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The Tesla Semi will achieve 0-60mph in 20 seconds when pulling 36,287kgs
(80,000lbs), the maximum allowed on US roads.
Speaking on stage at Tesla's facility in Los Angeles, chief executive
Elon Musk said: "It's not like any truck that you've ever driven."
However, the charismatic Mr Musk faces continued pressure from investors
and customers as the firm struggles to meet demand for its Model 3 car.
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Model 3 delays
The Model 3 is behind schedule due to factory delays, a situation Mr
Musk described recently as “production hell”.
The 46-year-old had been camping at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada,
to oversee battery production for the new cars. However, while the
company had predicted it would make 1,500 Model 3 cars in the third
quarter of 2017, in reality it only managed 260.
Depending on your opinion of Mr Musk, launching a new truck at this time
is either a bold statement of belief in his technology, and business as
usual, or a foolish distraction from Tesla’s main goal of making its
Model 3 a mainstream, affordable car.
There are elements of the Model 3 in the Tesla Semi. Each of its wheels
is powered by a Model 3 motor, and the cab features two of the touch
screens displays found in the Model 3.
Competitive market
With Tesla Semi, Mr Musk enters a competitive, demanding market. There
are an estimated 3.5 million truck drivers in the US, the vast majority
of whom drive diesel-powered engines. Tesla will not be able to compete
on diesel’s range, and battery specialists doubt Tesla can produce a
powerful enough battery at a reasonable price.
“A 300-mile-capable battery pack costs about $200,000,” a Carnegie
Mellon study concluded.
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“Which is much higher than a diesel-powered semi-truck, which costs
about $120,000, on average, for the entire vehicle.”
Mr Musk said the Tesla Semi would be able to travel 643km (400 miles)
after 30 minutes of charge at one of Tesla's new mega-chargers.
The cost?
As for cost, the company said that per mile the Tesla Semi would work
out cheaper than a diesel equivalent when fuel and other maintenance is
taken into consideration - but did not share the cost of an individual
truck.
The Diesel Technology Forum, a non-profit trade group that promotes the
use of diesel, said Tesla’s announcement needed to be "evaluated in the
context of reality”.
"Diesel is the most energy efficient internal combustion engine,” Allen
Schaeffer, the forum's executive director.
"It has achieved dominance as the technology of choice in the trucking
industry over many decades and challenges from many other fuel types.
"Still, today, diesel offers a unique combination of unmatched features:
proven fuel efficiency, economical operation, power, reliability,
durability, availability, easy access to fuelling and service
facilities, and now near-zero emissions performance."
As well as coming up against diesel incumbents, Tesla also faces other
electric rivals. Concept electric big rigs have been unveiled by
Daimler, Volkswagen and Cummins - though all fall short on range, and
none are currently on the roads.
Where Tesla believes it can bring an added advantage is with on-board
safety and comfort.
A statement from Tesla boasted that “jackknifing is prevented due to the
Semi's onboard sensors that detect instability and react with positive
or negative torque to each wheel while independently actuating all
brakes".
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"The surround cameras aid object detection and minimise blind spots,
automatically alerting the driver to safety hazards and obstacles.
"With Enhanced Autopilot, the Tesla Semi features Automatic Emergency
Braking, Automatic Lane Keeping and Lane Departure Warning.”
Autopilot is Tesla’s autonomous driving function that offers several
self-driving features, most importantly guiding the vehicle to stay
within the lines on the road, and slowing down in keeping with traffic
up ahead.
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