a saturated market, considerably more so than when the car was first announced in 2017.
The most important question. The Tesla Semi was revealed in 2017 and will be available in 2020. However, in its second-quarter 2021 financial report, the business said that manufacturing would be delayed until 2022 “to better focus on these plants, as well as due to restricted availability of battery cells and global supply chain problems.”
Musk went much further in the October 2021 shareholders’ meeting. According to him, Tesla would “ideally” begin production of the Semi and the second-generation Roadster in 2023.
PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta hinted earlier this month that it would come sooner than expected. Laguarta said it would get the first of its 100-truck purchase “in Q4,” speaking from Scotland’s COP26 climate change summit.
TESLA SEMI RANGE
There are two different models of the Tesla Semi: one that can go 300 miles and the other that can go 500 miles. Musk said most truck routes in the United States were less than 250 miles long at the unveiling.
These numbers haven’t changed since the truck was first shown off in 2017. As of now, it’s not clear if Tesla will make changes to these figures after it announced new batteries with a 54% battery range boost on September 2020’s Battery Day.
During a speech in November 2020, Musk said that the Semi could have even more range then. Musk was speaking at the European Battery Conference, and Teslarati noted that he told (bolded for emphasis):
“Getting a range of 500 km [310 miles] is I think, quite easy. And this is assuming a truck that is pulling a load of something in the order of 40 metric tons. So that’s a heavy truck. For long-range trucking, up to, we think, easily 800 kilometers [500 miles], and we see a path over time, to get to about 1,000 kilometers [620 miles] of range. We think this is going to be extremely competitive and compelling to trucking companies.”
This would outperform the Tesla Model S, which has the best range in the company’s lineup at 405 miles.
TESLA SEMI TOP SPEED
The truck’s top speed has not been confirmed by Tesla. However, the truck’s website claims that it can achieve 60 mph on a five percent grade incline. This figure was 65 mph at the truck’s presentation, but it was later reduced downward.
Musk claimed that a similar truck could achieve 45 mph during the event.
In addition, the truck accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 20 seconds. To achieve these times, it uses four separate motors on the rear axles and a drag coefficient of under 0.36, which helps it glide through the air. Read also; Tesla Cybertruck 2023 Release Date Announced by Elon Musk.
THE PAYLOAD OF THE TESLA SEMI
It is projected to perform well in comparison to diesel trucks.
Tesla’s 2020 impact assessment stated in August 2021 that the truck payload would be “at least as high as a diesel truck.”
It also stated that electric trucks in the United States are allowed to be 2,000 pounds heavier than diesel trucks when loaded. The EU allows for an excess load of two tons (about 4,400 pounds).
The weight limit on a Class 8 truck is 80,000 pounds. That means the Semi’s weight limit in the United States would be 82,000 pounds, and in the EU, it would be roughly 84,400 pounds. In 2013, SeekingAlpha reported that more than 90% of loaded vehicles in the United States weighed less than 73,000 pounds.
HOW MUCH DOES A TESLA SEMI COST?
The company requests a base reservation of $20,000. The following prices are listed on Tesla’s website:
- 300-mile version: $150,000
- 500-mile version: $180,000
In 2018, the average sale price of a Class 8 truck in the United States was $117,430, according to Statista. Read more; 2023 Tesla Roadster: What We Know So Far.
The Tesla Semi may appear pricey, but Tesla boasts that it can save over $200,000 in gasoline and has a two-year payback period. However, it’s unclear how the corporation arrived at these figures.
It’s also unclear whether Tesla charges the exact pricing to businesses that place large orders.
