Tesla Delivers a Revolutionary Semi-Truck
An Electric Semi with a Range of 500 Miles
According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the company has launched a heavy-duty electric truck to help fulfill the company's mission, which is "to accelerate the advent of sustainable energy." Among other things, he claims that the Tesla Semi is "fast to accelerate" and "fast to brake." With "three times the power of any diesel truck on the road right now," it’s a vast "improvement in what it's like to drive a semi-truck, accelerating much more quickly, even with a full load, than traditional diesel-powered semi-trucks" he said.
PepsiCo's Modesto, California, factory completed its first cargo run by delivering snacks from its Frito-Lay subsidiary to those attending Tesla's launch event in Nevada. Musk said the Semi completed a 500-mile drive on a single charge, with the Semi and cargo weighing in at 81,000 total pounds.
Easier to Drive
Tesla Semi features an unusual design in which the driver sits in the center of the cab rather than on one side. Because it has no multi-geared transmission, as diesel trucks do, it’s also easier to drive than other semi-trucks. A video during the presentation showed a fully loaded Tesla Semi accelerating up a steep grade and passing other trucks.
According to Tesla, when fully loaded and traveling on level ground, the truck can drive 500 miles on a single charge. It has three electric motors, one of which drives the truck most of the time while the other two are used mostly for acceleration and hard pulling. It also features new “megawatt” ultra-fast chargers that will be used to quickly refill the truck’s batteries.
Regenerative braking, the way electric vehicles use their motors to slow down and recharge their batteries using the vehicle’s own motion, will also be a safety benefit. Drivers won’t have to downshift going down long hills and may not need to use the truck’s actual brakes at all.
More weight
The truck can pull up to 82,000 pounds gross combination weight, including truck, trailer, and load weight. This is the maximum allowable weight permitted by the U.S. government for an electric Class 8 truck, and 2,000 pounds more than allowed for a Class 8 truck powered by fossil fuels.
By comparison, a diesel-powered semi-truck can travel up to a maximum of about 1,800 to 2,000 miles before refueling. Obviously, exact mileage will fluctuate depending on many variables, including the size of the fuel tanks.
Health benefits
According to the American Lung Association, replacing gasoline and diesel-powered trucks with those that are electric could greatly improve human health and even save tens of thousands of lives. In addition, there is the benefit of noise reduction for people living near highways.
The Downside
More weight doesn’t necessarily equal more payload. Tesla omitted crucial information, including the truck's empty weight, an important consideration for measuring its efficiency. A Tesla Semi "fully loaded" with Doritos can go farther than a truck packed with cases of Pepsi. Moving a cargo of chips, with an average weight of 52 grams per pack, probably shouldn’t be a clear-cut proof of concept.
There's a basic physics problem with electric trucks that goes straight to operators' bottom line. Hauling a fully-loaded 18-wheel tractor down the highway requires a lot of electricity, and batteries are big, heavy, and expensive. The larger the battery, the less cargo room. The heavier the cargo, the shorter the driving range. Less cargo and range usually mean less profit.
As they’re developed and improved, electric trucks will surely make sense but, for now, they look to be at their best for shorter runs or smaller loads.
In the meantime, be safe, be smart, and “Keep on truckin’!”